St. Magnus Cathedral (commenced 1137) dominates the skyline of Kirkwall, the main town of Orkney. It is the most northerly cathedral in the British Isles.  Built for the bishops of Orkney when the islands were ruled by the Norse Earls of Orkney, it is owned by the burgh of Kirkwall (not by the church) as a result of an act of King James III of Scotland following Orkney's annexation by the Scottish Crown in 1468.  The first Bishop was William the Old, and the diocese was under the authority of the Archbishop of Nidaros in Norway.