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Earl's Palace, Birsay
Street address: Birsay, Orkney KW17 2LY, Scotland, United Kingdom
Mailing address: Skara Brae Prehistoric Village, Sandwick, Stromness, Orkney KW16 3LR, Scotland, United Kingdom
Telephone: 44 (0) 1856 841815
Fax: 44 (0) 1856 841885
E-mail:
Website: http:/
Proprietor: Historic Scotland
Contact: Ann Marwick District Visitors' Services Manager
Opening hours: Apr-Sep: 9.30am-6.30pm daily; Oct-Mar: closed
Admission: Free of charge
Accessibility: Partial disabled access
Built between 1569 and 1579 by Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Orkney and illegitimate son of King James V of Scotland, the ruined Earl's Palace at Birsay stands as a monument to Robert's royal pretensions and to his oppression of the people of Orkney. Built using forced labour, the two-storey palace was constructed around a central courtyard and well, with large stone towers at three of the four corners. The location is as impressive as the palace itself; the views across to the Brough of Birsay are superb.
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