The St Magnus reliquary - SMC069
In 1919 the remains of St Magnus were found in the large rectangular pier of the south choir arcade. They were discovered during restoration work when some of the ashlar stones on the pier were found to be loose. The relics were contained in a wooden box.

After examination of the skull that was contained in the box it was concluded that the remains did belong to St Magnus. The relics were returned to their resting place in the pier and the box can now be found on display in The Orkney Museum.

The remains of a saint are known as relics and the container in which they are stored is known as a reliquary.
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