A
tour of Orkney's inhabited islands takes the traveller back
through man's history. Scattered across the fertile, flat
land are countless reminders of the people who have lived
here. Stone Age communities buried their dead in skillfully
constructed tombs. Iron Age families inhabited underground
earth houses. Celtic Christians founded monasteries, and
Norse earls designed great halls.
Birsay
Ruins
of palace built by Earls of Orkney in late 16th century.
Remains of 7th and 8th-century Pictish settlement stand
on Brough of Birsay island, reached by foot at low tide.
Ruins of Thorfinn the Mighty's Romanesque church, shoreline
ruins of his hall and outlines of Nurse longhouses.
Blackhammer
One
of several Neolithic cairns on Rousay. Its megalithic burial
chamber is 47ft long and is split into seven separate stalls
by standing slabs.
Burgar
Hill
Atlantic
winds provide energy to power three wind turbine generators
on windswept Mainland hill-top. Visitor centre in summer.
Churchill
Barriers
Churchill
ordered these concrete causeways to be built in 1939 to
block off eastern approach to naval base at Scapa Flow.
Some 250,000 tons of material were used, linking largest
island of Mainland with islands of Lamb Holm, Glims Holm,
Burray and South Ronaldsay.
Click
Mill
Small
turf-roofed building on Mainland, Houses Orkney's only working
corn mill, with wheel set horizontally, not vertically.
Based on Norse design, this type was used by islanders for
centuries. Signposted off 89057.
Cubbie
Roo's Castle
Small
keep on Wyre, surrounded by circular ditch, said to be Scotland's
earliest stone castle. Built in 12th century by Norse chief.
In graveyard is ruined chapel, possibly built by chief's
son.
Cuween
Hill Cairn
Bones
of dogs and oxen were found along with human remains inside
this hillside Neolithic burial tomb, south of Finstown on
Main-land. Passage 18ft long leads to central chamber with
adjoining smaller cells.
Dwarfie
Stane
Stone
Age rock tomb cut into slab of sandstone, on Hoy. Passage
leads to two chambers. Legend says it is home to malevolent
dwarf of Norse sagas.
Egilsay
Round
tower of 12th-century Church of St Magnus soars above roofless
nave. Islanders prayed here well into 19th century.
Gurness
Broch
Dry-stone
tower, 2000 years old, stands on Mainland headland overlooking
Rousay. It had underground well-chamber, still visible today,
and upper gallery and floor. Later settlers built houses
around tower.
Holm
of Papa
Tiny
island with huge megalithic tomb. Main chamber over 75ft
long is adjoined by 14 smaller cells. No signs of life on
island since tomb was built.
Italian
Chapel
In
1943 Italian prisoners-of-war built unique chapel inside
two Nissen huts on Lamb Hoim using scrap metal, driftwood
and con-crete. Interior has medieval-style wall paintings
and altarpiece. Facade in traditional Italian style even
has belfry.
Kirkwall
Busy
harbour on Mainland is capital of Orkneys. St Magnus's Cathedral
built in 1137 by Norse leader Rognvald, in memory of his
murdered uncle, Magnus. Nearby is 17th-century Earl's Palace,
built for 2nd Earl of Orkney. Tankerness House is a 16th-century
merchant's home, now a local museum. Public library, founded
1683. is Scotland's oldest.
Knap
of Howar
Whalebone
mallets and spatula have been unearthed on site of two well-built
stone structures on Papa Westray. About 5500 years old,
they are considered to be oldest standing dwellings in north-western
Europe.
Loch
of Stenness
Remains
of three stone circles dominate Mainland horizon between
Loch of Harray and Loch of Stenness. Encircling ditch still
visible at Ring of Bookan. Ring of Brogar has 36 tall thin
stones forming a circle 21/2 acres in extent.
Maes
Howe
Massive
Mainland tomb, 115ft in diameter, with vaulted stone chamber
and adjoining smaller cells, built about 2500 BC. Later,
Viking raiders scratched messages into walls; one message
alludes to finding treasure.
Martello
Tower
Guarding
entrance to Longhope Sound at Harkness, Hoy, one of a pair
of towers built 1813 to protect British convoys in Longhope
Sound against French and American privateers.
Marwick
Head
Cliff-top
Mainland RSPB reserve supporting flocks of breeding cormorants,
kittiwakes, guillemots and razorbills. Reserve overlooks
the spot where Lord Kitchener's boat was sunk by German
mines in 1916. Monument to Kitchener within reserve.
Mid
Howe
Largest
of Orkneys' stalled cairns, on Rousay. Main chamber, 76ft
long, is divided into 12 stalls with central passage. Benches
held human remains, including 23 people buried about 2000
BC.
Noltland
Castle
Castle
on Westray was mainly built by Gilbert Balfour in 16th century.
Its 71 gun loops in walls and 7-shape were intended to protect
it from all sides.
North
Hoy Nature Reserve
Windswept
moorland and sea cliffs of this RSPB nature reserve make
ideal habitat for hundreds of birds, from kittiwakes to
Arctic skuas. Cliff formations include 450ft stack called
Old Man of Hoy.
North
Ronaldsay
Most
northerly of isles of Orkneys is ringed by 6ft stone wall
to protect crops from sheep. Sheep survive on seaweed yet
produce fine wool. Prehistoric fort remains on southern
coast.
Orkney
Farm and Folk Museum
Two
Mainland farmsteads show evolution of Orkney farm buildings
over centuries. Kirbuster is the only surviving farmhouse
with hearth in middle of floor. Corrigal's 19th-century
house has gable fireplace and wooden box beds. Traditional
breeds of sheep and poultry.
Orkney
Wireless Museum
Collage
museum at St Margaret's Hope, South Ronaldsay; exhibits
range from early crystal set to modern transistor radio;
wireless sets from 1930s and old records.
Orphir
Church
Ruin
of 12th-century circular Mainland church overlooks Scapa
Flow's northern shore. Probably built by returned Crusader;
only one of its type in Scotland. Apse remains -- rest used
to build 18th-century Presbyterian structure.
Pierowall
Village
set in curve of sheltered bay on east coast of farming island
of Westray. The Norse leader Rognvald sailed here in 1136.
Ruins of medieval church has tombstones with finely carved
inscriptions.
Rennibister
Earth House
Iron
Age earth house was discovered on Mainland in 1926. Its
roof collapsed under weight of farm threshing machine and
revealed a floor strewn with human bones. Corbelled roof
was supported on four stone slabs.
Sanday
Green
island fringed by golden beaches. Human bones found in chambered
tomb at Quoyness suggest that people were living here over
4000 years ago.
Scapa
Flow
Eighty
square miles of sea enclosed by Mainland's south coast and
isles of Burray, South Ronaldasy, Flotta and Hoy. This natural
harbour was naval base during both world wars.
Skara
Brae
Buried
by sand for 4500 years, Stone Age Mainland village was discovered
in 1850 when storm tore sand away. Its roofless houses,
linked by covered passages, have central hearths, stone
bed-frames and a stone dresser. Paved courtyard where village
council probably met.
Stromness
Port
town in sheltered Mainland harbour. Single, narrow street
whose seaward houses have little jetties of their own. Fishermen
offload catches of lobster and crab. Museum illustrates
maritime history and island wildlife. Hudson's Bay Company
recruiting site now Pier Arts Centre.
Taversoe
Tuick
Room
for many bodies in this split-level Neolithic burial mound
on southern coast of Rousay. Upper entrance is at ground
level, lower one found through a 19ft sunken passage.
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