Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Birsay

The Brough of Birsay is a tidal island north-west of Birsay. The remains of an old settlement exist on the Brough, which was first inhabited by Picts and then by Vikings from the 9th to 12th centuries AD. The extensive remains of an excavated Norse settlement and church overlay the earlier Pictish settlement. Here the excavators found the symbol stone of the Brough of Birsay, now in the Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh. Orkney was undoubtedly part of the Pictish kingdom, but it had its own ruler. Adomnan of Iona records in "The Life of Columba" that during his visit to the court of the Pictish king Brude mac Maelchon (Bridei I, c. 555-587), he asked the contemporary ruler of Orkney to ensure the safety of his missionaries. According to the Orkneyinga saga, Birsay, possibly on the Brough, was the first earl's seat of Orkney, which became part of Norway around 880 AD.

The Earl's Palace was built for the notorious Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Orkney (1533-1593), illegitimate son of King James V and his mistress Euphemia Elphinstone. He was created Earl of Orkney in 1581 by his nephew King James VI, but began building this palace long before that. He considered himself the absolute ruler of Orkney and Shetland, as did his son and successor Earl Patrick, known as the "Black Patie". He had a reputation for violence and a penchant for luxury he could not afford. Patrick was imprisoned in 1609 for "monyfauld wrongis", including land theft, oppression of the native population, kidnapping, torture and murder. From prison he orchestrated a rebellion in Orkney. He was beheaded after it failed. The palace was used occasionally by later Earls but by 1700 had fallen into decay.

The Earl's Palace was built for the notorious Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Orkney (1533-1593), illegitimate son of King James V and his mistress Euphemia Elphinstone. He was created Earl of Orkney in 1581 by his nephew King James VI, but began building this palace long before that. He considered himself the absolute ruler of Orkney and Shetland, as did his son and successor Earl Patrick, known as the "Black Patie". He had a reputation for violence and a penchant for luxury he could not afford. Patrick was imprisoned in 1609 for "monyfauld wrongis", including land theft, oppression of the native population, kidnapping, torture and murder. From prison he orchestrated a rebellion in Orkney. He was beheaded after it failed. The palace was used occasionally by later Earls but by 1700 had fallen into decay.

The church was built in 1664 on the site of a previous church, built between 1050 and 1064 by Earl Thorfinn of Orkney. The earlier church is the temporary burial location of Magnus Erlendsson, Earl of Orkney (aka St Magnus), who was murdered on the island of Egilsay in 1116. Earl Magnus was declared a saint around 1136 and his bones were later moved to the new St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall, which was built in honour of him.