The Orkney Islands
Having pulled alongside the ferry terminal last night, anticipation of what the Orkney Islands have in store for us has been building steadily. As we awoke, we all looked tentatively out of windows to see how the weather would treat us today, and were greeted with a pleasant surprise of a relatively dry and cloud free morning. Our berth gave a just an inkling of what incredible scenery lay in store for us, as rolling hills dotted with small homes, cows, and sheep, stretched out before us.
Orkney (also known as the Orkney Islands, Isles of Orkney or the Orkneys) is an island group in northern Scotland, consisting of over 70 islands, a mere 20 of them inhabited. The old Gaelic name for the islands was Insi Orc which means the "Island of the Orcs". An orc is a young pig or boar. When the Norwegian Vikings arrived on the islands they interpreted the word orc to be orkn which is Old Norse for pinnipeds or common seal, the suffix ey meaning island. Thus the name became Orkneyjar which was shortened to Orkney in English. Although often receiving the full brunt of harsh storms, Orkney has been inhabited for at least 5,500 years, originally by Neolithic tribes and then by the Picts. Because of its close proximity to surrounding nations, Orkney was invaded, annexed by Norway in 875, and settled by the Norse. However, due to the failed payment of a dowry agreement, it was subsequently annexed to the Scottish Crown in 1472.
Today we will spend our morning investigating the largest of the islands, Mainland. It is here where we can access one of the best preserved Neolithic Sites in the world, Skara Brae. Hidden under the sand until 1850 when a large storm revealed it, Skara Brae is now a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. The quality of the excavation truly allows us to picture what it was like to live in the Stone Age, as beds, fireplaces, and animal pens are pointed out to us by our experts. Afterwards many of us chose to take the Ferry over to our afternoon’s destination of Shapinsay. This small island is home to Balfour Castle, now owned and run by the Zawadski Family. The Castle is used as a museum and bed and breakfast, with extensive grounds and gardens where guests can walk, and one of the best teas around.
There is so much that the Orkneys have to offer, from birding to boating, it is hard to experience all of that in one day. But amongst all of the attractions, Scapa Flow is one of the biggest draws from all over the world. Scapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy. At 140 square miles, with a sandy bottom, and relatively shallow (not deeper than 160 feet, and most of it about 70 feet deep), it is one of the great natural harbors of the world, with sufficient space to hold a number of navies. Viking ships anchored in Scapa Flow more than 1000 years ago, but it is best known as the site of the United Kingdom's chief naval base during the First and Second World Wars, even though it was unfortified. It was from Scapa Flow that the British Home Fleet sailed to meet the German High Seas Fleet at the Battle of Jutland. After the War, 45 of the 72 German Ships were interned here. Although most of the ships have been salvaged, there are still seven wrecks which attract divers from all over the world. It was here that Undersea Specialist, Dennis Cornejo, searched for more underwater images to bring back to us. The wrecks offer a reasonably protected home for sea life to live in, so fish were abundant, and the strong currents which flow through the area provide food for filter feeding organisms, hence many of the wrecks are covered in hydroids and anemones.
As National Geographic Endeavour sails through the protected passages leading out of the Orkneys, many of us wish we had another week to explore these incredible islands. But no time to look back now, as we have our next adventure ahead of us, as we head further south for more exploration of Scotland.
Having pulled alongside the ferry terminal last night, anticipation of what the Orkney Islands have in store for us has been building steadily. As we awoke, we all looked tentatively out of windows to see how the weather would treat us today, and were greeted with a pleasant surprise of a relatively dry and cloud free morning. Our berth gave a just an inkling of what incredible scenery lay in store for us, as rolling hills dotted with small homes, cows, and sheep, stretched out before us.
Orkney (also known as the Orkney Islands, Isles of Orkney or the Orkneys) is an island group in northern Scotland, consisting of over 70 islands, a mere 20 of them inhabited. The old Gaelic name for the islands was Insi Orc which means the "Island of the Orcs". An orc is a young pig or boar. When the Norwegian Vikings arrived on the islands they interpreted the word orc to be orkn which is Old Norse for pinnipeds or common seal, the suffix ey meaning island. Thus the name became Orkneyjar which was shortened to Orkney in English. Although often receiving the full brunt of harsh storms, Orkney has been inhabited for at least 5,500 years, originally by Neolithic tribes and then by the Picts. Because of its close proximity to surrounding nations, Orkney was invaded, annexed by Norway in 875, and settled by the Norse. However, due to the failed payment of a dowry agreement, it was subsequently annexed to the Scottish Crown in 1472.
Today we will spend our morning investigating the largest of the islands, Mainland. It is here where we can access one of the best preserved Neolithic Sites in the world, Skara Brae. Hidden under the sand until 1850 when a large storm revealed it, Skara Brae is now a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. The quality of the excavation truly allows us to picture what it was like to live in the Stone Age, as beds, fireplaces, and animal pens are pointed out to us by our experts. Afterwards many of us chose to take the Ferry over to our afternoon’s destination of Shapinsay. This small island is home to Balfour Castle, now owned and run by the Zawadski Family. The Castle is used as a museum and bed and breakfast, with extensive grounds and gardens where guests can walk, and one of the best teas around.
There is so much that the Orkneys have to offer, from birding to boating, it is hard to experience all of that in one day. But amongst all of the attractions, Scapa Flow is one of the biggest draws from all over the world. Scapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy. At 140 square miles, with a sandy bottom, and relatively shallow (not deeper than 160 feet, and most of it about 70 feet deep), it is one of the great natural harbors of the world, with sufficient space to hold a number of navies. Viking ships anchored in Scapa Flow more than 1000 years ago, but it is best known as the site of the United Kingdom's chief naval base during the First and Second World Wars, even though it was unfortified. It was from Scapa Flow that the British Home Fleet sailed to meet the German High Seas Fleet at the Battle of Jutland. After the War, 45 of the 72 German Ships were interned here. Although most of the ships have been salvaged, there are still seven wrecks which attract divers from all over the world. It was here that Undersea Specialist, Dennis Cornejo, searched for more underwater images to bring back to us. The wrecks offer a reasonably protected home for sea life to live in, so fish were abundant, and the strong currents which flow through the area provide food for filter feeding organisms, hence many of the wrecks are covered in hydroids and anemones.
As National Geographic Endeavour sails through the protected passages leading out of the Orkneys, many of us wish we had another week to explore these incredible islands. But no time to look back now, as we have our next adventure ahead of us, as we head further south for more exploration of Scotland.
