Earl Magnus of Orkney was killed on Egilsay in 1117, at the end of a power struggle with his cousin and co-ruler, Earl Hakon. Magnus was declared a saint a couple of decades later, and St Magnus Church was built close to where he died, its round tower originally close to 20 metres tall and visible from ships approaching Kirkwall. The church is roofless now, but the tower still stands, and a memorial nearby marks the spot.
RSPB Scotland manages low-lying grassland at Onziebust, on the island’s west side, for breeding waders such as curlew, lapwing and redshank, and for the rare great yellow bumblebee; corncrakes used to nest here too, though none has been heard calling since 2014. Orkney Ferries sails to Egilsay from Tingwall on the Mainland, on the route that also serves Rousay and Wyre. Only 17 people live on Egilsay today, far fewer than in the 19th century.
