🏰 Castles of Scotland: The Tyrant’s Tower - Earl’s Palace, Birsay
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If you’ve made it to the far northwest corner of the Orkney
Mainland, you can't miss the skeletal remains of the Earl’s Palace
standing over the village of Birsay. It might be a roofless shell today, but in
the late 16th century, this was the headquarters of a family that ruled Orkney
with an iron and very greedy fist.
📍 Location
- Where
is it? Located in the village of Birsay, on the northwest tip
of the Mainland of Orkney.
- Setting:
It sits near the shore, just a short walk from the causeway that leads to
the tidal island of the Brough of Birsay.
- Coordinates:
59.131N, 3.320W. ///bookshelf.risk.clan
- Van
Access: There is a decent-sized car park near the palace and the
Brough of Birsay. The roads are narrow but manageable. Pro Tip:
Time your visit with the low tide so you can see the palace and then walk
across the causeway to the lighthouse!
📜 A Timeline of History
and Inhabitants
This palace didn't belong to a legendary clan, but to the
"Stewart Earls" royal outsiders who treated Orkney like their own
private kingdom.
1. The Builder: Robert Stewart (1569–1593)
- The
Man: Robert Stewart was the illegitimate son of King James V
and the half-brother of Mary, Queen of Scots.
- The
Construction: He began building the palace in 1569. He used forced
labor from the local Orcadians to build his "dream home,"
essentially enslaving the population to haul stone and timber.
2. The Son: Patrick Stewart (1593–1615)
- The
Legacy: Robert’s son, Patrick (known as "Black Patie"), was
even worse than his father. He finished the palace but preferred his other
home in Kirkwall.
- The
Fall: His tyranny, debt, and treasonous behavior eventually caught up
with him. He was executed in Edinburgh in 1615. Legend says his execution
had to be delayed because he didn't know the Lord's Prayer!
3. The Decline
- After
the Stewart Earls were removed, the palace was used by the Bishops of
Orkney for a short time, but by the 1700s, it was already falling into
ruin. Much of the fine stone was taken by locals to build houses in the
village.
👑 Significance in History
and Politics
The Earl’s Palace is a physical symbol of the "Scottish
takeover" of Orkney.
- Norse
vs. Scottish Law: When the Stewart Earls arrived, they systematically
dismantled the old Norse "Udal" laws (where farmers owned their
own land) and replaced them with the Scottish feudal system. This allowed
them to seize land and wealth, fundamentally changing the social structure
of Orkney forever.
- Royal
Bloodlines: Because Robert Stewart was a Royal Stuart, his palace was
a miniature version of the royal courts in Edinburgh and London. It
represented the Crown’s reach into the furthest corners of the British
Isles.
- A
Warning in Stone: Politically, the ruin serves as a reminder of the
era of the "Great Cause" and the power struggles between the
Scottish monarchy and the northern earldoms. It’s a monument to the end of
the semi-independent "Sea Kingdom" of Orkney.
📸 Johnny’s
"Creator" Tip:
The best lighting for photos here is late afternoon. The sun
hits the grey stone and makes the whole structure look incredibly haunting. If
you have a drone, the "footprint" of the palace from above is a
perfect rectangle, showing off the classic 16th-century courtyard design.
Would you have survived under the rule of "Black
Patie," or would you have been leading the rebellion? Let us know in
the comments below! 🚐💨👇
#CastlesOfScotland #EarlsPalace #Birsay #Orkney
#ScottishHistory #StewartEarls #MotorhomeTouringScotland #JohnnyBurr
For more of the Castles of Scotland series visit:
https://castlesinscotland.blogspot.com
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl%27s_Palace,_Birsay
https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1NTTk4vGyDXVvUWaZkYuTE6X1IA9p8A8&usp=sharing
Linktree https://linktr.ee/johnnyburr
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