KIRKWALL-AND-STOLA, a parish and sea-port and burgh (royal), and formerly
the seat of a diocese, in the county of Orkney, of which it is the capital; containing
3.599 inhabitants, of whom 2'205 are in the burgh, 21 miles (N. by E.) from
Huna, and 327 (N.) from the city of Edinburgh. This
place, which is situated in the south-eastern portion of
the Mainland, is of great antiquity, and from a very early
date has been distinguished for its importance. The
rural district around the town, called St. Ola, and supposed
to have been originally a separate parish, derived
its name from the foundation of a church by Olave, the
first Christian king of Norway, to whom the Orkney
Islands at that time belonged, at a period anterior to
the erection of the ancient cathedral. The buildings
near its site, which now constitute a portion of what is
styled the Old Town, bear evident traces of remote antiquity.
The burgh appears to have derived its name,
originally " Kirkcovog", now Kirkwall, from the Cathedral
of St. Magnus, founded in 1138 by Ronald, Earl
of Orkney, in honour of his uncle Magnus, the preceding
earl, who had been assassinated by his relative Haco, of
Norway, in 1110, and canonized after his death: this
cathedral, from its splendour and magnificence, was
called the Great Kirk, an appellation subsequently appropriated
to the town. The see, which had jurisdiction
over the whole of the county of Orkney, subsisted
under a regular succession of prelates, of whom Robert
Reid was the last Roman Catholic bishop, till the abolition
of episcopacy in Scotland. Among its endowments
were the lands of the parish of St. Ola, which, on the
erection of the town into a royal burgh by charter of
James III., and the cession of the Orkney Islands to the
Scottish crown, were partly vested in the magistrates
and burgesses as a fund for keeping the cathedral of St.
Magnus in repair.
This ancient church is a stately cruciform structure of
red freestone, partly in the Norman, and partly in the
early and later English styles of architecture, with a
massive central tower, formerly surmounted by a lofty
spire, which, being destroyed by lightning in I671, has
been replaced by a low pyramidal roof. The entire
length of the cathedral is as much as 226 feet, and the
breadth fifty-six. Earl Ronald had begun his High
Church on no mean scale; and it was afterwards greatly
enlarged in length: to this circumstance, together with
its severe simplicity, its narrowness, its height, and the
multiplicity of its parts, must be ascribed the most
striking characteristic of the pile, its apparent vastness.
It gives, indeed, to the beholder the idea of greater internal
length than some cathedrals of much larger dimensions.
The roof, which is richly groined, is seventyone
feet in height from the floor, and is sustained on
each side by a range of fourteen pillars fifteen feet in
circumference, exclusive of four massive columns twentyfour
feet in circumference, supporting the central tower,
which rises to a height of 133 feet, and contains a fine
set of musical chimes, presented by Bishop Maxwell in
1528. The east window, inserted by Bishop Stewart in
the reign of James IV., is of elegant design, thirty-six
feet high and twelve feet in width, surmounted by a
circular window twelve feet in diameter; in the south
transept is a circular window of equal dimensions, and
at the west end of the nave a window similar to that of
the choir, but inferior in size and embellishment. This
venerable pile, from its remote situation, escaped the
havoc committed on such structures at the Reformation,
and is still entire. It contains numerous finely-sculptured
monuments, one of which at the east end, of white
marble, was erected to the memory of Haco, King of
Norway, who died in the bishop's palace after his return
from the disastrous battle of Largs, in 1264, and was
interred within the choir. The Episcopal palace appears
to have been of very ancient foundation, probably coeval
with that of the cathedral; but by whom it was erected
is not known. It was partly rebuilt in the time of Mary,
by Bishop Reid, whose initials and armorial bearings
are inscribed on several parts of the walls; and on that
side of the round tower facing the town is a niche, in
which is a rude statue of the prelate. This tower forms
at present the only portion of the palace that is in any
tolerable state of preservation. The palace was the
temporary residence of James V., who was entertained
by the bishop when, on a progress through his dominions,
he visited the Orkney Islands.
The TOWN is situated in the northern portion of a
tract of land extending from the bay of Kirkwall, on the
north, to Scalpa bay on the south; and is divided into
the Old Town, along the shore of the former, and the
New Town, a little to the south; the two parts of the
town being separated by a small rivulet, over which is
an ancient bridge of one arch. It consists chiefly of one
narrow and irregularly-formed street, about a mile in
length, and is lighted with gas by a company of shareholders.
The houses in the Old Town are mostly of
very antiquated character, budt with the end fronting
the street, and having steep roofs, and doors and windows
of diminutive size; but such of them as are of
more modern erection are of handsome appearance.
The New Town consists of well-built houses; in front
of each is a neat garden, and there are several pleasing
villas inhabited by opulent families, and numerous wellstored
shops for the supply of the inhabitants with various
articles of merchandise from Edinburgh, London,
and other markets. There are two subscription libraries,
and card and dancing assemblies are held in the rooms
at the town-hall. The manufacture of kelp, formerly
very extensive, has been greatly reduced; and the principal
manufacture at present carried on is that of straw-
plat, by females at their own dwellings, for the manufacturers
of the district, whose agents are stationed here.
The plat is of various degrees of fineness, and is considered
as superior to that of foreign production. The
manufacture of sail-cloth and ropes is also extensive;
and there are two distilleries of whisky, which, besides
supplying the neighbourhood, produce considerable quantities
for exportation. Two branch banks, also, have
been established in the town. The trade of the port is
mainly in the exportation of kelp, corn, fish, cattle, and
wool; and the importation of wood, hemp, iron, tar,
groceries, cloth, and coal. The harbour, which is coramodiously
situated in Kirkwall bay, has been much improved
under an act of the 9th of George IV., and is
under the management of trustees consisting of the provost
and six other members of the town-council, three
registered owners of ships, and three landed proprietors
of the county. A commodious pier has been erected
for the despatch of business, at an expense of £1100.
In 1843 there were sixty-four vessels registered as belonging
to the port, of the aggregate burthen of 4312
tons; and the customs received in the same year amounted
to £618. Boat-building, for which there are several
yards, is carried on to some extent. No regular fishery
is established here; but cod, ling, haddocks, skate, halibut,
and coal-fish are found off the coast in abundance,
for the supply of the inhabitants. There is an annual
fair in August, plentifully furnished with Manchester,
London, and Glasgow goods, with jewellery, haberdashery,
and other wares. A powerful steamer plies
weekly between this place and the port of Leitb, and
numerous smaller boats to the adjacent islands.
Kirkwall was erected into a royal burgh, as already
stated, by charter of King James III., which recited and
confirmed all previous privileges, and was ratified by
charters of James V. and Charles II. There were likewise
granted to the burgesses the city of Kirkwall, and
the cathedral church of St. Magnus. The government is
vested in a provost, four bailies, a dean of guild, treasurer,
and sixteen councillors, assisted by a town-clerk and
other officers. The provost and bailies are magistrates,
and exercise jurisdiction extending over the whole of the
royalty. They hold courts for the adjudication of civil
suits, and also for trivial nuisances and petty misdemeanors,
the town-clerk acting as their assessor: their
decisions in the criminal cases seldom extend beyond
the imposition of a small fine, or a confinement of
twenty-four hours. There are four incorporated crafts,
viz., the shoemakers, tailors, weavers, and hammermen,
of one of which every one exercising trade within the
burgh must be a member, and in which the fees for admission
vary from £3 to £5 for sons of freemen or apprentices,
and from £4 to £10 for strangers. Kirkwall
is associated with Wick, Cromarty, Dingwall, Dornoch,
and Tain, in returning a member to the imperial parliament.
The town-hall is a handsome building with a
piazza in front, and is three stories in height: the
ground-floor contains the prison for the burgh, consisting
of several separate cells; the first floor has an assembly-
room, with court-rooms, and the story above it
is appropriated to the use of the masonic lodge.
The i-ARisii, which is about five miles in length, and
of nearly equal breadth, is t)ounded on the north by
the bays of I'irth and Kirkwall, on the cast by Inganess
bay and the parish of St. Andrew's, on the south by
Scalpa bay, and on the west by the parish of Orphir.
Its surface is diversified with hills, of which that of
Wideford, the only one of any considerable elevation, is
about 500 feet above the level of the sea, and covered
to its summit with heath. In the rocks on the east of
Scalpa bay are some singular excavations, made by the
action of the waves, and one of which, about 100 yards
in depth, forms a narrow winding passage in the rock,
generally twelve feet in height, but in some parts nearly
twenty feet, with beautiful stalactites of lime depending
from the roof. The soil is various; towards the hills,
and in the higher lands, a mixture of cold clay and
moss; near the shore, sandy; and in several parts, a
rich black loam. Of late years, the system of agriculture
has been greatly improved, and the rotation plan
introduced; considerable progress, also, has taken place
in draining and inclosing the lands. The exact area of
the parish has not been ascertained, but the probable
number of acres of arable laud is estimated at 1500;
the crops are oats, barley, bear, potatoes, and turnips,
with the various artificial grasses, all of which are cultivated
with success. There is a large tract of undivided
common, affording good pasturage for sheep, the breed
of which, as well as that of cattle and horses, has been
much improved. A handsome mansion has been erected
by the Dundas family, Earls of Zetland; and to the
east of the town is Papdale House, the residence of Mr.
Laing, and formerly of Mr. Malcolm Laing, author of
the History of Scotland, which was wholly written here.
There are several gardens where various kinds of fruit
are raised with great success, and in some of which
grapes are produced in hot-houses; but little or no wood
is to be seen, and trees of any considerable size cannot
thrive unless in well-sheltered spots. In this parish the
substratum is principally clay-slate, alternated with coarse
sandstone, and in some places with veins of limestone,
and spar containing small crystals of galena.
For ECCLESIASTICAL purposes the parish is within the
limits of the presbytery of Kirkwall, of which this is
the seat, and of the synod of Orkney, which also holds
its meetings here. There are two ministers, who officiate
alternately. The minister of the first charge has a
stipend of £150. 18., including an allowance of £4. 3. 4.
for communion elements; with £30 in lieu of a manse,
and a glebe valued at £42: the minister of the second
charge has a stipend of £154, including £4. 3. 4. for
communion elements; with an allowance of £50 in lieu of
manse and glebe: patrons of both, the Corporation. The
choir of the cathedral is appropriated as the parish
church, and contains S35 sittings. A church dedicated
to St. Mary has been erected by subscription, at an expense
of £1400, of which £200 were granted from the
Church Extension fund; it is a neat structure containing
1000 sittings. There arc places of worship for members
of the Free Church, the United Presbyterian Church,
Original Seccders, and Independents. The grammar
school, which is of very early foundation, was originally
an appendage of the ancient cathedral establishment,
and under the care of the prebendaries. Even after the
dissolution of that body, the master for some time continued
to receive the emoluments of the prebend of St.
Peter, which subsequently, with the other revenues of
the see, merged in the crown. The present master has
a sahiry of .£.'i8, arising partly from a voluntary contribution
by the clergy and gentry of Orkney, of 2000
merks, vested in the Earl of Zetland, and partly from
the proceeds of £500 bequeathed by John Balfour, Esq.:
the fees average £50 per annum. This school is attended
by about 100 scholars, who are instructed in
the Greek and Latin classics, the English and French
languages, arithmetic, mathematics, and navigation.
The patronage is vested in the council of the burgh, who
in 1820 erected an elegant school-house in lieu of the
ancient building, which had become dilapidated. A
school is maintained by the Society for Propagating
Christiiin Knowledge, which pays a salary of £15 to the
master, who also xeceives £5 from the Kirk Session;
and there is likewise a school for females, supported by
ladies resident in the town. Three friendly societies
have been established for the relief of widows and orphans,
and of the indigent sick; and there are two subscription
societies. Mr. Meason, of Moredun, in 1810
bequeathed £ 1 000, the interest to be appropriated towards
keeping the cathedral in repair, as some endowment was
greatly needed for the purpose.
There are considerable remains of what is called the
King's Castle, and of the palace of the Earls of Orkney.
At what period and by whom the former structure was
founded, is not distinctly known. From some inscriptions
and a mitre on the walls, it is supposed to have
been originally built by one of the bishops; but it is
with more probability ascribed to Henry Sinclair, first
Earl of Orkney, in the fourteenth century. This fortress,
the walls of which are of great thickness, was in a tolerably
perfect state in the time of Robert Stewart, created
Earl of Orkney in 1581, whose son Patrick, having committed
many acts of rebellion, defended it for some time
against the king's forces, by whom it was at length taken
and demolished. The palace of the Earls of Orkney was
erected in 1607, by the above-named Patrick Stewart.
It was a spacious structure of grey stone, two stories in
height, and embellished with projecting towers and oriel
windows of elegant design. The grand hall, a magnificent
apartment fifty-eight feet long and twenty feet wide,
was approached by a triple flight of steps, leading from
the principal entrance in the lower story, and was lighted
by a range of noble windows. The walls that are still
left are in as perfect a state as when first erected, and
the remains display much of ancient grandeur, though
the buildings were greatly dilapidated by Cromwell's
soldiers, who removed the stones for the erection of a
fortress on the east side of Kirkwall bay, the mounds
and intrenchments of which, raised to protect it from
the sea, are yet tolerably entire. Among the eminent
characters connected with the parish may be mentioned
Sir Robert Strange, a celebrated engraver; Malcolm
Laing, the historian, to whom there is a tablet in the
cathedral; and Dr. Traill, the present professor of medical
jurisprudence in the university of Edinburgh, all of
whom were born here.