Aerial images of Orkney Islands, Scotland
Fascinating facts about Skara Brae, a perfectly preserved Stone Age village in Orkney which offer an glimpse into everyday prehistoric life.
Jersey, British crown dependency and island, the largest and southernmost of the Channel Islands, lying south of England’s coast and 12 miles (19 km) west of the Cotentin peninsula of France. Its capital, St. Helier, is 100 miles (160 km) south of Weymouth, England. Jersey is about 10 miles (16 km) across and 5 miles (8 km) from north to south. The Ecrehous rocks (6 miles northeast) and Les Minquiers (12 miles [19 km] south) are in the Bailiwick of Jersey. The island is largely a plateau mantled with loess, with deeply incised valleys sloping from north to south. Picturesque
Discover hundreds of islands for sale & exclusive island rentals with Vladi Private Islands – the record-breaking international island consultancy with over 2,400 sales.
It won't shock anyone that Greece and Capri made the top ten. But the other eight might come as a surprise.
Visit the Orkney Isles with Northlink Ferries and explore the Lochs of Stenness and Harray, located just outside Stromness in Orkney
I have now visited Orkney 6 times of a period of 36 years but every time I visit I find something new to visit. Sometimes the things really are new since my last visit but often they have been there all along but I just haven't noticed them or haven't ventured off the beaten track to visit them. On my last visit I stayed 10 nights at the excellent Kirkwall Youth Hostel but was surprised by how little time most visitors spent on Orkney. Those with a day or 2 to spend are most likely to visit Skara Brae, Maes Howe, the Ring of Brodgar, the Standing Stones of Stenness, St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall, Stromness, the Churchill Barriers and the Italian Chapel. Those staying a week are likely to also visit the Broch of Gurness, the coast at Yesnaby, the Kitchener Memorial at Marwick Head, the Ness of Brodgar, the Brough of Birsay, the Earl's Palace at Birsay, the Bishop's and Earl' Palaces in Kirkwall, the Round Church and Earl's Bu at Orphir, Orkney Museum, the Gloup and the farm museums at Kirbuster and Corrigall. In this post I want to highlight some of the places those with a bit more time to spend on Orkney Mainland may like to visit. Totem Pole at St Mary's This was carved as part of a community project in 2007. Newark Bay St Magnus Window at St Magnus Church at Birsay The church was built in 1064 and rebuilt in 1664 and 1760. This is reputedly where St Magnus's body was taken after his murder on Egilsay by his cousin Haakon in 1115. His remains were later reinterred in St Magnus Cathedral. This beautiful stained glass window, which was designed by Shona McInnes of Keith in Morayshire, was dedicated in 2013. The votive candle represents the theme of light and is a universal symbol of prayer. Deck gun salvaged from HMS Hampshire The ship sank off Marwick Head in June 1916 when it hit a German mine. Lord Kitchener and over 700 sailors died. Only 12 made it to shore alive. A novel way to reuse a broken microwave oven - turn it into a postbox! Covenanters' Memorial at Deerness Covenanters were 17th century Scottish Presbyterians who expressed their convictions by the signing of covenants. They opposed the re-imposition of bishops in the Church of Scotland after the Restoration in 1660 and were persecuted as a result. In 1679 a Covenanters uprising was supressed at Bothwell Brig and 1,200 Covenanters were taken prisoner in Edinburgh. Some were executed and many others were released after submitting. The remaining 250 were to be shipped off to America to work as slaves on the plantations there. However on their journey there from Leith, their ship the Crown of London took shelter from a storm off Deerness but was driven on to the rocks after her anchor chain broke. The captain refused to let the Covenanters out of the hold and most of them drowned. Only about 47 of the Covenanters made it to the shore at Deerness and most of them were recaptured and shipped off to slavery in New Jersey or Jamaica. A monument was erected in 1888 on the cliffs at Deerness opposite where the ship went down. Trig Point on Wideford Hill This is the highest point on Orkney Mainland at 225 metres above sea level. However it is very easy to access by car, as there is a road running right to the top. Remains of a Royal Observer Corps Post on the summit of Wideford Hill. This was one of a network of ROC monitoring posts across the whole of Britain constructed during the Cold War. This site was operational from 1960 until 1991. Doocot at Hall of Rendall This doocot (dovecote) was erected in 1648. Pigeons were an important food source for wealthier people during the winter months when other food sources were scarce. The use of doocots declined after turnips were introduced from Sweden in the 18th century, as these provided winter food for people as well as cattle. The four rings of protruding stone were to prevent rats from getting into it. The birds entered through a hole in the top of the doocot. This type of doocot is known as a beehive and it is the only one of its kind to have survived on Orkney. An unusual tombstone in St Magnus Cathedral Murals at Kirkwall Airport Fresson Cairn in a layby overlooking Kirkwall Airport The plaque reads “On 8th May 1933 Capt Ted Fresson in Highland Airways Monospar G-ACEW landed the first scheduled air service from Inverness on this site which was Orkney’s first aerodrome”. The cairn was erected in 2008. Ernest Edmund (Ted) Fresson Memorial outside Kirkwall Airport Binscarth Wood 3 hectares of coniferous and broadleaved woodland planted in a sheltered valley over 100 years ago on the western edge of Finstown. For those who like me get tree withdrawal symptoms during visits to Orkney, this is a truly lovely place to visit. Khyber Pass, Stromness style! Groatie Hoose inTankerness House Gardens, Kirkwall The volcanic stones used to build this folly came from the ballast used in the ship belonging to pirate John Gow. After he was captured the stones were used by John Traill, an Edinburgh merchant who had retired to Orkney, to build a summerhouse in the garden of his house on Bridge Street. The house later became a hotel but burnt down in 1938 and was demolished and the site rebuilt on. The Groatie Hoose remained in Bridge Street until it was moved stone by stone to its current location in 2005. A rocky armchair in Tankerness House Gardens - I didn't try it out because it was pouring with rain Fishermen's hut at Skipi/Skiba Geo near Birsay Whale bone on a post at Skipi/Skiba Geo with the Brough of Birsay in the background This is thought to be the back of the skull of a right whale, which washed ashore here in around 1876. Dr John Rae's Memorial in St Magnus Cathedral Rae was born in Orphir in 1813. He became an Arctic explorer and discovered the fate of the Franklin expedition and the final link in the North West Passage. He died in London in 1893 and was buried in the cathedral grounds. There is a bronze statue of him in Stromness, which was designed by the sculptor Ian Scott from North Ronaldsay and was unveiled in 2013 John Rae's statue in Stromness Royal Oak Memorial at Scapa This was officially unveiled in 2011. It commemorates the sinking of the HMS Royal Oak in Scapa Flow on 14th October 1939 by a German U-boat with the loss of 833 lives. Royal Oak Memorial Garden at Scapa Waterfall on the coast path by Scapa Distillery Barnhouse Stone Deepdale Standing Stone War Memorial at Norseman Village - am I the only one who thinks this resembles a rocket? Login's Well, Stromness This well was used by many mariners as their last chance to stock up on fresh water for hundreds if not thousands of miles. Captain James Cook and Sir John Franklin were some of the famous explorers who used it, along with the ships belonging to the Hudson's Bay Company and many merchant vessels. The well was sealed up in 1931. Restored fishermen's hut at Sand Geo to the south of Marwick Barony Mills at Birsay This working watermill was built in 1873 and specialises in milling bere - an ancient form of barley. Stone seat near the beach at Warebeth I think this may have been a temporary feature
This picturesque archeological site looks like it was pulled straight from a fantasy novel.
What did the ancestors of modern Britons see in the countryside that led them to deem some places more sacred than others, asks Neil Oliver.
An adventure story involving an airplane! Have you ever had one of those days where you say to yourself (and anyone else who will listen) – I love my life! Monday was one of those days for me, when my adventures took me to Fair Isle, a tiny island midway between the Orkney and Shetland …
Getty Images photographer Jeff Mitchell paid a visit to Foula recently, and returned with these images of its people, animals, and landscape.
By: Savannah Gulick, Archives & Rare Books Library Student Assistant Celtic lore has always been fascinating to me and to readers worldwide, but oftentim
Fragments of stone engraved with abstract designs are the earliest art in the British Isles.
Visit Orkney with NorthLink Ferries, and discover over 100 hidden brochs from the Iron Age around the Isles.
A guide to the best things to do in Orkney for a 3 day itinerary including where to stay and tips for getting around.
JOIN US IN AN INTERVIEW WITH LAURIE GOODLAD FROM LERWICK, SHETLAND ISLANDS! Laurie Goodlad is a 32-year-old Shetlander, born and raised in the islands. She left Shetland to study history and…
This picturesque archeological site looks like it was pulled straight from a fantasy novel.
M/S Thorshavn was built in Frederikssund in Denmark in 1940, material oak/beech. It has belonged to the Danish authorities (but with its base in Tórshavn, Faroe Islands) until now, April 2012 , when a group of men from Tvøroyri bought it. The ship has had its home in Tórshavn, the capital of the Faroes, which the ship is also named after. Lenght: 19,05 BRT: 57,06 Engine: 1949, B&W Alpha, 162 kW/220 HK. The new owners say that they will use the ship for tourism, making trips along the coast of Suðuroy, to some beautiful places here etc.
These falafel scotch eggs balance the earthy warmth of cumin and coriander with the brightness of fresh cilantro and green onion. 8 Scotch Eggs can be halved for serving, providing 16 pieces to enjoy. Consider serving over a bed of baby spinach or similar for an appetizing salad.
In 1850, a fierce storm hit the Bay o’ Skaill on the main island of the Orkney island archipelago. In doing so, it ripped grass from a hill, then known as Skerrabra, to reveal the remnants of an ancient stone house. Further investigations revealed that the hill and its immediate vicinity had once been the site of a long-forgotten farming village.
island of Herm , channel islands , july 2008
Back in August ( was it really that long ago?) we made the journey North to the Isle of Skye, stopping overnight in the small ferry port of Uig, before our crossing to Lochmaddy on North Uist, the …
Foula in the Shetland Islands has a population of just 30, and is designated as a special protection area for birds, a national scenic area and a site of special scientific interest for its plants, birds and geology
The Isle of Unst is the best of Shetland's North Isles and has loads of sites and activities. Here are the highlights of my Unst day trip.
Explore she_who_must's 8976 photos on Flickr!
Jarlshof in the Shetland Islands is looking for a guide to take visitors through its Stone, Bronze and Iron Age, Pictish, Viking and Scottish ruins
From little-known gems to the literal edge of the UK, go island hopping in the Scottish Isles.
It was already old when the builders of the Pyramids at Giza began their work and was lived in before the construction of the monuments at…