Earl's Palace, Kirkwall

Earl's Palace is a ruined castle in the Scottish town of Kirkwall on the Orkney island of Mainland. In 1971 the building was added to the Scottish lists of monuments in the highest category A. In addition, the facility is classified as a Scheduled Monument.

History

Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Orkney, illegitimate son of the Scottish king James V, the end of the 16th century was given dominion over the Orkney Islands. The Earl's Palace in Birsay he had built his headquarters. After his death his son, Patrick Stewart, 2nd Earl of Orkney was followed by, which also includes the Bishop's Palace was awarded in Kirkwall, but it considered to be insufficient. For this reason, Stewart made ​​1601-1607 a second Earl 's Palace built next to the Bishop's Palace. Patrick Stewart is considered tyrannical, extremely unpopular among the people sovereign. In 1615 he was accused of high treason and beheaded in Edinburgh. The Orkney Islands then fell to the Scottish crown, which Earl 's Palace was useless. After 1615 the building was used sporadically at best and fell into disrepair. Today, only a ruin is still preserved. The original plan was further buildings which were never realized, so that the castle remained unfinished. It is considered one of the most important Renaissance buildings in Scotland and as a prime example of the Scottish 17th century architecture.

In the course of archaeological investigations in the area of Earl 's Palace was discovered another layer below the 17th century, which is a medieval use of the site. In addition, the remains of a garden in the early 19th century have been found, probably related to the Bishop's Palace.