The most beautiful religious buildings Orkney & Shetland

St Magnus is the northernmost cathedral in Britain. Its construction began in 1137 and lasted 300 years. Its Romanesque architecture is one of the most interesting in Scotland. St Magnus, to whom it is dedicated, had a reputation for great kindness. During a raid from Norway against Anglesey, Wales, he refused to take part in the fighting and remained on the ship reciting psalms. King Eystein II granted him part of Orkney, which was then under the authority of his cousin, Hakon, and they ruled together from 1105 to 1114.

On the tiny island of Lamb Holm, between St Margaret's Hope and Kirkwall, lies this small chapel with a fascinating history. It was built by Italian prisoners of war during the Second World War. They began to build a real place of worship with everything they had at hand: military barracks, tin, concrete and wood. In spite of these makeshift raw materials, they managed to recreate a small architectural gem with a bell tower, columns, wall paintings and even an altar.