Birsay Earl’s Palace — Attraction in Mainland

The Earl's Palace in Birsay, Orkney, Scotland, is a ruined 16th-century castle. It was built by Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Orkney (1533–1593), illegitimate son of King James V and his mistress Euphemia Elphinstone. The palace is in the care of Historic Scotland as a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

The castle was constructed in two phases. The first phase of work, begun in the 1570s, consisted of the great hall located in the south range, above the main door. Beside this was Lord Orkney's private chamber in the south-east corner tower. An inscription above the entrance, dated 1574, marks this phase. The second phase, completed in the 1580s, saw a new range containing a great hall and chamber built on the north side of the courtyard. The second phase probably followed Robert's acquisition of the Earldom of Orkney in 1581. After the death of Robert Stewart, the palace was used only occasionally by later earls of Orkney, and was not occupied after the mid-17th century. By 1701 the palace had begun to deteriorate badly.

The two-storey palace was constructed around a central courtyard and well, with large stone towers at three of the four corners. It was as much a fortress as a residence. Only the palace's upper floors had large windows; the accessible ground floors were equipped with small openings and an array of gun-holes, from which musketeers could cover every side of the building.

Few records of the palace remain to give a clear impression of its contents and layout. The Reverend John Brand published a book about Orkney in 1701, and included a description of the palace. He wrote:

Earl's Palace in Birsay during reconstruction "[The upper floor] hath been prettily decored, the Ceiling being all Painted, and that for the most part with schems holding forth scripture-histories, as Noah's floud, Christ's riding to Jerusalem &c. And the Scripture is set doun beside...

Suggestivo...Il palazzo del conte (in inglese: Earl's Palace) è uno storico edificio in rovina del villaggio scozzese di Birsay,fatto costruire tra il 1569 e il 1574 o 1579 ca. da Robert Stewart, I conte delle Orcadi ed ampliato negli anni ottanta del XVI secolo.Nel1569, Robert Stewart, figlio illegittmo di re Giacomo V di Scozia[ e che, secondo quanto riportato in un'iscrizione nel palazzo, si riteneva sovrano delle Orcad volle far costruire per sé una residenza facendo probabilmente demolire un preesistente palazzo del vescovo. La costruzione durò tra i cinque e i dieci anni e, a partire dal 1581, anno in cui Robert Stewart venne proclamato conte delle Orcadi,il palazzo divenne la residenza preferita da quest'ultimo. Con la morte di Robert Stewart, venne proclamato conte delle Orcadi Patrick Stewart, che per la sua crudeltà nei confronti della popolazione locale, superiore anche a quella del padre,venne soprannominato "Black Patie":quest'ultimo fece rimodellare il palazzo, aggiungendovi una grande sala d'ingresso e un'ala settentrionale. Dopo l'arresto di Patrick Stewart, avvenuto nel 1609, il nuovo inquilino del palazzo fu, a partire dal 1614, il figlio di quest'ultimo, Robert.Durante la permanenza a palazzo di Robert, l'edificio subì un attacco da parte dello sceriffo di Kirkwalll:dopo la vittoria, Robert marciò verso Kirkwall, ma fu arrestato e giustiziato assieme al padre il 6 febbraio 1615. In seguito, il palazzo fu abitato occasionalmente dai successori degli Stewart, i conti di Morton. Nel 1650, il palazzo venne attaccato dalle truppe di Cromwell: l'attacco provocò la distruzione delle finestre.Circa mezzo secolo dopo, il palazzo subì il...

If you’re exploring Orkney with the family, Earl’s Palace in Birsay is a fun and fascinating stop — especially if your kids enjoy castles, knights, or stories about kings and power.There is lots of space for kids to run around — but supervision is important as some parts have uneven ground. The admission is free. Basic facilities on-site; no large visitor centre. Nearest toilets are in Birsay village or community centre nearby. Windbreakers and wellies recommended if the Orkney weather isn’t...