Today was my final day in Orkney. I still had not really been to eastern Orkney so I headed as far east and south as I could to the Tomb of the Eagles.

The Tomb of the Eagles is another cairn but this one was found by a local farmer in the 1950s filled with bones. Many of the human bones were found mixed with sea eagle bones, hence the name. To get into the cairn you can crawl in but the owners have also provided a small cart that you can lay down on and pull yourself in. The cairn has a high ceiling so it’s easy to move around inside. There are still some of the human remains purposefully left inside the cairn.

The visitor center is small but fantastic as the staff act as guides, showing some of the many items found in the cairn as well as explaining both the cairn and a a Bronze Age site found on the grounds. It only takes an hour to an hour and a half to do but definitely rates high on the fun factor for the cart ride alone!

The next stop was the Italian Chapel, so called because it was built by Italian prisoners of war during the 1940s. The Chapel was built using whatever the prisoners could scrounge, which makes the Chapel that much more impressive.

After a light lunch I set out to explore the historic sites in Kirkwall itself. My first stop was the Earl’s Palace built by Patrick Stewart, not that one, know to the local populace as a petty tyrant who was eventually executed for treason. It might have something to do with the palace he built and the 150,000 pounds, which at the time would have been impossible to pay off.

The final stop of the day was St. Magnus Cathedral built in honor of a local Orkney saint. The whole building is made of local sandstone so the cathedral is a lovely red color inside and out.

Tomorrow I head back to mainland Scotland and the city of Elgin.

Orkney has been fantastic! The sites are amazing, the tourist numbers low, the views peaceful but stunning. I would completely recommend a trip to Orkney for a quiet vacation.

The hotel that I’ve been staying at was a big part of why I’ve enjoyed my time here. The Merkister Hotel has been a wonderful place to stay. Very quiet, good food and a fantastic staff. I’ve also had a view straight out over the Loch next to the hotel, so that may be prejudicing my opinion but I’m ok with that.