I don’t know why everyone is infected with this wanderlust, even sensible Mr Knightly. 1
Between 21 – 30 May 2018 I walked the St Magnus Way pilgrimage on Orkney (55 miles (88.5 kms) over 5 days). It began with a visit to the Isle of Egilsay where St Magnus is supposed to have been murdered and initially buried.
I have written about each day’s visit or trek – the route highlights and difficulties; there are pages on the practicalities of getting there and back, the accommodation, and what I took with me (or wished I had not taken!) Finally, there’s a section on how to find the path, with my final reflections on making a secular pilgrimage.
The St Magnus Way is a pilgrimage that was opened in 2017. I don’t think anyone knows how many backpackers have walked its entirety since then, but it has been extremely popular with Orcadians, and attracted a great deal of press attention.
The path respects the traditions of Orkney’s medieval pilgrims and particularly of the Earl Magnus (c. 1080 – 1118), who was buried, dug up, buried again, disinterred a second time, and eventually laid to rest in the cathedral which bears his name in Kirkwall. I visited the places associated with his history, his death, and with Haakon’s, the cousin who ordered his murder. There is an incredible sense of deep history and storytelling associated with these islands.
St Magnus, Earl of Orkney, was a man of extraordinary distinction, tall, with a fine, intelligent look about him. He was a man of strict virtue, successful in war, wise, eloquent, generous and magnanimous, open-handed with money, sound with advice and altogether the most popular of men.2
A woman of 54 years, I live in Edinburgh which is 294 miles (473 kms) from Orkney, and I made the trip alone. When I travel, I like to offer Shiatsu in return for board and lodging, both as a way to get to know local people and to recognise their kindness. For three out of the nine nights on the island I make this exchange. The rest of the time I camped.
Day One saw a trip to the tiny island of Egilsay where the Sagas say that Magnus was killed. From there, my journey encompassed the communities of Evie, Birsay, Dounby, Finstown, Orphir and Kirkwall, moving along stunning coasts and through isolated moorland. I had adventures and learned some fantastic lessons along the way, as you would expect on a journey of this sort.
Like the other long-distance walks I have completed, I took the opportunity to think and reflect. Pilgrimage, by its very nature, raises some ‘big questions’ and allows time to think about them.
‘To choose silence is to be quiet with intent.’ 3
Many of the resources on the St Magnus Way website were really useful. I particularly enjoyed the focus topic for each day, and the initial selection and distribution of stones.
I would like to thank the following people for bed, board and friendship: Meg and Frank (Evie), Kiersty (Evie), and Ragnild, Christopher and the boys (Kirkwall). It was a pleasure to spend time with you all and I am most grateful for your hospitality.
The St Olav’s Way in Norway is also connected with Viking tales. It is much longer, but would be a good follow-up to this if you are interested in Norse tradition. St Olav’s Way blog
1 Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
2 The Orkneyinga Saga, Chapter 45.
Links:
Other blog pages in this series
Accommodation – where I stayed
Resources – what I took with me
Walking without a donkey 
12 thoughts on “St Magnus Way – introduction”