In 1164 it was finally made suffragan to the Archdiocese of Uppsala, under which it remained until the Catholic diocese's dissolution during the Protestant Reformation.

Besides Skara Cathedral and Varnhem Abbey, there are a large number of romanesque churches which were constructed during this period within the diocese.

This Irish dedication may be accounted for by the fact that King Olof Skötkonung was baptized in Ireland in 1008 by Sigfrid, one of the first bishops of the diocese.

Sigfrid was an Englishman of Scandinavian origin, a court bishop of King Olaf I of Norway, and a monk of Glastonbury.

According to the Västgötalagen, Sigfrid founded three churches in Västergötland and baptized Olof Skötkonung, the first Christian King of Sweden, at Husaby in 1008.

Adalvard the younger, who had visited and buried his elder namesake in 1060, was invited on his expulsion from the See of Sigtuna in 1067 to become Bishop of Skara, but was recalled to Bremen by Archbishop Adalbert.

Benedict also oversaw the construction of Churches of St. Nicholas and of St. Peter in Skara, as well other infrastructure works such as roads and bridges.

Both he and his successor, Bishop Benedict III Tunnesson (1317–21), oversaw the restoration of Skara Catheral which began in 1312 and was completed in 1320.

His successor, Bishop Vincent Hennings, was beheaded by King Christian II at the Stockholm bloodbath on 8 November 1520, although he protested aloud on his way to the scaffold against the injustice of his condemnation.

Vincent Hennings was succeeded by Magnus Haraldsson (1523), whose election was not confirmed by the pope in spite of King Gustavus I's request.

Instead the pope installed Johannes Franciscus de Potentia, a Franciscan, as Bishop of Skara, but the king refused to receive him.

Bishop Magnus Haraldsson, though at first submissive towards Gustavus I, led his diocesans to Larv to take part in the Westrogothian rebellion in opposition to implementation of Protestantism.