Gravestones don’t just mark the end—they whisper stories of life, faith and hope.
Inside the red sandstone walls of St Magnus Cathedral, you’ll find more than a final resting place.
You’ll find dancing skeletons, grinning skulls and symbolic carvings chiselled centuries ago.
These striking images aren’t just morbid musings from the past.
They’re deeply meaningful symbols from the 1600s, revealing how people viewed life, death and the world beyond.
On Wednesday 2 April, visitors can uncover the secrets of these stones in the first of a new series of themed Cathedral Curator Tours.
‘Skulls and Dancing Skeletons – the symbolism of the Cathedral gravestones’ will be led by long-time Cathedral Curator Fran Flett Hollinrake.
The hour-long experience begins at 2pm and costs £15, with no booking required.
It all starts at the custodian’s office in the south transept of the cathedral.
Fran has spent over two decades immersed in the stories held within these carved stones.
She says each tour brings a fresh opportunity to explore their hidden messages.
“I’ve been looking at and thinking about these carved stones for over twenty years now,” Fran said.
“I gave this tour as part of the Symbols of Mortality exhibition at the Orkney Museum recently, and I know a lot of people couldn’t make it then.”
“This is their chance to catch it again.”
The carvings, created by skilled hands more than 300 years ago, are not only remarkably well-preserved.
They are among the finest examples of funerary art in the country.
Fran will highlight her favourites along the way, helping visitors decode the symbols and understand their messages.
By the end of the tour, everyone will have the tools to interpret the stones themselves.
This tour marks the beginning of a wider monthly series, each focusing on a different aspect of the cathedral’s layered history.
Future themes include Norse and Viking legacies, war stories, cathedral conservation and the art and glasswork within its walls.
The programme is backed by the Friends of St Magnus Cathedral, ensuring the stories within continue to be shared.
If you’re drawn to history, mystery and messages carved in stone, this tour promises a gripping glimpse into the past.
For future tour dates and details, visit www.orkney.gov.uk
