the

ORKNEYguide book

byCharles Tait

THIRD EDITION

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by Charles by Charles TTaitait

THIRDTHIRD EDITIONEDITION

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied or reproduced in any form,stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical,photocopying, recording or otherwise (except for the purpose of bona fide review) without theprior written permission of the publisher. The author has asserted his right under theCopyright, Designs and Patents Act 1998 to be identified as the author of this work.

The Orkney Guide BookThird Edition

Published by Charles Tait Photographic LtdKelton, St Ola, Orkney KW15 1TR Tel 01856 873738 Fax 01856 875313

charles.tait@zetnet.co.uk www.charles-tait.co.uk

Text, design and layout copyright Charles Tait Photographic LtdPhotographs copyright Charles Tait Photographic Ltd

Old photographs from Charles Tait collectionPrinting by Nevisprint Ltd, Fort William

OS maps reproduced from Ordnance Survey mapping with permission of theController of HMSO, Crown Copyright Reserved MC 100035677

Front Cover: Ring of BrodgarISBN 09517859 2 3

This book is dedicated to the memory of my mother, Allison Leonard Tait (1925-1954)

as well as to my family, Sandra, Magnus, Thorfinn and Kika,without whose support this book would not have been done

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CONTENTS

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MAPS OF ORKNEYA good range of maps cover-ing Orkney is available. Themost generally useful mapsfor the visitor are the follow-ing:

Orkney and ShetlandIslands - (1:128,000) avail-able from the Tourist Board.This map shows the main sitesof interest, and has muchinformation of interest to thevisitor. It is not really detailedenough for walkers, or forthose wishing more detailedinformation, but it is fine forgetting an idea of the lie of theland and where to go.

Ordnance Survey Land-ranger Series (1:50,000) -sheets 5 Orkney North Isles, 6Orkney Mainland and 7Orkney South Isles cover thearea, and are essential to theserious visitor.

Ordnance Survey ExplorerSeries (1:25,000) - sheets461-465 cover the islands inmore detail and apart frombeing very interesting, arevery useful to the walker orthose wishing to investigateone particular parish or islandin depth.

Ordnance Survey map refer-ences are given for many loca-tions mentioned in the text.These are in brackets and aresix figures, preceded by HY orND, of the form (HY123456).

Admiralty Charts coveringthe area include the following:2249 Mainland and NorthIsles (West); 2250 Mainlandand North Isles (East); 2162Pentland Firth. Other moredetailed charts are also avail-able, see the Home WatersCatalogue ref NP109 avail-able from the HydrographicOffice, Taunton.

HOWTOUSETHISGUIDEThis book is designed to help the visitor find his or her way aroundOrkney. The detailed introduction covers many aspects of natural his-tory, archaeology, history and culture of the area and is followed agazetteer which travels round describing each island and parish in turn.

We are justly proud of our historicsites, wildlife and environment.Please help ensure that future visi-tors may enjoy them as much asyou by observing these guidelines:

1. Always use stiles and gates, andclose gates after you.2. Always ask permission beforeentering agricultural land.3. Keep to paths and take care toavoid fields of grass and crops.4. Do not disturb livestock. (Cowswith calves are dangerous!).5. Take your litter away with youand do not light fires.6. Do not pollute water courses orsupplies.7. Never disturb nesting birds.8. Do not pick wild flowers or digup plants.

9. Drive and park with due careand attention - do not obstruct orendanger others. 10. Always take care near cliffs -particularly with children and pets.11. Walkers should take adequateclothes, wear suitable footwear andtell someone of their plans.12. Above all please respect thelife of the countryside - leave onlyfootprints, take only photographsand pleasant memories.

Notice: While most of the sites ofinterest are open to the public andhave marked access, many are onprivate land. No right of access isimplied in the description, and ifin doubt it is always polite to ask.Also, while many roads and tracksare rights of way, not all are.

ORKNEY COUNTRYSIDE CODE

WELCOME TO ORKNEY

WELCOME TO ORKNEYWelcome to Orkney 7The Main Monuments 10A Tour of the Islands 12

GAZETTEER - NORTH ISLESRousay 402Egilsay 414Wyre 416Eynhallow 418Westray 422Papay 440North Ronaldsay 450Sanday 458Eday 474Faray & Green Holms 482Stronsay 484Shapinsay 498Gairsay and Small Holms 508

GAZETTEER - MAINLANDKirkwall & St Ola 192St Magnus Cathedral 210Kirkwall Ba’ Game 220West Mainland

Orphir 232Stenness 238Stromness 262Sandwick 274Birsay 290Evie 304Rendall 310Harray 312Firth 320

REFERENCE SECTIONGetting to Orkney 514Getting Around in Orkney 520Where to Stay & Eat 524Services 528Bibliography 530Index 538Map of Orkney inside back cover

GAZETTEER - SOUTH ISLESBarriers & Italian Chapel 342Burray 346South Ronaldsay 350Swona & Pentland Firth 362Sule Skerry & Sule Stack 372Hoy 374Flotta 394Small South Isles 398Graemsay 400

NATURAL HISTORYGeology, Climate & Habitats 14Birds 26Flora 40Seashore 50Fauna 54

ARCHAEOLOGY, HISTORY & CULTUREOrcadian Chronology 68Neolithic Age - from 5500BC 70Bronze Age - from 2000BC 82Iron Age - from 700BC 86Picts - until 8th century 92Vikings - 8th to 14th centuries 98Placenames 116Udal Law 124Folklore 128Scottish Connection - 14th to 16th c. 132Modern Times - 17th to 20th c. 138Scapa Flow 146Highland Park Distillery 180Fishermen with Ploughs 172Activities 184Events & Festivals 190

GAZETTEER - MAINLANDEast Mainland

St Andrews 324Deerness 328Copinsay 334Holm 338

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This guide is designed to helpvisitors to our islands, as well asresidents, find their way aroundand enjoy the many places ofinterest which are to be seen andexperienced. Apart from themain sites, many of the less-fre-quented places and islands aredescribed. It is hoped that folkwill find the same pleasure as theauthor in discovering Orkney, aswe have some of the bestarchaeological sites and bird-watching opportunities inEurope and so much else to seeand do that you will certainlywant to come back for anothervisit!

After the rugged Highlandscenery of the North ofScotland, first impressions ofOrkney are of greenness and fer-tility, combined with a feeling ofspace, where undulating, softcountryside merges with skyand sea into a soft confluence of

nature. There is an overall feel-ing of the immensity of time,perhaps due to the proximity ofso much history. Indeed, theOrkney Islands were describedby our local author, GeorgeMackay Brown, as being "likesleeping whales.....beside anocean of time".

Although people first came herewell over 6,000 years ago, leav-ing a wealth of archaeologicalsites and remains which allowmuch insight into the past,Orkney is far from being amuseum. Within our islandsthere is a huge range of things tosee and do in all seasons. Withits diverse economy it is a busyplace, and yet at the same timeunspoilt, quiet and relaxing. Theold and the new, the natural envi-ronment and the geographicallocation all merge to give theislands their uniquely attractiveatmosphere.

As the Orcadian writer EdwinMuir said in his Scottish Journey(1935), "Orkney....has managed,as far as that is humanly possible,to have its cake and eat it. It hasbeen saved by being just outsidethe circumference of the industri-al world, near enough to knowabout it, but too far off to bedrawn into it. Now it seems to methat this is the only way in whichany community can achieve apartial salvation today and live adesirable life, surrounded by anindustrial world."

This is even more true today.Orkney benefits from many ofthe good things of the early 21st

century, whilst at the same timemissing out on most of the lessdesirable aspects. However it ismuch more affected by the out-side world than ever before, andOrcadians are going to have towork hard to maintain all that isspecial about Orkney.

WELCOME TO ORKNEY

The Standing Stones of Stenness - midsummer sunset

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Orkney is a group of over 70islands and skerries, of whichabout 19 are presently inhabit-ed. At approximately 59ºNand 3ºW, the islands lie justnorth of Scotland, the shortestdistance being about 10km (6miles) from Caithness, andcover an area of 974 km2 (376miles2), of which the Mainlandcomprises about half.

Inhabited by 19,245 people(2001 census), the islands areabout 85km (53 miles) fromnorth to south and 37km (23miles) from east to west. Themain island is known as the"Mainland", and has three-quarters of the population, aswell as the two main towns,Kirkwall (population 6,206),and Stromness (population1,850).

Although apparently isolated,Orkney is very well served bytransport links with Scotland.The MV Hamnavoe (8,600

tons, 600 passengers) runsdaily between Stromness andScrabster (several times perday), while MV Hjaltland andMV Hrossey (12,000 tons,600 passengers) run betweenOrkney, Aberdeen andShetland. There is a summerpassenger ferry between Johno'Groats and Burwick, and ayear-round vehicle servicebetween Gills Bay and StMargaret's Hope, as well asseveral freight services.Frequent daily air links withWick, Aberdeen, Inverness,Edinburgh, Glasgow andShetland are operated byBritish Airways and Loganair.

The earliest written referenceto Orkney is by the Greekexplorer Pytheas, fromMarseille, who may have cir-cumnavigated Orkney aboutthe year 325BC, and claimedto have sighted the edge of theworld, or Ultima Thule. Hewas probably seeing Foula, or

another part of Shetland to theNorth. Claudius' fleet is saidto have formed a treaty withthe Orcadians in AD43, andTacitus mentions that a Romanfleet “subdued” Orkney afterthe battle of Mons Graupius inAD83. These references areinteresting, but probably notvery reliable.

Orkney is referred to in theAnglo-Saxon Chronicle, theIrish Annals and by variouswriters such as Adomnan, butit is not until the Norse sagas,written in the 12th century, thatwe find more recent history.These sagas were writtensome time after the events socolourfully described, andthus may be of dubious histor-ical accuracy in parts, butnevertheless they give a vividand graphic account of theNorse age. Being so fertileand so near to Norway,Orkney was an obvious basefor Viking expansion, particu-

INTRODUCTION TO ORKNEY

Midsummer sunrise over Sanday from Wideford Hill

larly in a time when the latesttechnology was sea transportin Viking longships.

In more recent times theislands have been visited by alarge number of eminent peo-ple who have written in vari-ous terms about them. Wealso have a number of distin-guished local authors, and forthose wishing further reading,there is always a good selec-tion of publications availablein the local book shops.

For reference the OrkneyLibrary also has an excellent"Orkney Room", which has avery wide range of local liter-ature. Many books which areunfortunately "out of print"are available for consultationhere. The Orkney Archivesare also available for those

researching family roots andoriginal documents.

The purpose of this Guide is tohelp visitors to our islandsappreciate Orkney and enjoytheir time here to the full. Theidea is that the reader canassimilate information with-out effort and yet rapidly findout what he or she would mostlike to see and do, dependingon interest, season or weather.There are so many things tosee and do in Orkney that alifetime is not long enough!

Although we have a beautifullandscape, history every-where, and wildlife to rivalanywhere on Earth, there isanother aspect of Orkneywhich is perhaps the mostimportant and rewarding toget to know - the Orcadians

themselves. They are a friend-ly, hospitable people, mindfuland respectful of their past,while at the same time verygo-ahead and industrious. Donot hesitate to ask the way, orabout things - you are sure toget a courteous reply, and ifyou are lucky you might get afew good stories as well!

George Mackay Brownsummed things up very wellwhen he said Orkney is "...amicrocosm of the world.Orkney has been continuouslyinhabited for about 6,000years and the layers of cul-tures and races areinescapable and unavoidablewherever you go. There arestories in the air here. If Ilived to be 500, there wouldstill be more to write".

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Kirkwall from the Ayre Road in 1821 by William Daniell

INTRODUCTION TO ORKNEY

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The Brough of Birsay is a tidalisland off the north-west of theMainland, and is the site of bothPictish and Viking settlements,with secular and monasticremains. In the nearby village -The Palace - the ruins of the 16th

century Earl’s Palace provide agaunt reminder of the morerecent past, while St MagnusKirk is built on the site of amuch older church.

The continuity of settlement inOrkney is well demonstrated bythe Broch of Gurness, which isone of the best examples ofabout 50 such structures inOrkney, and dates from the lateIron Age - the last centuryBC/first century AD. The sitewas occupied for hundreds ofyears, at least until early Norsetimes.

The imposing 12th century StMagnus Cathedral in Kirkwallwas built by the Norse EarlRognvald Kolson in honour ofhis murdered uncle Earl MagnusErlendson. It dominates thetown, and its warm-colouredOld Red Sandstone, unmarkedby air pollution, makes thebuilding especially striking. Theinterior is particularly attractiveand well-proportioned.

During World War II severalhundred Italian prisoners-of-warworked on the construction ofthe Churchill Barriers, whichwere built to defend the easternapproaches of Scapa Flow.They built the Italian Chapel intheir camp on Lamb Holm. Thisunusual and charming artefact ofwar survives now as a symbol ofhope and peace.

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Orkney has a wealth ofNeolithic sites to visit, of whichMaeshowe, the Standing Stonesof Stenness, the Ring of Brodgarand Skara Brae are the mostspectacular. The great cham-bered cairn of Maeshowe is thelargest and grandest of its typeand dates from about 2750BC,while the Standing Stones andthe Ring of Brodgar were erect-ed at about the same time.

All three monuments are situat-ed in the heart of the WestMainland, surrounded by farm-land and near the lochs ofStenness and Harray, in turnringed by heather-covered lowhills. There is a timeless andspacious feel to this landscape asa result of the dramatic comingtogether of sky, water and land.

The Neolithic village of SkaraBrae lies on the shore of the Bayof Skaill, and its well-preserved5,000 year-old houses give avery good impression of life atthat time. All four sites togetherform a World Heritage Site.

There is a Visitor Centreat SkaraBrae with a museum, replicahouse and a shop, while atTormiston Mill, next toMaeshowe, there is a shop andinterpretative display.

There are many other fascinat-ing monuments and sites ofinterest ranging from theNeolithic to the 20th centurywhich can be visited all overOrkney. Every parish and islandhas something different and spe-cial left by the people whoinhabited the countryside duringthe last six millennia.

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FROM THE NEOLITHIC AGE TO THE 20TH CENTURY

The Iron Age Broch of Gurness is surrounded by an extensive settlement

The Brough of Birsay has Norse and Pictish ruins

The 12th century St Magnus Cathedral dominates Kirkwall

The Italian Chapel dates from the Second World War

A TOUR OF THE MAIN MONUMENTS

Winter sunset over Maeshowe

Winter sunrise at the Ring of Brodgar

Skara Brae is a Neolithic village dating from about 3200BC

The Standing Stones of Stenness date from about 3000BC

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seabirds in summer, and hasmuch to offer the visitor.

Papa Westray is much lessdeveloped and can bereached by boat fromWestray or plane fromKirkwall, as can NorthRonaldsay, the most remoteof all the islands in Orkney.

Eday is famous for its cham-bered cairns, but it alsooffers fine walks and unri-valled panoramic views overthe rest of Orkney, whileSanday is best known for itsexceptional sandy beacheswhich attract many speciesof wading birds. Stronsay,the most fertile island inOrkney, is also well-placedfor migrating birds.

The South Isles are dominat-ed by Hoy, which is morelike two islands, the north-ern part with its dramaticcliffs, hills and valleys, andthe low-lying southern part.It can be reached fromHouton or Stromness. Hoyoffers something for everyvisitor, with its diverse habi-tats and many sites of inter-est.

The smaller islands ofGraemsay and Flotta shouldnot be ignored. Both offergentle scenery and dramaticviews of the other islandsand Scapa Flow. Graemsayis close to Stromness, but aworld apart, while Flotta,though home to an OilTerminal, still echoes withremains of 20th century wars.

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Scapa Flow is sheltered by Hoy in the west and South Ronaldsay in the east

Hoy Sound and Hoy Hills from Outertown, Stromness

Dennis Head old lighthouse, North Ronaldsay, was built in 1789

EVERY ISLAND HAS ITS OWN CHARACTER

The Stone of Setter in Eday

It has been said that “no visitcan be considered completewithout a visit to at least oneof the other islands.”Fortunately this is easy dueto extensive and frequenttransport links to most of theinhabited islands.

Each island has its owncharacter and attraction, allare subtly different and yetthey have much in common.The Inner North Isles areperhaps the most accessible,especially Shapinsay, withits Victorian Castle, RSPBReserve and fine farms,which is reached fromKirkwall.

Rousay, Egilsay and Wyreare also very easy to get tofrom Tingwall, and are fullof good places to visit.Apart from the many archae-ological and historic sites,there are also two RSPBReserves and dramatic cliffand moorland scenery closeby.

The larger Outer North Islesof Westray, Eday, Sandayand Stronsay are all quitedistinctly different in char-acter. They are reached byferry or plane from Kirkwalland while a day visit willwhet the appetite, all reallyneed a stay to fully appreci-ate what they have to offer.

Westray is perhaps the mostdiverse of all the islands,with its varied coastalscenery, hills and farmland.It is the best place to seePuffins, and breeding

Balfour Castle, Shapinsay, was built in the 1800s

Wyre, Gairsay and the ferry”Eynhallow” seen from Rousay

A TOUR OF THE ISLANDS

St Magnus Church, Egilsay

Noup Head, Westray, is one of the biggest seabird breeding sites in UK

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