List of churches in Orkney
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A List of churches in Orkney, Scotland:
The islands have an estimated 27 active churches for 21,500 inhabitants, a ratio of one church to every 796 people.
The islands were originally divided into 21 civil parishes: Birsay and Harray, Cross and Burness (on Sanday), Eday, Evie and Rendall, Firth, Holm, Hoy and Graemsay, Kirkwall and St Ola, Lady (on Sanday), Orphir, Papa Westray, Rousay and Egilsay, Sandwick, Shapinsay, South Ronaldsay, St Andrews and Deerness, Stenness, Stromness, Stronsay, South Walls & Flotta, and Westray.
On 1 October 2024 almost all of the Church of Scotland parishes in Orkney united as a single parish, known as Orkney Islands Church of Scotland, retaining most of the current church buildings and served by a team ministry. (As of late 2024 the parish churches of Evie & Rendall linked with Firth are not yet part of this new union).
| Name | Civil parish (settlement) | Web | Parish founded | Denomination | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sanday Church of Scotland | Cross & Burness (Broughtown) | Church of Scotland[2] | |||
| North Ronaldsay Church of Scotland | Cross & Burness (N Ronaldsay) | 1812 | Church of Scotland | ||
| Eday Church of Scotland | Eday | Church of Scotland[2] | |||
| Evie Church of Scotland | Evie & Rendall | Church of Scotland[3] | Shares a minister with Firth, Rendall and Rousay | ||
| Rendall Church of Scotland | Evie & Rendall | Church of Scotland[3] | Shares a minister with Evie, Firth and Rousay | ||
| Firth Church of Scotland | Firth | Medieval | Church of Scotland[3] | Shares a minister with Evie, Rendall and Rousay | |
| East Mainland Church | Holm | [4] | Church of Scotland | Serves Deerness, Holm and St Andrews parishes | |
| St John's Kirk, Hoy & Walls | Hoy & Graemsay (Little Ayre) | Church of Scotland[2] | Shares a minister with Flotta and Orphir & Stenness | ||
| St Magnus Cathedral | Kirkwall & St Ola | [5] | 1137 | Church of Scotland | Dedicated to St Magnus. Technically no longer a cathedral |
| Kirkwall East Church | Kirkwall & St Ola | Church of Scotland[6] | Shares a minister with Shapinsay | ||
| St Olaf's Episcopal Church | Kirkwall & St Ola | [7] | 1876-1878 | Episcopal Church | Dedicated to St Olaf. Episcopacy in the islands dates back to C16th |
| Kirkwall Baptist Church | Kirkwall & St Ola | [8] | Independent | ||
| Our Lady & St Joseph, Kirkwall | Kirkwall & St Ola | [9] | Roman Catholic | Dedicated to SS Mary & Joseph | |
| Orphir & Stenness Church of Scotland | Orphir | Medieval | Church of Scotland[10] | Shares a minister with Flotta and Hoy & Walls | |
| Papa Westray Church of Scotland | Papa Westray | Church of Scotland[11] | Shares a minister with Westray. Building originally Free Church | ||
| Rousay Church of Scotland | Rousay & Egilsay | Church of Scotland[3] | Shares minister with Evie, Firth & Rendall. Serves Egilsay & Wyre | ||
| Milestone Community Church | Sandwick (Dounby) | 2011-2012[12] | Church of Scotland[13] | Serves Birsay & Harray and Sandwick parishes (united 2000) | |
| Dounby United Free Church | Sandwick (Dounby) | United Free Church[14] | |||
| Shapinsay Church of Scotland | Shapinsay | Church of Scotland[2] | Shares a minister with Kirkwall East | ||
| South Ronaldsay & Burray CoS | S Ronaldsay (St Margaret's Hope) | Church of Scotland[15] | Also serves Burray | ||
| Flotta Church of Scotland | South Walls & Flotta | Church of Scotland[2] | Shares a minister with Hoy and Walls and Orphir and Stenness | ||
| Stromness & Graemsay CoS | Stromness | Church of Scotland[16] | Also holds monthly services in a community centre on Graemsay | ||
| St Mary the Virgin Episcopal Church | Stromness | [17] | Episcopal Church | Dedicated to St Mary | |
| Stromness Baptist Church | Stromness | [18] | Independent | ||
| Moncur Memorial Church, Stronsay | Stronsay | Church of Scotland[2] | |||
| Westray Church of Scotland | Westray | Church of Scotland[11] | Shares a minister with Papa Westray. United with Westray UFC 2005 | ||
| Westray Baptist Church | Westray (Pierowall) | [19] | Independent | ||
| Jehovah's Witnesses | Kirkwall | Jehovah's Witnesses | 30 Mill St., Kirkwall KW15 1NL, UK |
Defunct churches
| Name | Civil parish (settlement) | Founded | Redundant | Denomination | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Magnus Church, Birsay | Birsay & Harray | Medieval | 1996[20] | Church of Scotland | Built in 1664 on the site of an earlier 11th century church.[21] |
| St Peters Chapel, Birsay | Birsay | Early 12th century | Catholic Church in Scotland | Remained in use until the 13th century. Until the Reformation, it was a popular pilgrimage site.[22] | |
| Birsay (Twatt) Church of Scotland | Birsay & Harray | 1875 | 2008[12] | Church of Scotland | |
| St Michael's, Harray | Birsay & Harray | 1836 | 2010s[23] | Church of Scotland | |
| Cross Church of Scotland | Cross & Burness | Church of Scotland | Ruins remain[24] | ||
| St Columba's, Burness | Cross & Burness | Church of Scotland | Now vanished but burial ground remains[25] | ||
| Italian Chapel, Lamb Holm | Holm | 1942-43 | Roman Catholic | Built by Italian prisoners of war; still in occasional use | |
| Graemsay Kirk | Hoy & Graemsay | C19th | Church of Scotland | No longer in use[26] | |
| St Olaf's Kirk, Kirkwall | Kirkwall & St Ola | Medieval | Church of Scotland | Ruins remain[27] | |
| Eynhallow Church | Medieval | pre C16th | Ruins only | ||
| Lady Kirk, Sanday | Lady (on Sanday) | Church of Scotland | Most recent building 1773. Ruined[28] | ||
| Orphir Round Church | Orphir | Medieval | C18th | Ruins only | |
| St Boniface's Church, Papa Westray | Papa Westray | Medieval | 1930 | Church of Scotland | Originally built in the 12 century, expanded in 1710. The site dates to a large Iron Age settlement. Hogback stone in graveyard.[29] |
| St Magnus, Egilsay | Rousay & Egilsay | Medieval | Church of Scotland | Ruins only | |
| Deerness Church of Scotland | St Andrews & Deerness | 1829[30] | Church of Scotland | ||
| St Andrews Church of Scotland | St Andrews & Deerness (Tankerness) | 1801[31] | Church of Scotland | ||
| St Peter, Sandwick | Sandwick | 1670 | 1960s | Church of Scotland | Current building 1836–1837. Scottish Redundant Churches Trust 1998[32] |
| Sandwick United Free Church | Sandwick | 1836 | 2008 | Church of Scotland | Joined CoS in 1929. Sold 2008, along with Birsay & Harray churches[12] |
| Burray Baptist Church | South Ronaldsay (Burray) | 1966 | Closed in 1966, now used as a fishing store | ||
| St Lawrence's, Burray | South Ronaldsay (Burray) | Roofless ruin[33] | |||
| St Columba's, South Walls | South Walls & Flotta | 1832 | Church of Scotland | Active in 2002 listing but not listed on Orkney Presbytery's website | |
| Stenness Parish Church | Stenness | Medieval | 2000s | Church of Scotland | Rebuilt 1760, 1774. Recently sold[34] |
| Lady Kirk, Westray | Westray (Pierowall) | Medieval | Rebuilt 1674. Ruins only | ||
| Westside Church | Westray (Tuquoy) | Ruins only | |||
| St Mary's Chapel, Wyre | Wyre | Medieval | Church of Scotland | Ruins only[35] |
