Stone carving in Kirkwall marks the start of artist’s epic pilgrimage

The start of a project to mark the 900th anniversary of the death of St Magnus gets under way in Kirkwall today, Saturday.

Beatrice Searle plans to mark the anniversary in her own special way — by carrying a 40kg carved stone from Orkney to Norway and back again — a journey of 1,300 miles.

Ms Searle said her project For the Journey and the Return was inspired by the Ladykirk Stone, which is housed in St Mary’s Kirk, near Burwick in South Ronaldsay.

Legend has it that the martyred Norse Earl Magnus used  the stone to “sail” across the Pentland Firth to Orkney.

However, we know that the it is likely the St Magnus element was a later addition to the lore surrounding the stone, which is probably Iron Age or Pictish and, as such, predates St Magnus by centuries.

Ms Searle will carve her own footprint stone today at the Orkney Museum, in Kirkwall (note change of venue).

“This new stone will be named and known as The Orkney Boat. Before beginning our journey, I will stand in The Orkney Boat and dedicate it to the people of Orkney.”

Then, on April 16 — St Magnus Day — Ms Searle will carry the stone on the first leg of the St Magnus Way, from Gurness to Finstown.

On May 27 and 28, she will continue the journey from Birsay to Finstown, accompanied by Orcadian musician James Watson, who will play his composition Music for a Departure on the Haardanger fiddle, specially commissioned for the project.

Ms Searle will then set sail from Orkney on board the Shetland-based sail training vessel Swan, travelling to Bergen via Shetland.

From there she will carry the stone through Oslo and Trondheim, before returning to Orkney.

Following the epic journey, the stone will be installed at St Magnus Cathedral, alongside the stone sculpture by Frances Pelly, to mark the end of the St Magnus Way.