Photo: August 10, 2011
The Orkneys are a special place. It is amazing how much local produce there is from lamb to beef to fish and seafood. And of course, there is a local distillery (Highland Park) and local beer. As in much of Scotland, houses are built of stone and in Stromness, even the streets in the centre of town are paved with flagstones.
The history from the prehistoric sites to the Orkney connection with the Hudson's Bay Company was fascinating. The landscape is both pastoral and wild. There is a haunting feel about the Orkneys with the standing stones bearing witness to thousands of years of human habitation there. And what has changed? People still farm and fish and find ways to enjoy the long winter darkness and the summer light.
The Orkneys are full of stories and storytellers, crafts people and other creative folk. I may be drawn back there again some day.
More photos: click here
Showing posts with label Orkney Islands. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Orkney Islands. Show all posts
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Looking Down on the Brough
We travelled many centuries in one day. Our morning stop was at the Brough of Birsay, an old Viking settlement built on top of a Pictish settlement. It was occupied by the Norse people from about the 9th to 12th centuries. The island is only accessible at low tide.
This is what is left of the cathedral. When the site was excavated by archeologists, they felt that the site had been of importance to first the Picts and then the Norsemen. They found artifacts that had been imported from Scandinavia, from Ireland and from Anglo-Saxon England.
The only way to reach the brough is to follow the path at low tide. This made the island a perfect place for people as it was easy to guard and protect. After exploring the island, we walked back across and drove off past the ruins of a 16th century palace. Then on a neolithic site: Skara Brae.
This neolithic settlement was occupied from around 3200 BCE to 2200 BCE by stone age people. It was discovered after a major storm in 1850. The dwellings are connected by covered passageways. It is fascinating to see the stone bureaus, built for storage, the areas sectioned off as sleeping quarters, the many passageways... It is even believed they had a drainage system which may have supported some kind of indoor toilet facilities.
Again - that feeling of touching history. Unlike visiting the castles of Edinburgh and Stirling - here in the Orkneys we got glimpses into the lives of normal people, not the elite.
These posts only touch on some of what we saw. The Orkneys are quite amazing in what they have to offer those interested in history.
More photographs can be found here.
This is what is left of the cathedral. When the site was excavated by archeologists, they felt that the site had been of importance to first the Picts and then the Norsemen. They found artifacts that had been imported from Scandinavia, from Ireland and from Anglo-Saxon England.
The only way to reach the brough is to follow the path at low tide. This made the island a perfect place for people as it was easy to guard and protect. After exploring the island, we walked back across and drove off past the ruins of a 16th century palace. Then on a neolithic site: Skara Brae.
This neolithic settlement was occupied from around 3200 BCE to 2200 BCE by stone age people. It was discovered after a major storm in 1850. The dwellings are connected by covered passageways. It is fascinating to see the stone bureaus, built for storage, the areas sectioned off as sleeping quarters, the many passageways... It is even believed they had a drainage system which may have supported some kind of indoor toilet facilities.
Again - that feeling of touching history. Unlike visiting the castles of Edinburgh and Stirling - here in the Orkneys we got glimpses into the lives of normal people, not the elite.
These posts only touch on some of what we saw. The Orkneys are quite amazing in what they have to offer those interested in history.
More photographs can be found here.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Arches
We visited two churches - each interesting in its own way. St. Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall, dates from the twelfth century. At the time, the Orkneys were occupied by Vikings who settled there. The old grave markers from the 1600s leaning against the walls were fascinating, with ghoulish images of skulls and crossbones.
We also visited the Italian Chapel, created inside a Nissan hut by Italian POWs during World War II. It is amazing what they created using little more than paint and some plasterboard.
For more photos, click here.
We also visited the Italian Chapel, created inside a Nissan hut by Italian POWs during World War II. It is amazing what they created using little more than paint and some plasterboard.
For more photos, click here.
Standing Stones of Stenness
It is astonishing to see the many pre-historic sites in the Orkneys. The Standing Stones of Stenness is just one example. They are over 5000 years old. At that time there were settlements of stone age people who farmed. Remnants of one of the villages can be found nearby: Barnhouse Settlement.
You can walk through what was once the doorway and stand where people once lived over 5000 years ago. It is hard to imagine what their lives were like and why they felt the need to erect these large stones. What kinds of rituals took place there?
Down the road is the Ring of Brodgar - a huge stone circle that dates from about 2500 - 2000 BCE. It is quite a mystical experience to walk around the circle, to touch the stones and to hear the sounds of nature. You truly feel connected to history and to the people who have come before.
If the stones could speak, what would they be saying? What stories would they tell.
More photos can be found here.
You can walk through what was once the doorway and stand where people once lived over 5000 years ago. It is hard to imagine what their lives were like and why they felt the need to erect these large stones. What kinds of rituals took place there?
Down the road is the Ring of Brodgar - a huge stone circle that dates from about 2500 - 2000 BCE. It is quite a mystical experience to walk around the circle, to touch the stones and to hear the sounds of nature. You truly feel connected to history and to the people who have come before.
If the stones could speak, what would they be saying? What stories would they tell.
More photos can be found here.
Monday, August 22, 2011
H.M. Hamnavoe
Photos: August 6, 2011
We boarded the ferry to go to the Orkney Islands. Luck was with us as we had an easy trip. The day before the wind had been blowing hard and this area is known for cross currents.
The gulf stream works its magic in this part of the world. In Scrabster at the north end of Scotland, there were palm trees in someone's small yard. We were to see them in several places along the west coast of Scotland.
The crossing takes about an hour and a half and goes past the island of Hoy with the Old Man of Hoy, a tall sea stack. Tiny birds flew near the ship - perhaps baby seagulls. We pulled in to harbour at Stromness.
More photos: click here
We boarded the ferry to go to the Orkney Islands. Luck was with us as we had an easy trip. The day before the wind had been blowing hard and this area is known for cross currents.
The gulf stream works its magic in this part of the world. In Scrabster at the north end of Scotland, there were palm trees in someone's small yard. We were to see them in several places along the west coast of Scotland.
The crossing takes about an hour and a half and goes past the island of Hoy with the Old Man of Hoy, a tall sea stack. Tiny birds flew near the ship - perhaps baby seagulls. We pulled in to harbour at Stromness.
More photos: click here
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