Today, and every day, we remember them. Unveiling of Kirkwall and St Ola war memorial, 17 October 1923. Photograph by Tom Kent.

We’re a bit behind with #31daysofgraves but here’s a ‘mistake’ from Day 18. Do you know anyone else who died on 30 February? 🤨

Oct 17: Feast of Regulus (Rule) (C4th). Greek who followed an angel’s request to bear some of St Andrew’s relics into ‘northern parts’. Arriving in Fife, the angel brought him to a halt. There Rule built a church to house the relics, which was later called St Andrews. #medievalsky

Earlier this year, an excavation in Rousay by @uhiarchaeology.bsky.social uncovered an expressive carved stone face. We have a similar fellow in the cathedral, so archaeologists visited today to examine them side by side!

On this day in 1939, HMS Royal Oak sank in Scapa Flow with the loss of 835 men and boys. Today, and every day, we remember them.

Squeezing this in before the end of the day! #31DaysofGraves - Day 13, Skeleton. Of course, it had to be this cheery and dynamic fellow from the gravestone of Kirkwall merchant Patrick Prince.

Catching up with #31DaysofGraves, and prompt 12, Notable Woman. Not buried here, but mentioned on her grandparents' stone - Inga Peace. Orcadian, graphic and theatre designer, wife of black artist and rugby player Eddie Oxley. Thanks to Inga Drever for letting me sharing this family photo.

Day 11 and today’s #31DaysofGraves prompt is ‘military’. We have five @cwgc.bsky.social graves but this photo is from St Olaf’s Cemetery and features Flight Officer Harry Reid who died in the ‘Salford Lancaster’ crash in 1944. Pictured with two of his relatives, @sweynh.bsky.social and Freya.

It’s Day 10 of #31DaysofGraves, and the prompt is ‘urn’. This is the grave of late 19th-early 20thC merchant and entrepreneur Robert Garden, who built a trading and manufacturing empire throughout the islands.

*** Skulls and Dancing Skeletons tour rescheduled*** We are pleased to confirm that this special curator tour is going ahead tomorrow, Saturday 11 October. The tour explores the symbolism of hourglasses, candles, bells, skulls and more, and it's all inside! Starts at 10am, costs £15, lasts 1 hour.

Day 9 of #31DaysofGraves - and the prompt is ‘hand’! Here’s a little prototype emoji from the 1600s - a hand pointing towards a Bible. This stone commemorates Kirk Minister Thomas Baikie, who died aged 42.

Today is Day 8 of #31DaysofGraves and the prompt is 'glass'. This is a 1911 postcard by Tom Kent, showing the grave of RN rating Arthur Sartin covered in glass 'immortelles' - domes filled with ceramic flowers. The other image is the same spot today.

Catching up with #31DaysofGraves - Day 4’s prompt was ‘Languages’. Here’s a stone from St Magnus with a Greek inscription meaning ‘Behold the end of life’ ☠️

We’re very sorry - Orkney is about to experience Storm Amy and there is an Amber Weather Warning for tomorrow morning. So unfortunately we have made the decision to postpone this tour until a later date.

Day 3 of #31DaysofGraves, and the prompt is 'tomb'. So here's a wall-set tomb from the south nave aisle. It's thought to date from the 14th century, and was possibly the burial place of the Paplay family.

It’s Day 2 of #31DaysofGraves, and the theme is ‘nautical’. So here are two from our graveyard - a wooden marker for a ship’s carpenter, and a stone ensign at half mast for a captain… 🫡

It's a wet, windy day in Orkney but it's also the first day of October, and that means... #31daysofgraves! The prompt for today is 'Flower', so here's a lovely carved rose from the gravestone of one Elizabeth Cuthbert who died in 1685. Follow @annaandthedead.bsky.social if you want to join in ☠️🪦

☠️Skulls and Dancing Skeletons - Saturday 4 October!☠️ This weekend sees the return of this popular cathedral tour, exploring the symbolism of the skull-and-crossbones, the candles, hourglasses, and much more. Meet your guide inside at 10am; the tour lasts 1 hour approximately, and costs £15pp.

Tomorrow (Monday 29 Sept) sees the last 🪦 historic graveyard tour🪦 of the season. It starts at 2pm inside, next to the custodian’s office - costs £10pp and lasts an hour.

Yesterday we said goodbye to our Team Leader for Heritage, Meredith. She joined us as cathedral conservator in 2019, and has transformed care of the cathedral building over the past 6 years. Here she is on her final day with Peter, technician, and Fran, curator. Good luck for the future, Meredith!

We are looking forward to once again taking part in the #31daysofgraves!

***Please remember*** there is no tour of the historic cathedral graveyard today (Monday 15 September). The next tour will be on Friday 19 September at 2pm.

Huge thanks to everyone who came along on our special Graffiti Tours, put on as part of the Orkney Festival of Archaeology. Here's Curator Fran Flett Hollinrake in full flow! (Thank you to Valeria for the photo) ⛪

***UPDATE*** These tours have now sold out! Many thanks to everyone for their interest.

As part of the inaugural Orkney Festival of Archaeology, we are offering lots of tours, including a special Graffiti Tour, featuring parts of the Upper Levels that we don't usually go to! More details here: orkneyarchaeologysociety.org.uk/events/list/

The same applies today - graveyard tour at 2pm.

***Graveyard tour today - Monday*** A reminder that there will be a tour of the historic cathedral graveyard at 2pm today. It costs £10pp and lasts 1 hour - no need to book. Join us at the custodian's office in the south transept.

***Graveyard tour today*** There is a tour of the cathedral's historic graveyard at 2pm today (Monday). Meet at the custodian's office, in the south transept. The tour lasts 1 hour and costs £10pp, no need to book! Tours of the graveyard are on Mondays & Fridays at 2pm until the end of September.

It's the Feast Day of St Rognvald, the Norwegian earl of Orkney who built our wonderful cathedral.

The Flower Festival continues all this week, and the theme is ‘Let There Be Music!’. Please come by and see the beautiful displays and give generously - all money raised goes towards the upkeep of our cathedral.

***RESTRICTED ACCESS TODAY*** 🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸 Please remember that there is very limited access in the cathedral today, as we set up for the annual Flower Festival.

🌸🏵️🌸 PLEASE NOTE 🌸🏵️🌸 On Tuesday 12 August there will be very restricted access in the cathedral as we get ready for our annual Flower Festival. Only the west end and the central nave aisle will be open, so please plan accordingly. Enjoy this image from last year's Flower Festival!

This should be a really interesting talk - we've got our tickets!

🪦***Graveyard tour today***🪦 There will be a tour of the cathedral's historic graveyard today at 2pm - meet at the custodian's office inside. The tour costs £10pp and lasts for one hour.

Not an OAS event but this first in a series of 'Music for Malawi' lunchtime concerts may be of interest to our followers. Sat 26 July at @stmagnuscathedral.bsky.social at 1pm. Admission free but donations to Malawi Music Fund gratefully received.

We had the best view in town for the Cycling Criterium! #islandgames #orkney

These two young Island Games athletes, Cian snd Cameron, are from Ynys Môn (Anglesey). They visited the cathedral yesterday and heard the tale of the Battle in the Menai Strait when St Magnus refused to fight. He stood untouched, singing psalms, whilst the battle raged around him. 😇🙏

The Island Games 2025 are upon us! It’s sunny and hot and buzzing out in the street, but inside we are a cool, calm and quiet. We have a beautiful sound installation and the wonderful Sails in St Magnus - come in for a gentle moment.

Thank you to everyone who came for the special curator tour about the stained glass windows - its such a fascinating subject! Here is curator Fran in action at the west window.

***Special tour on the cathedral STAINED GLASS*** Tomorrow (Wed 2 July) our curator will deliver 'Stories in colour and light - the stained glass windows of St Magnus Cathedral'. It starts at 2pm and lasts 1 hour. There is no need to book, just turn up! Cost: £15pp

***Graveyard tour today*** We have a tour of our historic graveyard at 2pm. No need to book, just meet the guide inside by the custodian's office. It costs £10pp and takes about an hour 🪦

We’re getting ready for the St Magnus International Festival, which starts on Friday! Apologies for any disruption you may experience as the staging and lighting rigs go in.

The 'Sails in St Magnus' artwork - 14 painted canvasses - has been hung in the cathedral for the first time since 2017, for the 2025 Island Games, held this summer in Orkney. The story told in paintings, and micro-poems by George Mackay Brown, is of Earl Rognvald's 1150 pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

***GRAVEYARD TOUR TODAY*** There will be a tour of the cathedral's historic graveyard today (FRIDAY) at 2pm. It costs £10pp and lasts 1 hour. No need to book - meet your guide inside the cathedral, by the custodian's office in the south transept (go to the middle and turn right).

***IMPORTANT NOTICE*** Please note that the tour of the historic graveyard will NOT take place this Friday, 30 May. The next tour is on Monday 2 June at 2pm. Please meet the guide inside the cathedral, in the south transept. There's no need to book; the tour takes 1 hour and cost £10pp.

Thank you @getgood.bsky.social! It was lovely to finally meet you and I'm glad you enjoyed the tour :) 🪦

Work continues on the cathedral clock, as horologist Darren Cox cleans, files, oils and polishes every part of the mechanism. Soon the bells will be reconnected and the winders will be reinstalled...

Well, it's not every day you meet the 22nd great-grandson of King Hakon IV of Norway. Here's Jörg Schmidt with his very impressive family tree, standing by the site where Hakon was buried temporarily from December 1263 to March 1264.

***REMINDER*** There is a tour of the cathedral's historic graveyard every MONDAY and FRIDAY throughout the summer. It starts at 2pm inside the cathedral (meet in the south transept - look for the sign), lasts 1 hour and costs £10pp.