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Earl's Palace, Birsay is a ruined Renaissance palace situated in the parish of Birsay in Orkney, Scotland. The palace was constructed in the late sixteenth century, likely begun around 1574, by Robert Stewart, Earl of Orkney, as a residence befitting his elevated status following Orkney's transfer to Scottish crown rule. The structure exhibits characteristics typical of Scottish Renaissance architecture, with substantial stone walls and multi-storey ranges arranged around a courtyard, though it now survives primarily as fragmentary masonry. The palace was abandoned by the seventeenth century and subsequently fell into decay, leaving it today as a significant archaeological monument testifying to the assertion of Scottish authority and aristocratic ambition in the northern isles.
Earl's Palace, Birsay is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM90033. View the official record →
Earl's Palace, Birsay is a ruined Renaissance palace situated in the parish of Birsay in Orkney, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM90033.
Earl's Palace, Birsay 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 SM90033.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Knowes of Howana,mound 200m SW of Flanders,& remains of three others (6.4 km), Nether Benzieclett, farmstead, Skeabrae (7.8 km), Knowe of Makerhouse, burnt mound 100m ESE of Makerhouse (8 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Earl's Palace, Birsay'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.
Earl's Palace, Birsay stands on Middle Old Red Sandstone (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.