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Bishop's Palace, Kirkwall is a medieval episcopal residence located in Kirkwall, Orkney. The palace dates principally from the 12th century, with later medieval modifications and additions, and represents one of the most substantial surviving examples of a bishop's secular residence in Scotland. The structure comprises ranges of buildings arranged around a courtyard, featuring stone walls and architectural elements characteristic of medieval domestic fortification. The palace served as the official residence of the Bishops of Orkney and reflects the considerable temporal power and wealth that the medieval Church exercised in the northern isles.
Bishop's Palace, Kirkwall is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM90193. View the official record →
Bishop's Palace, Kirkwall is a medieval episcopal residence located in Kirkwall, Orkney. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM90193.
Bishop's Palace, Kirkwall is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic Environment Scotland — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Scotland. The official designation reference is SM90193.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Earl's Palace, Kirkwall (0.1 km), Pickaquoy,burnt mound & settlement (0.9 km), Grain Earth House and Grainbank, two souterrains, Hatston (1.1 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Bishop's Palace, Kirkwall's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Bishop's Palace, Kirkwall stands on Middle Old Red Sandstone (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.