Monday, September 9, 2019, Orkney Islands (Kirkwall), Scotland

Orkney Islands (Kirkwall), Scotland

The history of the Scottish Orkney Islands dates back millennia.  Neolithic (the final division of the Stone Age, began about 12,000 years ago when the first developments of farming appeared in the Epipalaeolithic Near East, and later in other parts of the world) remains here, including the ancient site of Brodgar, predate Stonehenge and the Pyramids.  The 13th century Norse Orkneyinga Saga told of Vikings who ruled here.  Remnants of their rule remain in Kirkwall's Romanesque St Magnus Cathedral and the Bishop's Palace.  Later, the earls took over, and the French Renaissance palace that remains is a legacy to their grandeur.  Another castle, Balfour, stands regally in a stark landscape.  And lest you think only northern Europeans influenced this hauntingly beautiful archipelago, consider the Italian Chapel, built and hand-painted by the hands of Italian prisoners during wartime, an inspiring if modest tribute to the human spirit.

Located off the northern coastline of mainland Scotland, the Orkney Islands, an archipelago of near 70 islands (17 inhabited), cover an area of 975 sq km.  The population is estimated at near 20,000, with the vast percentage of them living on Mainland (the largest island), in the towns of Kirkwall and Stromness.Along with the Shetland Islands, the Orkney Islands were settled by Norwegians during the late 8th and early 9th centuries.  First served as the headquarters for Viking expeditions, the islands were later annexed in 875 by the Norwegian king.
The Orkney Islands were handed over to Scotland in 1468 after King Christian I of Norway failed to come up with a suitable dowry payment for his daughter.
Following this shift of power Scottish entrepreneurs aided in developing a community of farmers, fisherman and merchants.
Here we found some of the most important archaeological sites in Europe:  Skara Brae, Ring of Brodgar, Standing Stones of Stenness, Maeshowe, and the newly discover 'Neolithic Temple' at the Ness of Brodgar.  Nature and the elements dictate the pace of life here.  The natives must be hardy to the winter winds, frequently in excess of 120 MPH!  Cattle are kept inside barns from November to April because being so far north (similar latitude to St. Petersburg, Russia) the grass does not grow enough for livestock to survive.  School children attend school 9-3 year round, also because of short sunlight in winters.    Our tour guide said that when they are let out of the barns in May they jump, buck, and run around like young calves.  However, because they are locked up for such a long time each winter they develop arthritis early and don't live a long as cattle under "normal circumstances."

 Map (above) and descriptions (below) of the Orkney Islands.

Highlights of Historic Orkney

We passed through gentle rolling landscapes into the Heart of Neolithic Orkney and visited a charming seaside village.  We met our local guide and embarked on a scenic drive to the Ring of Brodgar, the finest known circular stone ring from the early Bronze Age.  This ceremonial circle of 27 remaining standing stones is almost 5,000 years old and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  After time to ponder, we continued our journey to the quaint village of Stromness; after a brief orientation, we spent free time exploring the picturesque harbor and pretty flag-stoned street of this seafaring town.  We visited the beautifully refurbished Pier Arts Center, with exhibitions by both local and international artists, and explored craft shops selling local knitwear, pottery, and artwork. We continued on this circular route, following the coastline of Scapa Flow.

Scapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay, and Hoy islands.  Its sheltered waters have played an important role in travel, trade, and conflict throughout the centuries.  Vikings anchored their longships in Scapa Flow more than a thousand years ago.  More recently, it was the United Kingdom's chief naval base during the First and Second World Wars, though the facility was closed in 1956.

Scapa Flow has a shallow sandy bottom not deeper than 200 feet and most of it is about 100 feet deep, and is one of the great natural harbors/anchorages of the world, with sufficient space to hold a number of navies.  In 2013, a consultation in ballast water management measured the commonly used Harbor Authority definition of Scapa Flow at 125.3 square miles and just under 1 billion cubic meters of water.

For more information on Scapa Flow:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scapa_Flow

The primary exports are cattle, lambs, shell fish, scotch, and energy.  They produce 140% of their electric by wind, ocean current, and solar.  They "ship" their excess electric to England via underwater cables.  Their unemployment is around 2%.

The city and royal burgh of Kirkwall is the main town and capital of the Orkney Islands.  First mentioned in the Orkneyinga Saga in 1046, the town today has a population of around 8,500 and its narrow main streets are home to a great selection of shops, cafes, restaurants, hotels, and bars.

Our cruise ship arriving at dock.  We were welcomed by light rain that lasted most of the morning.

 Town Hall, built in 1884.

St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall dominates the skyline of Kirkwall.  It is the most northerly cathedral in the United Kingdom, a fine example of Romanesque architecture built for the bishops of Orkney when the islands were ruled by the Norse Earls of Orkney.  It is owned not by the church, but by the burgh of Kirkwall as a result of an act of King James III of Scotland following Orkney's annexation by the Scottish Crown in 1468.  It has its own dungeon.

Construction began in 1137, and it was added to over the next 300 years.  The first bishop was William the Old, and the diocese was under the authority of the Archbishop of Nidaros in Norway.  It was for Bishop William that the nearby Bishop's Palace was built.

Before the Reformation, the cathedral was presided over by the Bishop of Orkney, whose seat was in Kirkwall.

More information at:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Magnus_Cathedral

On our way to Stromness.  We passed through pasture lands void of trees; the only trees on Orkney Islands are those sheltered from winter winds.

Cattle through our rained on bus windows.

We arrived in Stromness around 10 AM.  It lies in western Orkney, huddled around the sheltered bay of Hamnavoe.  The town owes its existence to this natural harbor and its history reflects changes in maritime life over the centuries.  Above is the Hotel Stromness.

A long-established seaport, Stromness has a population of approximately 2,200 residents.  The old town is clustered along the characterful and winding main street, flanked by 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.

First recorded as the site of an inn in the sixteenth century, Stromness became important during the late seventeenth century, when Great Britain 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. Large numbers of Orkneymen, many of whom came from the Stromness area, served as traders, explorers and seamen for both.  Captain Cook's ships, Discovery and Resolution, called at the town in 1780 on their return voyage from the Hawaiian Islands, where Captain Cook had been killed.

 Harbor at Stromness.  On our way to ~5,000 year old monuments.

The Ring of Brodgar is a Neolithic henge and stone circle in Orkney, Scotland.  Most henges do not contain stone circles; Brodgar is a striking exception, ranking with Avebury (and to a lesser extent Stonehenge) among the greatest of such sites.  The ring of stones stands on a small isthmus between the Lochs of Stenness and Harray.  These are the northernmost examples of circle henges in Britain.  Unlike similar structures such as Avebury, there are no obvious stones inside the circle, but since the interior of the circle has never been excavated by archaeologists, the possibility remains that wooden structures, for example, may have been present.  The site has resisted attempts at scientific dating and the monument's age remains uncertain.  It is generally thought to have been erected between 2500 BC and 2000 BC, and was, therefore, the last of the great Neolithic monuments built on the Ness.  A project called The Ring of Brodgar Excavation 2008 was undertaken in the summer of that year in an attempt to settle the age issue and help answer other questions about a site that remains relatively poorly understood.  The results of the excavation are still preliminary.

The stone circle is 341 feet in diameter, and the third largest in the British Isles.  The ring originally comprised up to 60 stones, of which only 27 remained standing at the end of the 20th century.  The tallest stones stand at the south and west of the ring, including the so-called "Comet Stone" to the south-east. The stones are set within a circular ditch up to 3 10 feet deep, 9 30 feet wide and 1,250 feet in circumference that was carved out of the solid sandstone bedrock by the ancient residents.  Technically, this ditch does not constitute a true henge as there is no sign of an encircling bank of earth and rock. Many archaeologists continue to refer to this structure as a henge; for example, Aubrey Burl classifies the ditch as a Class II henge; one that has two opposing entrances, in this case on the north-west and south-east.

For more information:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_of_Brodgar

We drove by a site where a recent archiological dig takes place in July and August each year.  The Ness of Brodgar is an archaeological site covering 6.2 acres between the Ring of Brodgar and the Stones of Stenness in the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site in Orkney, Scotland.  Excavations at the site began in 2003.  The site has provided evidence of decorated stone slabs, a stone wall 20 feet thick with foundations, and a large building described as a Neolithic temple.  The earliest structures were built between 3,300 and 3,200 BC, and the site had been closed down and partly dismantled by 2,200 BC.

Maeshowe is a Neolithic chambered cairn and passage grave situated on Mainland Orkney, Scotland.  It was probably built around 2800 BC.  In the archaeology of Scotland, it gives its name to the Maeshowe type of chambered cairn, which is limited to Orkney.  Maeshowe is a significant example of Neolithic craftsmanship and is, in the words of the archaeologist Stuart Piggott, "a superlative monument that by its originality of execution is lifted out of its class into a unique position."  The monuments around Maeshowe, including Skara Brae, were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999.

 On our way back to the cruise ship.  Notice the shale stone fences.

Back at the cruise ship.  Rain had quit upon our return!

Special mobile containers for cattle (lower level) and sheep (upper level).  These were being loaded by special tugs onto a ferry at dock on other side of our cruise ship.

We were really impressed with the VERY old archaeological sites that we saw today.  Staggers our minds that there are evidences of life 5,000 years ago.

We were on our way by 5 PM today; next port:  Edinburgh, Scotland.