4 Best Sights in Kirkwall, Orkney and Shetland Islands

During World War II, 550 Italian prisoners of war were captured in North Africa and sent to Orkney to assist with the building of the Churchill Barriers, four causeways that blocked entry into Scapa Flow, Orkney's great natural harbor. Using two corrugated-iron Nissan huts, the prisoners, led by Domenico Chiocchetti, a painter--decorator from the Dolomites, constructed this beautiful and inspiring chapel in memory of their homeland. The elaborate interior frescoes were adorned with whatever came to hand, including bits of metal, colorful stones, and leftover paints. The chapel is located on the small island of Lamb Holm, about 8 miles south of Kirkwall (come by car or X1 bus).

With artifacts from the Picts, the Vikings, and other ancient peoples, this museum—the former town house of the prosperous Bakie family of Tankerness—has the entire history of Orkney crammed into a rabbit warren of rooms. It's not easily accessible for those with disabilities, but with the help of staff, it can be done. The setup may be old-fashioned, but some artifacts—especially those from everyday Orcadian life in the 19th century—are riveting. Lovely gardens around the back provide a spot to recoup after a history lesson.

Founded by the Norse earl Jarl Rognvald in 1137 and named for his uncle, this grand red-and-yellow-sandstone cathedral was mostly finished by 1200, although more work was carried out during the following 300 years. The cathedral is still in use and contains some fine examples of Norman architecture, although traces of later styles are found here and there. The ornamentation on some of the tombstones in the church is particularly striking. At the far end to the left is the tomb of the tragically discredited Dr. John Rae, the Victorian-era Orcadian adventurer and unsung hero who discovered the final section of the Northwest Passage in Canada but was decried for his reporting that the British men of the Franklin expedition, overwhelmed by starvation, had resorted to cannibalism: an assertion that has since been proved true.

This intriguing burial chamber lies within a 5,000-year-old grassy mound. Excavations here uncovered a collection of similarly designed pottery bowls, subsequently found in other Orcadian Neolithic tombs. Access to the tomb by trolley can be awkward for those with mobility problems. Unstan Chambered Cairn is located 2½ miles northeast of Stromness center; it's walkable in about an hour, or you can take the X1 bus.