This lonely church is found tucked away on the west coast of Papa Westray and has been facing the elements since it was built in the 12th century.

In fact, the site of the current building is thought to date back to the Iron Age, and two Pictish symbol stones have been discovered here over the years, indicating a church was in use from the 8th century onwards. The stones are now on display in the National Museum of Scotland and the Orkney Museum in Kirkwall.

Inside there’s a small chapel and flagstone floors, and restored box pews, as well as the tomb of the Traill family, owners of the island for nearly 300 years. In the surrounding graveyard lies a Norse hog-back gravestone and two Early Christian cross-slabs, each hinting at the importance of this site through the ages.

Alongside St Magnus Cathedral, St Boniface is the only church in Orkney to survive the Reformation and remain in use to the present day.

St Boniface Kirk was abandoned in the late 1920s but was restored in 1993, and regularly hosts services and concerts.