What are the opening hours?

Monday 10:30am - 5pm Tuesday 10:30am - 5pm Wednesday 10:30am - 5pm Thursday 10:30am - 5pm Friday 10:30am - 5pm Saturday 10:30am - 5pm

Orkney Arts, Museums and Heritage

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Orkney Arts, Museums and Heritage

Orkney Museums care for five visitor attractions within the County. These include: Scapa Flow Museum, St.

Magnus Cathedral, Kirbuster Farm Museum, and Orkney Museum. Please ensure you read our social media policy at www.orkney.gov.uk/SocialMedia

01/09/2026

With the Orkney International Science Festival just around the corner, we’re delighted to share that Carolyn Dixon - artist and researcher behind our current exhibition "Torn From That Lovely Shore" will be in the exhibition space in Orkney Museum on the dates below to chat informally about her work.

These relaxed sessions are a chance to meet Carolyn, hear more about her research, and explore the stories and artwork behind the exhibition.

29/08/2026

The 2pm cathedral graveyard tour is cancelled on Monday August 31st. The graveyard tour will be back as usual on Friday September 4th.

13/08/2026

This week the cathedral is hosting the Kirkwall Flower Arrangement Club’s annual Flower Festival! This year’s theme is Myths and Legends, and our aisles are filled with dragons, wizards, giants, selkies, and more 🧙‍♂️🦭

The cathedral is open today, Friday and Saturday from 0900-1800, and on Sunday from 1300-1700 (please note the flower displays will be taken down after 1600).

Please donate generously - the funds raised go towards the upkeep and restoration of the cathedral.

🌸🌼🌷🌸🌼🌷🌸🌼🌷🌸🌼🌷🌸🌼🌷

12/08/2026

We were delighted to have a visit from members of the Sanday Afternoon Club at Orkney Museum today who came by to see our current exhibition “Torn from that Lovely Shore “ and were treated to an informal chat with the artist Carolyn Dixon.

09/08/2026

Next week sees the Flower Festival taking over the cathedral, with the following amendments to our schedule and opening times:

Tuesday 11th: Very restricted access and no 10am ground floor tour due to festival setup

Wednesday 12th (Flower Festival): Open 10am-8pm. No 10am ground floor tour

Thursday 13th-Saturday 15th (Flower Festival): Open till 6pm

Sunday 16th: Cathedral open as normal (1pm-5pm), but Flower Festival finishes at 4pm

03/08/2026

🎉 Children’s cathedral activity book 🎉

We are delighted to share the news that a brand new children’s activity book, The Marvellous Life of St Magnus Cathedral, is now available!

Created by pupils from Firth Primary School, the booklet aims to tell the story of the cathedral for children, by children, in partnership with local artist Britt Harcus (and some help from Arts Officer Emma Gee and the team at the cathedral).

You can pick up the booklet for free, inside the cathedral, along with a pencil for tackling some of the puzzles.

We look forward to seeing you!

30/07/2026

***Special Curator Tour***

Wednesday 5 August

📚The Cathedral in Literature📚

St Magnus Cathedral has inspired a multitude of writers over the centuries, and it appears in works of literature from The Orkneyinga Saga to the writings of George Mackay Brown and beyond. Come and explore how poets and novelists have viewed 'The Light in the North', as well as writing which has inspired artworks in the cathedral in their turn.

🕑Starts: 2pm
⏳Duration: 1 hour
💶Cost: £15.60 per person
📍Meet: Inside the Cathedral main door
✅No booking required

29/07/2026

Today, 29 July, is the feast of St Olaf, patron saint of Norway. Here he is in St Magnus Cathedral, depicted in a wooden statue carved by Stinius Fredriksen. The statue was gifted by the cathedral in Nidaros, Trondheim in 1937, to mark the 800th anniversary of the founding of St Magnus Cathedral.

24/07/2026

Come along to Kirbuster Farm Museum tomorrow, Saturday 25 July, 2:00–3:30pm, for an informal chat celebrating the Orkney dialect with local voices Tom Rendall and Neil Leask.⠀
⠀
They'll cover everything from farming and place names to words that have fallen out of use (and others that have survived), plus some poetry from Chrissie Costie and Robert Rendall.⠀
⠀
Kirbuster Farm Museum⠀
Saturday 25 July⠀
2:00–3:30pm⠀
⠀
Free admission – all welcome!

20/07/2026

Come along to Kirbuster Farm Museum on Saturday 25 July, 2:00–3:30pm, for an informal chat celebrating the Orkney dialect with local voices Tom Rendall and Neil Leask.

They'll cover everything from farming and place names to words that have fallen out of use (and others that have survived), plus some poetry from Chrissie Costie and Robert Rendall.

Kirbuster Farm Museum
Saturday 25 July
2:00–3:30pm
Free admission – all welcome!

More information about the event here https://bit.ly/4fI4CI6

Address

Orkney IsIands Council, School Place
Kirkwall
KW151NY

Opening Hours

Monday	10:30am - 5pm
Tuesday	10:30am - 5pm
Wednesday	10:30am - 5pm
Thursday	10:30am - 5pm
Friday	10:30am - 5pm
Saturday	10:30am - 5pm

Website

https://www.orkneymuseums.co.uk/

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