Orkney Main Page Orkney Main Page The local people are known as Orcadians Landmarks and Places of Interest The Old Man of Hoy Scapa Flow - HQ for the north Atlantic naval fleet in both world wars Maeshowe Chambered Cairn - Stone circles at Stenness and Brodgar Monoliths, Setter Stone of Eday, Yetnasteen of Rousay and North Ronaldsay’s Stan Stane. Skara Brae, a well-preserved Neolithic village on the edge of the bay of Skaill. Area 990 Sq. km (380 sq. miles) Population County Flower - Alpine Bearberry Orkney, also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago in northern Scotland comprising approximately 70 islands, of which 20 are inhabited. The largest island is known as the "Mainland". Orkney is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, a constituency of the Scottish Parliament, a lieutenancy area, and a former county. The islands are mainly low-lying except for some sandstone hills on Hoy, Mainland and Rousay and rugged cliffs on some western coasts.

Nearly all of the islands have lochs, but the watercourses are merely streams draining the high land. The coastlines are indented, and the islands themselves are divided from each other by straits generally called "sounds" or "firths". The Parishes of Orkney Numbers in [..] refer to Parish Map below Birsay [1] Burray -- see South Ronaldshay; [17] Deerness; [2] Islands with an area greater than 15 hectares (approximately 37 acres). Auskerry Wyre Smaller islets and skerries Uninhabited smaller Orkney islands (many of which are called "Holm" from the Old Norse holmr, meaning a small and rounded islet), tidal islets only separated at higher stages of the tide, or skerries which are only exposed at lower stages of the tide. In the vicinity of: Auskerry: Lunga Skerries, Oessen Skerry, The Clett. Calf of Eday: Lashy Skerries, The Bow. Cava: Barrel of Butter.

Copinsay: Black Holm, Corn Holm, Horse of Copinsay, Scarf Skerry, Sow Skerry, Ward Holm. Eday: Green Holm, Red Holm, Rusk Holm. Egilsay: Kili Holm. Gairsay: Holm of Boray, Holm of Rendall, Little Seal Skerry, Skertours, Taing Skerry. Glims Holm: Dulse Skerry, Glimpsholm Skerry. Graemsay: Middle Skerry, Skerry of Cletts, Sour Skerry, Sow Skerry. Hoy: Grassy Cletts, Inner Skerry, Middle Skerry, Old Man of Hoy, Outer Skerry, The Needle.

Mainland: Bo Skerry, Bow Skerries, Braga, Brough of Bigging, Holm of Houton, Holm of Rendall, Iceland Skerry, Kirk Rocks, Little Skerry, Mirkady Point, Nevi Skerry, Outer Holm, Oyster Skerries, Puldrite Skerry, Quanterness Skerry, Scare Gun, Seal Skerry, Skaill Skerries, Skerries of Clestrain, Skerries of Coubister, Skerries of Lakequoy, Skerry of Work, Skerry of Yinstay, Smoogro Skerry, Thieves Holm, Whyabatten, Yesnaby Castle. Muckle Skerry: Clettack Skerry, Little Skerry, Louther Skerry. North Ronaldsay: Altars of Linnay, Green Skerry, Hoe Skerries, Reefdyke, Seal Skerry. Papa Stronsay: Jack's Hole, Jack's Reef. Papa Westray: Cairn Head, Muckle Quoy. Rousay: Little Brig, Muckle Brig.

Sanday: Baa Gruna, Orkney – Scotland Info Guide A Guide to the Scottish Highlands Islands and Mainland Orkney The Orkney Islands in the north of Scotland consists of about 20 inhabited islands plus 50 others, some quite small, and is 16 km (aprox. 10 miles) north of Caithness in northern mainland Scotland. The largest island in the group is known as the Mainland and has an area of 202 square miles, making it the sixth largest Scottish island and the ninth largest island surrounding Great Britain. An older name for the Mainland is Hrossey (Horse-island). Other islands can be classified as north or south of the Mainland. The islands north of the Mainland are known collectively as the North Isles, those to the south as the South Isles. All the islands together are 990 square kilometres and the total population is around is 19,500.

The northern isles are: Auskerry, Calf of Eday, Damsay, Eday, Egilsay, Eynhallow, Faray, Gairsay, Helliar Holm, Holm of Faray, Holm of Huip, Holm of Papay, Holm of Scockness, Kili Holm, Linga Holm, Muckle Green Holm, North Ronaldsay, Papa Stronsay, Papa Westray, Rousay, Rusk Holm, Sanday, Shapinsay, Stronsay, Sweyn Holm, Westray and Wyre. The southern islands, mostly surrounded round the Scapa Flow are: Burray, Calf of Flotta, Cava, Copinsay, Corn Holm, Fara, Flotta, Glims Holm, Graemsay, Hoy, Hunda, Lamb Holm, Rysa Little, South Ronaldsay, Switha and Swona. Orkney’s History The rapid spread of Neolithic culture up the western seaways brought early Megalithic culture and farming settlements such as Knap of Howar from 3500 BC and the slightly later village at Skara Brae.

Numerous chambered cairns include the magnificent Maeshowe passage grave, near the Ring of Brodgar and other standing stones. The Iron age inhabitants were Picts, evidence of whose occupation still exists in “weems” or underground houses, and “brochs” or round towers. Vikings having made the islands the headquarters of their expeditions against Norway and the Scottish Islands. Harold Hårfagre (“Fair Hair”) subdued the rovers in 875 and annexed both Orkney and Shetland to Norway. The martyrdom of Earl Magnus resulted in the building of St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall. The islands remained under the rule of Norse earls until 1231. In 1564, Lord Robert Stewart was made sheriff of Orkney and Shetland, and received possession of the estates of the udallers; in 1581, he was created earl of Orkney by James VI of Scotland. The islands were the rendezvous of Montrose’s expedition in 1650 which culminated in his imprisonment and death.

During the Protectorate, they were visited by a detachment of Cromwell’s troops, who initiated the inhabitants into various industrial arts and new methods of agriculture. In 1707, the islands were granted to the earl of Morton in mortgage but in 1766, his estates were sold to Sir Lawrence Dundas, ancestor of the Earls of Zetland. During World War I and World War II, the Royal Navy had a major base at Scapa Flow. The base was closed in 1956. In the Arthurian legend, Orkney is the home to King Lot, Sir Gareth, Sir Gaheris, Sir Gawaine and Sir Agravain. Located in West Mainland is the ‘Heart of Neolithic Orkney’, a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. This comprises a group of Neolithic monuments which consist of a large chambered tomb (Maes Howe), two ceremonial stone circles (the Stones of Stenness and the Ring of Brodgar) and a settlement (Skara Brae), together with a number of unexcavated burial, ceremonial and settlement sites.

The group constitutes a major prehistoric cultural landscape which gives a graphic depiction of life in this remote archipelago in the far north of Scotland some 5,000 years ago. Kirkwall Kirkwall is the largest town and capital of the Orkney Islands. The town is first mentioned in the Orkneyinga saga in the year 1046. In 1486 King James III of Scotland elevated Kirkwall to the status of a Royal Burgh, as is shown by the road signs as you enter Kirkwall, ‘The City and Royal Burgh of Kirkwall’. The name Kirkwall is derived from the Norse name ‘Kirkjuvagr’, or ‘church bay’. This was later corrupted to ‘Kirkvoe’ and then ‘Kirkwaa’. English cartographers mistook the latter part ‘waa’ as the Scots wa meaning wall, hence the town became ‘Kirkwall’. Kirkwall has a port with ferry services to Aberdeen and Lerwick, as well as the principal north islands in the group. Kirkwall is a small town, with a population of about 8,500. At the heart of the town stands St Magnus Cathedral.

It was founded in memory of Saint Magnus Erlendsson, Earl of Orkney 1108-1117 by Earl Rögnvald Kali. Next to the Cathedral are the ruins of the former Bishop’s Palace and Earl’s Palace. The town has two museums: Tankerness House Museum, which is contained within one of Scotland’s best-preserved sixteenth century town-houses, contains items of local historical interest. The prehistoric, Pictish and Viking collections are of international importance. The other museum is the small ‘Wireless Museum’, dealing with the history of radio and recorded sound. Kirkwall is one of the most attractive and well-preserved small towns in Scotland. Apart from the main historical buildings, there are many 17th-18th century houses and other structures in the local vernacular style. On the west edge of the town, surrounded by Hatston Industral Estate, is a prehistoric ancient monument, Grain Earth House (Historic Scotland), a short low stone-walled passage deep underground leading to a small pillared chamber. This is the form of earth house or souterrain characteristic of the Northern Isles (though Grain is unusually deep below ground).

One of the main annual events in the town is the Ba Game, held each Christmas Day and New Year’s Day between the Uppies and the Doonies; each team representing one half of the town. Stromness Stromness is the second-largest town in the Orkney Islands, and is located in the south west of the mainland of Orkney. A long-established seaport, it has a population of approximately 2,200 residents. The old town is clustered along the main street, flanked with houses and shops built from local stone, with narrow lanes and alleys branching off it. There is a ferry link from Stromness to Scrabster on the north coast of mainland Scotland. Stromness became important during the late 17th century, when England was at war with France and shipping was forced to avoid the English Channel. Ships of the Hudson’s Bay Company were regular visitors, as were whaling fleets. Stromness Museum reflects these aspects of the town’s history. St Margaret’s Hope St Margaret’s Hope, known locally as The Hope is Orkney’s third largest settlement, after Kirkwall and Stromness.

It has a population of about 550, and is situated at the head of a sheltered bay at the north end of South Ronaldsay, off Water Sound. It is South Ronaldsay’s main village, and is named after Margaret of Norway who died there. The village has a primary school, a small blacksmith’s museum, a number of shops and restaurants including the noteworthy Creel Inn. A ferry service runs to Gills Bay on the Scottish mainland three times daily, with an average time of an hour one-way. Hoy Hoy is the second largest of the Orkney Islands after the Mainland. The dramatic coastline of Hoy is what usually greets visitors travelling to the Orkney Islands by ferry from the Scottish mainland. It has extremes of many kinds: some of the highest cliffs in the UK at St John’s Head; the impressive and famous sea stack, the Old Man of Hoy; some of the most northerly surviving natural woodland in the British Isles; the remote possibility that Arctic Char survive in Heldale Water and the most northerly Martello Towers, which were built to defend the area during the Napoleonic War, but were never used in combat.

The highest point in Orkney, Ward Hill, is found on Hoy. Whisky Distilleries The Orkneys are home to two Whisky Distilleries. The Highland Park Distillery is the northernmost Scotch Whisky distillery in the world. Tours are available all year round. Check on their website for exact opening times. You can contact them by Tel:+44(0) 1856 874619 or email: distillery@highlandpark.co.uk Scapa Distillery located at the Scapa flow, was the final resting place for some of the German fleet scuttled there at the end of WWI. Scapa Distillery was owned for a while by the owners of Glen Scotia distillery, but is now owned by Pernod Ricard. The Distillery was Mothballed in 1994 and in 2004 re-furbished and restored. Scapa Distillery misses out to Highland Park on being the most northerly distillery by ½ mile. Scapa Distillery is located at St. Ola, Kirkwall.

Visiting the distillery is possible, for information call them on: +44 )0) 1856 872071 The orkneys can be reached by ferry through the following routes: Lerwick Shetlands to Kirkwall Orkney - Monumental Inscriptions, Cemeteries and Graveyards Orkney - Monumental Inscriptions, Cemeteries and Graveyards Monumental Inscriptions, Cemeteries and Graveyards of Orkney Historical County of Scotland Image right - Sandwick Cemetery, Orkney The aim of this project is to gather together information regarding cemeteries and graveyards in the county which either have available transcriptions or have been photographed and transcribed. Please update the project by adding links to any available monumental inscriptions or pages where images of the graves/cemeteries can be seen - mostly Billion Graves or Find a Grave. Links to pages that have no entries are marked ✘. Those links with records have no ✘ (blank, or the number of entries in some instances). Getting Involved Feel free to follow, request to collaborate To join the project use the request link under "actions" at the top right of the page.

Visit Scottish Islands - List of islands of Scotland Scotland Travel Guide Islands in Scotland The Scottish islands tend to be classified into four main categories: the Orkneys and Shetlands, and the Outer and Inner Hebrides The Outer Hebrides - or Long Island as they are also known - consist of a narrow 130-mile long chain of islands, lying 40 miles off the northwest coast of the Scottish mainland. Relentlessly battered by fierce Atlantic winds, the islands can seem a hostile environment and an unappealing proposition, particularly if you happen to be stuck there on a wet Sunday without your own means of transport. Much of the interior is bleak peat bog, rocks and endless tiny lochs, and the long, straggling crofting communities only add to the feeling of desolation. But there are also miles of superb beaches, wild mountain scenery, numerous archaeological treasures and long hours of summer daylight in which to appreciate it all. Despite the frequency of transport connections with the mainland, the Outer Hebrides remain remote in every sense. Unlike Skye and the Inner Hebrides, tourism is of far less importance to the local economy. In many ways, the islands are the last bastion of the old Highland life.

Though newer industries such as fish farming have been introduced, the traditional occupations of crofting, fishing and weaving still dominate, and outside Stornoway on Lewis (the only decent-sized town in the islands) life is very much a traditional one, revolving around the seasons and the tides. Almost every islander has more than one occupation, so don't be surprised if the landlady of your guesthouse also weaves Harris Tweed, or if her husband drives the Postbus as well as doing a bit of fishing on the side. This creates a network of relationships where everyone knows everyone else. The Inner Hebrides comprise the great swathe of islands lying off the western coast of Scotland - east of the Outer Hebrides, south of Skye and west of the Kintyre peninsula. Each is very different in appearance and atmosphere and each has its own distinct appeal. The most accessible of the islands is Mull, a short ferry ride from Oban. It's also the most popular by far, and with some justification. The variety of scenery on offer is astounding and its capital, Tobermory, is the most attractive port in western Scotland.

A stone's throw from Mull is tiny Iona, one of the most important religious sites in Europe, with some divine beaches. Boat trips can be made from Mull or Iona to the dramatic island of Staffa, looming out of the sea like a great cathedral and the inspiration for Mendelssohn's 'Hebrides Overture'. Further west, windswept Coll and Tiree offer miles of unspoilt beaches and some great windsurfing and, to the south, Colonsay is a stress-free zone that makes Mull seem hectic. Those who enjoy a good malt whisky should head for Islay, famed for its distilleries, while neighbouring Jura is a wild and beautiful place, perfect for some off-the-beaten-track hiking. If you're after some peace and quiet on Jura then you're in good company, for this is where George Orwell came to write '1984'. Furthest north are the "small islands" of Eigg, Muck, Rùm and Canna, reached from Mallaig, but ignored by most tourists. People come here for the fine bird watching and superb walking. Car space on ferries is limited during the summer months, so it's advisable to book ahead.

There are flights from Glasgow to Port Ellen Islay: 2 daily Mon-Fri and 1 on Sat (40 mins), all year round. From Glasgow to Tiree: 1 flight daily Mon-Sat (45 mins), all year round. For flight times, call British Airways Express, Tel. 08457-733377, the local Tourist Information Centres, or Port Ellen airport, Tel. 01496-302022, and Tiree airport, Tel. 01879-220309. CalMac car and passenger ferries sail to and from Mull, Islay, Coll, Tiree, Colonsay and Gigha, and passenger-only ferries sail to Iona and the Small Isles (Eigg, Muck, Rùm and Canna). The departure point for ferries to Mull, Coll, Tiree and Colonsay is Oban. Ferry times change according to the day of the week and time of the year, so they aren't listed in full below. Services listed below under each separate island are for the summer period (2 Apr-16 Oct).

For full details see the CalMac Ferry Guide or call CalMac, Tel. 08705-650000, reservations@calmac.co.uk (reservations); Tel. 01475-650100, Calmac Ferry Services (general enquiries). For details of bus connections from Oban to Glasgow, contact Scottish Citylink, Tel. 08705-505050. For train services from Mallaig to Fort William and Glasgow, contact Scotrail, Tel. 08457-484950. There are regular daily train and bus services from Glasgow. For full details contact the TIC in Oban, Tel. 01631-563122. The departure point for ferries to Islay (and on to Jura), and some ferries to Colonsay, is Kennacraig. There are daily bus services from Glasgow, via Tarbert . Mallaig is the ferry port for the Small Isles of Eigg, Muck, Rùm and Canna. There are regular bus and train services from Glasgow, via Fort William.

For bus, train and ferry times, pick up Argyll & Bute Council's free Area Transport Guides to Lorn, Mull and Islay & Jura, available at most tourist offices. For times of buses and trains to Mallaig, for the Small Isles, see the South Highland Public Transport Travel Guide (£1), available at main tourist offices. For details on how to get around the Inner Hebrides by public transport, see under the relevant island destination. SHETLAND ISLANDS Puffins, Crofts And Vikings There's a sense of excitement during breakfast as our ship arrives in the town of Lerwick, the main community in the Shetland Island. After we leave the St. Clair there is the first visit of the day to Jarlshof prehistoric and Norse settlement where three acres of remains span some 3.000 years of history, and you'll get a real sense of how these ancient peoples survived in an environment that we would find extremely hostile. A scenic coastal drive brings us to the Shetland Croft House Museum, located within a 19th Century thatched building, and this time we discover a wonderful perspective on rural Shetland life in more recent times.

This afternoon there is a drive to Sullom Voe, home to the mainstay of the islands' economy today-oil-and to remote Brae, overlooking Muckle Roe. ORKNEYS An Orkney Voyage C catch the mind-day sailing to the Orkney Island. The journey lasts for around 8 hours and on board our ship, we'll enjoy dinner en-route. On arrival in Stromness, it's only a short drive to our comfortable hotel in Kirkwall. The administrative capital, Kirkwall, is on a relatively narrow strip of land joining West Mainland and East Mainland. Home to the St Magnus' Cathedral, it has about 8,500 inhabitants and a large port. The only other burgh is Stromness in West Mainland, with a population of about 2,000.The charm of Orkney does not lie in their ordinary physical features, so much as in beautiful atmospheric effects, extraordinary examples of light and shade, and rich coloration of cliff and sea. The islands are notable for the absence of trees, which is partly accounted for by the amount of wind (although the climate in general is temperate).

The formation of peat is evidence that this was not always the case, and deliberate deforestation is believed to have taken place at some stage prior to the Neolithic, the use of stone in settlements such as Skara Brae being evidence of the lack of availability of timber for building. ORKNEY ISLANDS Stone Age Discoveries Orkney is home to many outstanding historic treasures and today will be a unique day of discovery as we begin with St Magnus Cathedral, one of Europe's great architectural achievements and over 860 years old. Our next stop is the extraordinary Italian Chapel, where few will fail to the moved by the dedicated workmanship of the Italian prisoner of war who constructed this place of worship in a humble Nissan hut. Their story and many others will be told as we view Scapa Flow, the scene of momentous event in both World Wars. Located in West Mainland is the 'Heart of Neolithic Orkney', a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This comprises a group of Neolithic monuments which consist of a large chambered tomb (Maes Howe), two ceremonial stone circles (the Stones of Stenness and the Ring of Brodgar) and a settlement (Skara Brae), together with a number of unexcavated burial, ceremonial and settlement sites. The group constitutes a major prehistoric cultural landscape which gives a graphic depiction of life in this remote archipelago in the far north of Scotland some 5,000 years ago. Skara Brae When a wild storm on Orkney in 1850 exposed the ruins of ancient dwellings, Skara Brae, the best preserved prehistoric village in northern Europe, was discovered. The excavated farming settlement dates back 5000 years. Within the stone walls of the dwellings - separated by passages - are stone beds, dressers, seats and boxes for provisions, recesses for personal possessions, and a hearth where dried heather, bracken or seaweed was burned.

A replica house has been created next to the site and many original artefacts found at Skara Brae (part of the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site) are displayed in the visitor centre, which has a café. The Ring of Brogar is a stone circle superbly located on land rising above the saltwater Loch of Stenness and the freshwater Loch of Harray. When first erected there were 60 stones here, in a perfect circle 104m in diameter. Today just 36 of the original stones are still standing, and one of those only just, having been split vertically by a bolt of lightning on 5 June 1980. Tomb of the Eagles Pre-dating the pyramids, 'Tomb of the Eagles' is estimated to be around 5000 years old. Farmer, Ronald Simison (Ronnie) discovered the Tomb in 1958 while looking for rock suitable to craft fencing corner posts. Intrigued by an unusual rock formation, he scratched away some earth revealing a set of nicely finished stone tools, now believed to be ceremonial. Further digging revealed an outside wall encapsulating a black hole.

It was at this point, he lit a cigarette lighter, and had his first encounter with our 5000 year old ancestors! Artifacts found in and around the tomb included bones of some 340 people, white-tailed sea eagle remains and a number of other animal bones, ceremonial and working tools, pottery and beads. From all this, it has been possible to determine not only the age of the tomb but also the heights, diets and lifestyle of our ancestors. The number of white-tailed sea eagle talons and bones suggest that this bird may have been the totem of our neolithic ancestors and gives rise to the familiar name 'Tomb of the Eagles'. Uncovered by a storm in 1850 Skara Brae is one of the best preserved groups of Stone Age houses in Western Europe and our visit will reveal the stone furniture, hearths and drains that present a such remarkable picture of Neolithic life. CRAFTS OF ORKNEY ORKNEY JEWELRY With a passion for her island environment Sheila creates her original designs reflecting nature's wonderful sea, sky and landscape colours. Orkney's history and folklore are also a rich medium for her inspiration.

ITALIAN CHAEPL ORKNEY In early 1942 some 550 Italian prisoners of war, captured in North Africa, were brought to Orkney. They were needed to overcome the shortage of labour working on the continuing construction of the Churchill Barriers. These were the four causeways designed to block eastern access to Scapa Flow following the sinking of HMS Royal Oak by a German U-Boat in 1939.Camp 60 was home to the Italian prisoners from 1942 until early 1945. The camp comprised 13 huts, which the Italians improved with concrete paths (concrete was never in short supply during the construction of the Churchill Barriers) and gardens, complete with flower beds and vegetable plots. Front View of the Chapel Head of Christ Entrance Mosaic Statue of St George Rear View of the Chapel Barrier No 1 from the Chapel In the centre of the camp, one of the prisoners, Domenico Chiocchetti, produced the statue of St George you can still see today, fashioned from barbed wire covered with concrete. The prisoners also worked to produce a theatre and a recreation hut, complete with a billiard table made, perhaps inevitably, from concrete.

One thing Camp 60 did lack was a chapel. In 1943 the camp acquired a new commandant, Major T.P. Buckland. He favoured the idea, as did Father Giacombazzi the Camp Padre. Late in 1943 two Nissen huts were provided. They were joined together end to end, with the intention of providing a chapel in one end and a school in the other. The work of turning the Nissen huts into a chapel fell to the prisoners themselves, led once more by Domenico Chiocchetti. The interior of the east end was lined with plasterboard and Chiocchetti started work on what is now the sanctuary. The altar and its fittings were made from concrete and were flanked by two windows made from painted glass. The gold curtains either side of the altar were purchased from a company in Exeter using the prisoners' own funds. ORKNEYS/MAINLAND We make an early start this morning as we drive to Stromness for the sailing to the mainland. The voyage will take 1 hour & 45 minutes and on the way there are stunning views of the Old Man of Hoy', a spectacular sandstone sea stack.

On arrival at the port of Scrabster, drive to visit Dunrobin Castle, the ancestral home of the Dukes and Earls of Sutherland. This fairytale 13th Century castle has a commanding position overlooking the Dornoch Firth and the story goes that its attractive gardens were inspired by those at Versailles. More info FAIR ISLE Fair Isle, locate halfway between Orkney and Shetland is a bird sanctuary and home to knitwear. The traditional woolen designs made with home spun and home dyed wool, are said to have originated with the Spanish sailors. ISLE OF HARRIS When the Earl of Dunmore bought the island in 1834, his wife promoted the sale of the first Harris Tweeds in London. The crofters' skill had long been famous, but they wove cloth only for themselves or local markets. Annual production now is 6,000,000 yards. ISLE OF MULL & IONA The Sacred Isle Join the modern car ferry for the 40 minute crossing to the Island of Mull As we sail into the sound of Mull look out for wonderful view of Duart Castle, stronghold of the Maclean clan.

On arrival at Craignure, drive through Glen More en-route to Fionnphort where another ferry awaits us for the short crossing to the Island of Iona. It was here in 563 AD that St Columba landed to found a monastery and bring Christianity to Scotland, and many early Scottish Kings and chiefs were buried here including Macbeth. The sense of peace and history that pervades the island will remain. ISLES OF MULL AND IONA The third largest of the Hebredian islands. In 1588 a remnant of the Spanish Armada sank in Tobermory Bay with 3,000,000 gold doubloons aboard. Only a few trinkets have been found. The Isle of Iona, off the southwest tip of Mull is where St. Columba began the effective Christianization of Scotland in 563. Columba's followers preached worldwide. The monastery was attacked by Norse raiders. The oldest Christian burial place is here, popular with Royalty. Macbeth lies here. Travel by ferry to Mull, and travel by scenic landscapes to the ferry for Iona, burial place of many of the Scottish kings and chiefs, including Macbeth.

It was here in 563AD that St. Columba established the first Christian monastery in the British Isles. ISLE OF SKYE Get your cameras ready for romantic Eilean Donan Castle, the most photographed spot in Scotland Travel to Kyleakin by bridge to the Inner Hebredian Isle of Skye. With nearly a thousand miles of dramatic coastline of coral beaches and sheer cliffs, and an interior of wild peat bogs, the Isle of Skye is a compelling destination. It seems a world away in time. The pace of life is slow and the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly. The island is one of the last strongholds of Gaelic culture and this language is spoken by about half of the population. Much of Skye's appeal lies in its legendary association with Bonnie Prince Charlie. At Dunvegan Castle, the clan Macleod stronghold, begun in the 9th century, the "Fairy Flag" brought back from the Crusades is said to have magical powers. Visit the Clan Donald Centre, with its magnificent park and hear about the 13 centuries of clan history. The day ends with a scenic drive along the "Road to the Isles" back to Ft. William.

You may also board your ferry for the short crossing to the Inner Hebredian Isle of Skye, with nearly a thousand miles of dramatic coastline of sheer cliffs sweeping down to coral beaches, and an interior of wild peat bogs. It has a legendary association with Bonnie Prince Charlie. Visit the Clan Donald Center, and hear about the 13 centuries of clan history. More Info Isle of Arran A ferry ride. A wild landscape. Golden eagles. Fun and laughter. Standing stones. Bite-size mountains rising steeply from the sea. Sandy bays. Coastal walks. Quiet glens. This is a Highland experience in miniature, on one accessible island. \ How to get there: CALMAC Calmac sails to twenty-four destinations on Scotland's West Coast. From Arran in the south to Lewis in the north, they cover some of the most beautiful and dramatic places in Scotland. nDiscover a different world. According to Calmac: 10 Great Island Things to Do Looking for inspiration? We've listed a few of our favourite island adventures to help you decide which island to go to this autumn. 1. Have a dram or three on the Island Whisky Trail.

Sample some of Scotland's most challenging malts in their own homes. Take a tour of one or more of Islay's seven distilleries. 2. Kit yourself out in trendy tweed. Harris tweed, which can only be made by the islanders of the Outer Hebrides, is the fashionista's favourite fabric of the moment. (Where to buy). 3. Go 'Doon the Watter'. The traditional seaside towns of Millport, Rothesay and Dunoon are just a short drive away from Glasgow. Build sandcastles on the beach at Millport, enjoy ice-cream and a stroll along the prom or take afternoon tea in a seaside cafe. 4. Get a real taste of the islands on the Arran Taste Trail. Sample artisan cheeses, hand-made chocolates, fine ales and malt whiskies on a gourmet day out on Arran. 5. Take to Skye via the Road to the Isles. Drive the scenic Road to the Isles from Fort William to Mallaig and then sail 'Over the Sea to Skye' on our Mallaig-Armadale service. 6. Hopscotch and Golf. Our Island Hopscotch connects some of Scotland's finest golf courses.

Choose one or all of Arran's seven courses before using our Lochranza-Claonaig service to access Machrihanish on the Mull of Kintyre. Finish off by hopping over to Islay to tackle championship standard Machrie Golf Links. 7. Go wild in the islands. Scotland's beautiful and unspoilt west coast islands are are home to an amazing diversity of wildlife species. The ferry trip itself is often a one of the best places to spot sealife - sit out on deck and scan the sea for whales, dolphins, seals, basking sharks and porpoises.Mull and the Outer Hebrides are our top tips; look out for golden & white-tailed eagles, otters, puffins and corncrake. (Find out more). 8. Have a real island adventure. Ever wanted to try surfing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, kayaking or paragliding? The island way of life may be relaxing but the activities they offer are anything but. Try Tiree for windsurfing, Arran for paragliding or Harris and Lewis for world class surfing and mountain biking. (Find out more). 9. Take a stroll along a perfect beach.

The islands offer mile after mile of brilliant white shell beaches. Go in autumn when you'll have the place to yourself. Wrap up warm and go with someone you love. Our favourites are Luskentyre & Scarista (Harris), the Bay at the Back of the Ocean (Iona), and Kiloran (Colonsay). 10. Spend a day in the garden. Some of Scotland's finest gardens can be found on the islands. Enjoy a day out to Achamore Gardens on Gigha, Benmore Botanic Gardens near Dunoon or Mount Stuart House, Bute. Island Hopscotch/Rover Take the grand tour of Scotland's islands with Calmac's Island Hopscotch® tickets. Valid for one month from the date of your first journey, Island Hopscotch® tickets let you create your own adventure and travel at your own pace. With 26 options to choose from, this really is the way to travel and save money too. Tickets are valid for one journey on each route and can be used in either direction.

Orkney Islands Homes for Rent Orkney Islands Homes for Rent Pickaquoy Centre Caravan and Camping Park Children Welcome Orkney Islands From Wikipedia , the free encyclopedia The Orkney Islands, usually called simply Orkney, are one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. Orkney consists of about 70 small islands 16 km north of Caithness in northern mainland Scotland. The largest island in the group is known as The Mainland, with approximately 20 being inhabited. Orkney's administrative capital is Kirkwall on "The Mainland." Home to the St Magnus' Cathedral, it has about 7,500 inhabitants and a large port. The only other burgh is Stromness at the western end of "The Mainland", with a population of only about 2,000. The third largest settlement (c. 550) is St Margaret's Hope, on South Ronaldsay. Orkney is also a former county, and a Lieutenancy area, and the Orkney constituency of the Scottish Parliament. Islands The largest island in Orkney is known as "The Mainland". An older name for it is Hrossey (Horse-island).

Other islands can be classified as north or south of "The Mainland." The islands north of "The Mainland" are known collectively as The North Isles, those to the south as The South Isles. The remote Sule Skerry and Sule Stack lie around 60 km west of the archipelago, but form part of the council area. The North Isles The northern group of islands is the most extensive and consists of a large number of moderately sized islands, linked to "The Mainland" by ferries. Most of the islands described as "holms" are very small. Auskerry South Ronaldsay, Switha, Swona Geography The Pentland Firth is a seaway which separates Orkney from the mainland of Scotland. The firth is 11 km wide between Brough Ness on the island of South Ronaldsay and Duncansby Head in Caithness. Orkney lies between 58° 41' and 59° 24' North, and 2° 22' and 3° 26' West, measures 80 km from northeast to southwest and 47 km from east to west, and covers 973 km².

Excepting on the west coasts of the larger islands, which present rugged cliff scenery remarkable both for beauty and for colouring, the group lies somewhat low and is of bleak aspect. The hilliest island is Hoy; the highest point in Orkney, Ward Hill, is to be found there. The only other islands containing heights of any importance are "The Mainland", with (another) Ward Hill (268 m), and Wideford Hill and Rousay. Nearly all of the islands possess lochs (lakes), and The Loch of Harray and The Loch of Stenness on "The Mainland" attain noteworthy proportions. The rivers are merely streams draining the high land. Excepting on the west fronts of the Mainland, Hoy and Rousay, the coastline of the islands is deeply indented, and the islands themselves are divided from each other by straits generally called "sounds" or "firths", though off the north-east of Hoy the designation "Bring Deeps" is used, south of "The Mainland" is Scapa Flow and to the south-west of Eday is found the Fall of Warness.

The very names of the islands indicate their nature: the terminal "a" or "ay" represents the Norse ey, meaning "island", which is scarcely disguised even in the words "Pomona" (an older alternative name for The Mainland) and "Hoy". The islets are usually styled "holms" and the isolated rocks "skerries". The tidal currents, or races, or "roost" (as some of them are called locally, from the Icelandic) off many of the isles run with enormous velocity, and whirlpools are of frequent occurrence, and strong enough at times to prove a source of danger to small craft. The charm of Orkney does not lie in their ordinary physical features, so much as in beautiful atmospheric effects, extraordinary examples of light and shade, and rich coloration of cliff and sea. The islands are notable for the lack of trees, which is partly accounted for by the amount of wind (although the climate in general is temperate).

The formation of peat is evidence that this was not always the case, and deliberate deforestation is believed to have taken place at some stage prior to the Neolithic, the use of stone in settlements such as Skara Brae being evidence of the lack of availability of timber for building. Most of the land is still taken up by farms, and agriculture is by far the most important sector of the economy, with fishing also being a major occupation. Orkney exports beef, cheese, whisky, beer, fish and seafood. Geology All the islands of this group are built up entirely of Old Red Sandstone. As in the neighbouring mainland county of Caithness, these rocks rest upon the metamorphic rocks of the eastern schists, as may be seen on The Mainland, where a narrow strip is exposed between Stromness and Inganess, and again in the small island of Graemsay; they are represented by grey gneiss and granite. The upper division of the Old Red Sandstone is found only on Hoy, where it forms the Old Man of Hoy and neighbouring cliffs on the northwest coast.

The Old Man of Hoy presents a characteristic section, for it exhibits a thick pile of massive, current-bedded red sandstones, resting, near the foot of the pinnacle, upon a thin bed of amygdaloidal porphyrite, which in its turn lies unconformably upon steeply inclined flagstones. This bed of volcanic rock may be followed northward in the cliffs, and it may be noticed that it thickens considerably in that direction. The Lower Old Red Sandstone is represented by well-bedded flagstones over most of the islands; in the south of The Mainland these are faulted against an overlying series of massive red sandstones, but a gradual passage from the flagstones to the sandstones may be followed from Westray southeastwards into Eday. A strong synclinal fold traverses Eday and Shapinsay, the axis being North and South. Near Haco's Ness in Shapinsay there is a small exposure of amygdaloidal diabase, which is (of course) older than that on Hoy.

Many indications of ice action are found on these islands; striated surfaces are to be seen on the cliffs in Eday and Westray, in Kirkwall Bay and on Stennie Hill in Eday; boulder clay, with marine shells, and with many boulders of rocks foreign to the islands (chalk, oolitic limestone, flint, etc), which must have been brought up from the region of Moray Firth, rests upon the old strata in many places. Local moraines are found in some of the valleys in The Mainland and Hoy. Climate The climate is remarkably temperate and steady for such a northerly latitude. The average temperature for the year is 8 °C (46 °F), for winter 4 °C (39 °F) and for summer 12 °C (54 °F). The winter months are January, February and March, the last being the coldest. Spring never begins before April, and it is the middle of June before the warmth grows comfortable. September is frequently the finest month, and at the end of October or the beginning of November the "peedie" (or little) summer or milder weather may occur.

The average annual rainfall varies from 850 mm (33 in.) to 940 mm (37 in.). Fogs occur during summer and early autumn, and furious gales may be expected four or five times in the year. To tourists, one of the fascinations of the islands is their nightless summers. On the longest day, the sun rises at 03:00 and sets at 21:25 — and darkness is unknown, it being possible to read at midnight. Winter, however, is long and depressing. On the shortest day the sun rises at 09:10 and sets at 15:17. The soil generally is a sandy loam or a strong but friable clay, and very fertile. Large quantities of seaweed as well as lime and marl are available for manure.

Economy The woollen trade once promised to reach considerable dimensions, but towards the end of the 18th century was superseded by the linen (for which flax came to be largely grown); and when this in turn collapsed before the products of the mills of Dundee, Dunfermline and Glasgow, straw-plaiting was taken up, though only to be killed in due time by the competition of the south. The kelp industry was formerly of at least minor importance. For several centuries the Dutch practically monopolised the herring fishery, but when their supremacy was destroyed by the salt duty, the Orcadians failed to seize the opportunity thus presented, and George Barry (died 1805) recorded that in his day the fisheries were almost totally neglected. The industry, however, revived, concentrating on herring, cod and ling, but also catching lobsters and crabs. In recent years, the Orkney economy has seen growth in areas other than the traditional agriculture, livestock farming, and fishing. These include tourism; food and beverage manufacture; jewellery, knitwear, and other crafts production; construction; and oil transportation through the Flotta oil terminal. Public services also play a significant role.

Communications Frequent ferry services operate on the following routes: Lerwick to Kirkwall John O'Groats to Burwick, South Ronaldsay Gills Bay to St Margaret's Hope Most of the larger islands have their own airfield or airstrip. Loganair operates regular services to six islands from Kirkwall. These include the shortest scheduled air service in the world, between the islands of Westray and Papa Westray. The flight is scheduled at two minutes' duration but can take less than a minute if the wind is in the right direction. There are ideas being discussed to build an undersea tunnel between Orkney and the Scottish mainland, at a length of about 9-10 miles (15-16 km) or (more likely) one connecting the Mainland to Shapinsay. (Links: both 2005). Media The islands are currently served by two weekly local newspapers,Orkney Todayand The Orcadian, both published every Thursday. In addition, a local radio station operates, with a second hoping to return to the isles in the near future. Radio Orkney, the local opt-out of BBC Radio Scotland, broadcasts twice daily, with local news and entertainment.

The Superstation Orkney, Orkney's first commercial radio station, will begin broadcasting on 105.4FM in 2006. The station was granted a community radio licence in September 2005 by Ofcom. Heritage Located on Mainland is the 'Heart of Neolithic Orkney' a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. This comprises a group of Neolithic monuments which consist of a large chambered tomb (Maes Howe), two ceremonial stone circles (the Stones of Stenness and the Ring of Brodgar) and a settlement (Skara Brae), together with a number of unexcavated burial, ceremonial and settlement sites. The group constitutes a major prehistoric cultural landscape which gives a graphic depiction of life in this remote archipelago in the far north of Scotland some 5,000 years ago. Viking settlers comprehensively occupied Orkney, and the islands became a possession of Norway until being given to Scotland during the 15th century as part of a dowry settlement.

Evidence of the Viking presence is widespread, and includes the settlement at the Brough of Birsay, the vast majority of place names, and runic inscriptions at Maeshowe and other ancient sites. History Main article: History of the Orkney Islands The original inhabitants were Picts, evidence of whose occupation still exists in numerous "weems" or underground houses, chambered mounds, barrows or burial mounds, "brochs" or round towers, and stone circles and standing stones. Such implements as have survived are of the rudest description, and include quern-stones for grinding materials including grain, stone whorls and bone combs employed in primitive forms of woollen manufacture, and specimens of simple pottery ware. The Romans were aware of, and probably circumnavigated, the Orkney Islands, which they called "Orcades". There is evidence that they traded, either directly or indirectly, with the inhabitants. However, they made no attempt to occupy the islands.

If, as seems likely, the Dalriadic Gaels established a footing in the islands towards the beginning of the 6th century, their success was short-lived, and the Picts regained power and kept it until dispossessed by the Norsemen in the 9th century. In the wake of the Scots incursionists followed the Celtic missionaries about 565. They were companions of Saint Columba and their efforts to convert the folk to Christianity seem to have impressed the popular imagination, for several islands bear the epithet "Papa" in commemoration of the preachers. Vikings having made the islands the headquarters of their buccaneering expeditions (carried out indifferently against their own Norway and the coasts and isles of Scotland), Harold Hårfagre ("Fair Hair") subdued the rovers in 875 and annexed both Orkney and Shetland to Norway. The martyrdom of Earl Magnus resulted in the building of St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall. The islands remained under the rule of Norse earls until 1231, when the line of the jarls became extinct.

In that year the earldom of Caithness was granted to Magnus, second son of the Earl of Angus, whom the king of Norway apparently confirmed in the title. Recent studies from the field of population genetics reveal a significant percentage of Norse ethnic heritage – up to one third of the Y chromosomes on the islands are derived from western Norwegian sources, as opposed to the Shetlands, where over half the male lineage is Norse. Some jarls of Orkney: Turf-Einar, 910 Thorfinn Turf-Einarsson, Earl of Orkney, 963 In 1468 Orkney and Shetland were pledged by Christian I of Denmark and Norway for the payment of the dowry of his daughter Margaret, betrothed to James III of Scotland, and as the money was never paid, their connection with the crown of Scotland has been perpetual.

In 1471 James bestowed the castle and lands of Ravenscraig, in Fife, on William, Earl of Orkney, in exchange for all his rights to the earldom of Orkney, which, by an Act of the Parliament of Scotland, passed on February 20, 1472, was annexed to the Scottish crown. In 1564 Lord Robert Stewart, natural son of James V of Scotland, who had visited Kirkwall twenty-four years before, was made sheriff of Orkney and Shetland, and received possession of the estates of the udallers; in 1581 he was created earl of Orkney by James VI of Scotland, the charter being ratified ten years later to his son Patrick, but in 1615 the earldom was again annexed to the crown. The islands were the rendezvous of Montrose's expedition in 1650 which culminated in his imprisonment and death. During the Protectorate they were visited by a detachment of Cromwell's troops, who initiated the inhabitants into various industrial arts and new methods of agriculture.

In 1707 the islands were granted to the earl of Morton in mortgage, redeemable by the Crown on payment of 30,000 pounds, and subject to an annual feu-duty of 500 pounds; but in 1766 his estates were sold to Sir Lawrence Dundas, ancestor of the Earls of Zetland. In early times both the archbishop of Hamburg and the archbishop of York disputed with the Norwegians ecclesiastical jurisdiction over the Orkneys and the right of consecrating bishops; but ultimately the Norwegian bishops, the first of whom was William the Old (consecrated in 1102), continued the canonical succession. The see remained vacant from 1580 to 1606, and from 1638 till the Restoration, and, after the accession of William III, the episcopacy was finally abolished (1697), although many of the clergy refused to conform. The toponymy of the Orkneys is wholly Norse, and the Norse tongue, at last extinguished by the constant influx of settlers from Scotland, lingered until the end of the 18th century.

Readers of Scott's Pirate will remember the frank contempt which Magnus Troil expressed for the Scots, and his opinions probably accurately reflected the general Norse feeling on the subject. When the islands were given as security for the princess's dowry, there seems reason to believe that it was intended to redeem the pledge, because it was then stipulated that the Norse system of government and the law of Saint Olaf should continue to be observed in Orkney and Shetland. Thus the udal succession and mode of land tenure (that is, absolute freehold as distinguished from feudal tenure) lingered to some extent, and the remaining udallers held their lands and passed them on without written title. By the mid 1800s Orkney was firmly under the rule of Scotland, with absentee sheriffs holding nominal power. For example Lord Neaves, the esteemed Scottish jurist held the sheriff position on Orkney from 1845 to 1852. During World War I and World War II, the Royal Navy had a major base at Scapa Flow. The base was closed in 1956.

In the Arthurian legend, Orkney is the home to King Lot, Sir Gareth, Sir Gaheris, Sir Gawaine, and Sir Agravain. Language The older Norn was replaced by Lowland Scots which in turn is being replaced by Scottish English. However, Orkney does have its own dialect, referred to by the locals as 'Orcadian'.

Orcadian people Magnus Erlendsson (Saint Magnus) (c1070 – c1117), Earl of Orkney c1105 – 1117 Rognvald Kali Kolssson (Saint Rognvald) (c1103 – 1158), Earl of Orkney 1136 – 1158 James Atkine (1613 – 1687), bishop first of Moray and afterwards of Galloway Murdoch McKenzie (died 1797), the hydrographer Malcolm Laing (1762 – 1818), author of the History of Scotland from the Union of the Crowns to the Union of the Kingdoms William Sinclair (1766 – 1818), Chief Factor at the Hudsons Bay Company Mary Brunton (1778 – 1818), author of Self-Control, Discipline and other novels Samuel Laing (1780 – 1868), author of A Residence in Norway, and translator of the Heimskringla, the Icelandic chronicle of the kings of Norway Thomas Stewart Traill (1

781 – 1862), professor of medical jurisprudence at Edinburgh University and editor of the 8th edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica Samuel Laing (1812 – 1897), chairman of the London, Brighton.

& South Coast railway, and introducer of the system of "parliamentary" trains with fares of one penny a mile Dr. John Rae (1813 – 1893), an Arctic explorer Rev. Matthew Armour (1820-1903), Sanday’s radical Free Kirk Minister William Balfour Baikie (1825 – 1864), traveller in Africa Walter Traill Dennison (1826 - 1894), Orcadian folklorist Edwin Muir (1887 – 1959), author and poet Stanley Cursiter (1887 – 1976), artist Eric Linklater (1899 – 1974), novelist, playwright, journalist, essayist, and poet George Mackay Brown (1921 – 1996), poet, author, playwright.

Luke Sutherland, writer of novels Jelly Roll, Sweatmeat and Venus as a Boy Constituencies The Orkney Islands are represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom as part of the Orkney and Shetland constituency, which elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. In the Scottish Parliament the Orkney Islands are themselves the Orkney constituency, which elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the first past the post system. Also, the Orkney Islands are within the Highlands and Islands electoral region. This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain. This article was copied on 11 July 2006. The current version with history is available on Wikipedia. Text on this page is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License (see Copyrights for details) HHRCOUK_Area_Key a4842463-bd60-43e0-a13a-50124283cee7

Question: Auskerry, Burray and Cava are part of which Scottish island group?
Answer: Orkney Islands