Lakes and deserts
There are two beautifully contrasting colours of Devonian sandstone in St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall in Orkney. Both are 380 million years …
Kirkwall at dawn
I’ve just woken up in a Viking city. A city which is only part of the UK, and not Norway, because King …
A smile on their face
The woodcarver who made this pair of birds in St Magnus Cathedral had a smile on their face. They look like lovebirds to me.
Hinges on St Magnus Cathedral
I love these ornate hinges on the doors to St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall.
Saint Olaf in St Magnus Cathedral
In life Saint Olaf was a violent and brutal warlord; a killer Viking who lived 1,000 years ago. Yet he’s a Christian …
A Viking Longship in St Magnus Cathedral
Here’s a magnificent Viking longship in stained glass in St Magnus Cathedral. Viking longships were ships of war and built for raiding. …
Walking down the aisle
A view down the aisle at St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall.
Timothy – the patron saint of stomach disorders
In St Magnus Cathedral there is a wonderful stained glass window of Saint Timothy, the patron saint of intestinal and stomach disorders. …
Cross-bones and a cross-looking skull
The graves in St Magnus Cathedral are fascinating. What caught my eye with this carving is the anatomically correct cross-bones, with perfect …
Let there be light
The stained glass windows in St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall are beautifully done. This is one of them, Fiat lux, or ‘Let …
Ezekiel in St Magnus Cathedral
In St Magnus Cathedral they have a beautiful stained glass window dedicated to Ezekiel. Nowadays he would probably have a psychiatrist, a psychologist, a psychiatric nurse and a social worker on his team and be treated with antipsychotic medication to control his symptoms.
Old and new
St Magnus Cathedral is slowly weathering away. Beautiful new carvings have been inserted to replace some of the most weathered parts. Their …
The view from inside St Magnus Cathedral’s clock face
The inside of St Magnus Cathedral is just as fascinating as the outside, especially if you book yourself on one of the …
Weathered sculpture at St Magnus Cathedral
What was this sculpture originally do you think?
Wedding flowers
The wedding at St Magnus Cathedral had a beautiful vintage car and these wonderful flowers.
Who says Orkney has no trees?
The view from the top of St Magnus Cathedral tells me otherwise.
6 of May 1656
A lot has happened in the last 360 years; when this grave was carved in 1656, Oliver Cromwell was still Lord Protector …
Saint Stephen in the church of Saint Magnus
Saint Stephen was a Greek man called Stephanos. He was found guilty of teaching against the Temple in Jerusalem and was stoned …
A weathered gargoyle
St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall is a masterpiece of stone carving. There are numerous decorative flourishes including this gargoyle. I know it’s …
A Different View of St Magnus Cathedral
I’ve seen so many beautiful photographs of St Magnus Cathedral. There are photographs of it in brilliant sunshine, photographs in snow, photographs …
Flower Arrangement
Apart from putting a few garage forecourt flowers in the wrong size of vase and the extras in a spare milk bottle …
The Dove
I’m about to set sail to Westray on a ferry as big as a Biblical Ark. First though, we’re having a special …
The view from St Magnus Cathedral
St Magnus Cathedral dominates Kirkwall just as the Vikings who built it originally intended. If you ever get the chance to go …
Daniel
Stained glass window featuring Daniel from St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall.
Cathedral Carving
This grimacing head wearing what seems to be a wig and surrounded by wings is in St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall. It …
Mobilisation by Shame
Looking at the mass of poppies outside St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall, it’s hard to comprehend the sheer scale of the death and destruction.
The Battle of Jutland – 100 years of memories
May 31st marks the 100th anniversary of The Battle of Jutland where the main fleets of the British and German navies fought …
Weeping Window
I prefer the story “The fabulously wealthy rob us of our rightful taxes and expect us to be grateful to them when they abuse shell charities to fund their own self-indulgent and self-aggrandising projects.” That’s not how the story of Lady Susie Sainsbury’s benevolence gets told.