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Explore the remains of a remote Norse church in what was once a wealthy part of the Orkney Earldom

Westside Church at Tuqouy was likely built in the 1100s by the Norse. According to the Orkneyinga Saga (or The History of the Earls of Orkney), it may have been constructed by Haflidi Thorkelsson, who farmed the land beside it.

Today, the church is a roofless ruin, but its simple, elegant design is still clear. It sits within a graveyard cared for by the local community.

Close view of the stone arch in the wall of Westside Church, with gravestones and open farmland visible through the opening.
High, wide shot of Westside Church’s ruins and surrounding graveyard situated on a grassy headland overlooking the sea and rocky foreshore.
Close view of the low stone walls of Westside Church’s rectangular structure, surrounded by upright gravestones on a green lawn beneath a blue sky with scattered clouds.
Aerial view of the entire church ruin and surrounding graveyard, set on a green slope above the rocky shore and looking out over the sea.

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