St Magnus Cathedral is one of Orkney's most iconic locations, and one of its most popular too. But did you know that you can get a behind-the-scenes look at different parts of the building?

Guided tours of the upper levels give visitors a chance to walk up the narrow, spiral, stone staircases of this stunning sandstone cathedral. You will see galleries and collections of artefacts, the clock mechanism, the huge bells and the base of the spire, before getting the chance to take in a bird’s eye view of Kirkwall too.

Ground level tours showcase more accessible areas of the cathedral in the company of a custodian, and graveyard tours showcase some of the stories of Orkney folk in the cathedral kirkyard over the last 800 years, including Arctic explorer John Rae.

Self-guided graffiti tours are also available, with a leaflet guiding visitors around the cathedral's graffiti trail, from 12th-century stone masons’ marks, to the names of WWII sailors on ships in Scapa Flow. Bringing a torch is recommended.

St Magnus Cathedral tours, April - September 2026

Monday:

• 2pm: Graveyard tour

Tuesday:

• 10am: Ground Level tour
• 11am: Upper Levels tour
• 2pm: Upper Levels tour
• (3.45pm: Upper Levels tour – July and August only)

Wednesday:

• 10am: Ground Level tour

Thursday:

• 10am: Ground Level tour
• 11am: Upper Levels tour
• 2pm: Upper Levels tour
• (3.45pm: Upper Levels tour – July and August only)

Friday:

• 2pm: Graveyard tour

Saturday:

No tours

Sunday:

• 2pm: Upper Levels tour
• 3.45pm: Upper Levels tour

How to book

Ground Level tours and Graveyard tours cost £10 per person and take approximately one hour. No booking is necessary.

Upper Levels tours cost £15 per person and must be booked in advance, either with the custodians in the cathedral or on (+44)1856 874 894. The tour takes approximately 75 minutes, and participants must be minimum 12 years old.

Special theme tours are also available, covering a different topic each month. The tours cost £15 per person, with no booking necessary. Please see below for the 2026 schedule:

• Wednesday April 1, 2pm: The Saints of the Cathedral

• Wednesday May 6, 2pm: The Natural World in the Cathedral

• Wednesday June 3, 2pm: How to Read a Church

• Wednesday July 1, 2pm: The Cathedral and the British Empire

• Wednesday August 5, 2pm: The Cathedral in Literature

• Wednesday September 2, 2pm: A Site of Pilgrimage

Visit the cathedral tours website for more information.