Wender·Vista
Papa Stronsay
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileUnited Kingdom
a small island off Stronsay in the Orkneys

Papa Stronsay

— — a monastery on a green button of land.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.
— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand
— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines
— Beside the kettle, a 12-inch propped
— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall
— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround
— a note from the studio

“Off the north coast of Stronsay, in the Orkney archipelago north of mainland Scotland. The island is small — about three-quarters of a square kilometre — and almost entirely held by Golgotha Monastery, home to the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer since 1999. The Atlantic light is grey and clean, the wind is constant, and the monks keep a herd of dairy cattle and a printing press.

from the studio
Papa Stronsay
— bring it home

Papa Stronsay, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?
One tile — square or rectangle.
How big?
the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand
6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb
Surface finish
A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.
How it sits
A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.
$58
Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.
— size
6 × 6 in
15 cm
— weighs
1.6 lb
solid in the hand
— surface
ceramic, hand-finished
art rests beneath a thin glossy finish
— from
Knoxville, TN
our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies
— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Papa Stronsay

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.
— the place

Papa Stronsay is a low, green island in the Orkney archipelago, lying about 400 m off the north coast of Stronsay and roughly 1.6 km long. Its total area is approximately 74 hectares. The name comes from Old Norse Papey, a 'priest's island', recording an early Celtic Christian presence pre-dating the Norse settlement. Earl Rögnvald Brusason of Orkney was killed here in 1046, an event recorded in the Orkneyinga Saga. The island lies within the Orkney Islands Council area.

— the silence

The Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer, a traditional Catholic religious order in the Redemptorist line, purchased the island in 1999 and built Golgotha Monastery there. The community keeps the older Tridentine liturgy, a working dairy, a print shop, and a small guesthouse open to retreatants. The number of monks varies year to year, generally between 20 and 40. The day runs from Matins before dawn to Compline at night, structured around the sung Latin Office.

— the visit

The island is reached by a short charter crossing from Whitehall Pier on Stronsay; Stronsay itself is connected to Kirkwall on Orkney Mainland by daily Orkney Ferries sailing, about 90 minutes each way, or by Loganair flight. The monks accept retreatants by written application, and day visitors are received with prior arrangement. Practical visiting weather runs from May through September; outside that window the crossing is often cancelled by the Pentland Firth weather.

— informed by Orkney Ferries
— where
United Kingdom · Orkney Islands, Scotland
— elevation
13 m · 43 ft
— position
59.1539° N · 2.5839° W
— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.
1 km S
Stronsay
island
35 km SW
Kirkwall
Orkney capital
1 km S
Whitehall Pier
ferry pier
N
Papa Stronsay
Stronsay
Kirkwall
Whitehall Pier
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Papa Stronsay — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

Papa Stronsay is a small island in the Orkney archipelago of Scotland, lying about 400 m off the north coast of Stronsay and around 1.6 km in length.

The island is home to Golgotha Monastery, founded in 1999 by the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer — a traditional Catholic religious order keeping the older Latin liturgy and a working dairy.

It comes from Old Norse Papey, meaning 'priest's island'. The name records an early Celtic Christian presence on the island before the Norse arrived in Orkney in the ninth century.

By private charter from Whitehall Pier on Stronsay. Stronsay itself is reached by daily Orkney Ferries sailing from Kirkwall, about 90 minutes each way, or by Loganair flight.

The saga records that Earl Rögnvald Brusason of Orkney was killed on Papa Stronsay in 1046 during a dispute with his co-ruler Thorfinn the Mighty.

— about the piece in your home

It reads as a considered, quiet gift. Papa Stronsay carries weight for Orcadians and for the wider traditionalist Catholic community connected to the monks. A Keepsake or Small fits a desk, an icon shelf, or a reading nook.

The cool sea-greys and chapel light sit well in coastal-modern, Scottish-traditional, and monastic-minimalist rooms. It also pairs with oak, undyed wool, and unbleached linen.

A single Large or 4-tile Mural reads well above a standard sofa. For a long console, a 9-tile Mural lets the island sit horizontal against the sea.

Yes, in Dura Satin or Matte finish. The colour is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, so steam and routine cleaning do not affect it.

A microfibre cloth and water for routine care. The thin glossy finish wipes clean. Avoid abrasive pads and bleach-based sprays, which dull the surface over time.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is drawn in the studio's stained-glass and alcohol-ink visual language by Reid Wender, the curator. Nothing is licensed in from outside.

— if this one stayed with you

A few you might also love.

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