Whilst travelling around the UK, I was fortunate enough to spend a weekend in June in Orkney with Norah and John, some wonderful friends of my aunt and uncle. Norah and my aunt have been penpals for many years and have also met a number of times. Norah and her husband John are a fun-loving couple who treated me as if we were old friends, and by the end of the weekend, that was what we had become.
The Orkney Islands are off the north coast of Scotland and once belonged to Norway, but were given to Scotland as part of a royal marriage dowry a few hundred years ago. Like the nearby Shetland Islands, many of the people still feel more aligned with Norway than with Scotland. There is still a strong Norse/ Viking influence in Orkney and many of the place names reflect this. The people speak English with a lovely soft, Scottish accent, not at all like the harsher Glasgow accents, and are much easier to understand! They do have some different words in their dialect though, for example Norah told me about 'peedie' for little. John said if he spoke in the dialect from the island of Westray in Orkney, where he grew up, I would not be able to understand him!
The population of Orkney is quite small, with only two main towns, Kirkwall and Stromness, neither of which is very large and both of which are situated on the Mainland island, but there are also many smaller islands that are less densely populated. Orkney is a haven for wildlife, especially sea birds and I have never seen so many in my life as on the ferry trip over. It is also a World Heritage listed site containing many Neolithic sites such as Skara Brae, the well- preserved remains of a 4500 year old village; the Ring of Brogar (or Brodgar), a standing stone circle; and Maes Howe, a chambered tomb form the same era. There is a wildness and remoteness about Orkney that is very compelling and the weekend I spent there was not really enough time to enjoy it fully. However, Norah and John were great hosts and managed to show me as many of the sights as possible in the short time I had there.
The hour and a half ferry ride over from Scrabster in the north of Scotland was very pleasant. It was a sunny evening, but at times there was a light mist which the sun shimmered through and reflected onto the water. As the mainland of Scotland disappeared behind us, the rocky cliffs of Hoy, one of the Orkneys, loomed ahead of us. The whole way, there were vast numbers of sea birds of many varieties, most of which I did not know, and many of which seem to have nests amongst the rocky cliffs with their numerous caves, carved out by centuries of wave action along the waterline. The Old Man of Hoy was quite impressive, a single, huge column of red rock standing slightly away from the cliffs. With its picturesque white houses glinting in the evening sun and scattered across the hillside lining the harbour, Stromness was a bonny sight, to use the local lingo.
From Stromness to Kirkwall is a very pleasant drive which takes about 30 or 40 minutes and goes through pretty island scenery, with the greenest grass you are ever likely to see. Here and there are dotted farms and tiny villages and much of the time there are vistas or glimpses of the blue water of the sea or the various lochs.
Kirkwall itself is a very old town, with many Viking links. Towering above it is the spire of St Magnus Cathedral, an impressive building built centuries ago by the newly Christianized Vikings. Inside is a peaceful sanctuary still used for worship and other community events. Rather than being affiliated with a particular religion, it is for the use of all the people of Orkney. Inside are many interesting old tombs, many with skulls and crossbones and dire warnings such as 'remember death' carved on them. Also, there is a memorial to the British ship, the Royal Oak, sunk by the Germans in nearby Scapa Flow during World War II. Another point of interest is the imposing tomb of Arctic explorer, John Rae. Just near the cathedral is a very well set up little museum containing lots of information about local history, including many Viking artefacts. The nearby ruins of the Earl's and Bishop's Palace give a fascinating glimpse of what life was like for the nobles of Orkney about 500 years ago. Visitors can go into the buildings and see the mostly roofless rooms, the narrow spiral staircases with their worn stairs and even an old well.
The morning I explored Kirkwall was a Saturday and the place was buzzing with many people having just got off a cruise boat moored in the harbour. The locals seem to have a love- hate relationship with tourists, looking upon them as a necessary evil for the economic good of the area. As I walked around, the atmosphere was very relaxed and festive, with buskers lining the streets. Although I'm not a shopaholic, I did enjoy looking at some of the lovely (and expensive!) arts and crafts in some of the shops.
Norah had told me about a free concert of traditional Scottish music to be held at the Cathedral that day, so I went along for a look. I ended up thoroughly enjoying listening to the talented young people playing alternately haunting melodies or rollicking traditional tunes on their fiddles and accordions. The old cathedral, with its dimly lit nooks was a prefect setting for the evocative, very moving tune one very skilful girl played on her fiddle.
Skara Brae was a place I have wanted to see for a long time and I was not disappointed. A very well preserved stone-age village, it lay undisturbed under the sand for thousands of years until a large storm in the mid-1800s washed away some of the covering. It was then carefully excavated and is absolutely fascinating. Still clearly visible are the beds, shelves and fireplaces used by the people so long ago. It is set in a peaceful, sandy bay with only a couple of houses in the vicinity. One of the houses, Skaill House, is a big old mansion and farmhouse formerly owned by the man who discovered Skara Brae after the big storm all those years ago. Skaill House is also open to the public and one thing on display there that was quite interesting to me as an Aussie was the dinner set from Captain Cook's ship, the Resolution.
The Ring of Brogar/ Brodgar is a standing stone circle, a little like a smaller version of Stonehenge and there are a number of such circles to be found in various places in the UK. If you have seen Billy Connolly's World Tour of Scotland, you will have seen him running around naked between the standing stones at the Ring of Brodgar. I can imagine he would have been freezing, as even on the sunny summer day when I was there, the breeze was very chilly! The Ring was built in a similar era to Skara Brae, as were Maes Howe and the Unstan Tomb, both of which I got to go inside. These were both burial places, although there are no longer any human remains there. The Maes Howe Tomb was especially impressive due to its Viking graffiti. On one or two occasions about 900 years ago, Vikings sheltered inside the tomb during wild storms. Whilst sitting around with nothing to do, many of them inscribed messages written in runes, a Norse form of writing, as well as pictures of animals. These are still clearly visible and the writing has been translated and some of the translations were told to us by the guide. Some were rather risque (not unlike some of today's graffiti), while others told of a treasure that had been found in the tomb and carried off three days before. It was amazing to think of the very real people who wrote those things so long ago.
Norah and John also took me to Kirbuster Farm museum, which was a very old farm that showed how farming people on Orkney lived in the past. They even had a peat fire burning inside the house, which smelt quite good, but I imagine the smoke might irritate the lungs if you were breathing it in constantly.
Almost enclosed by the islands is Scapa Flow, which has been a setting for many dramatic naval happenings over the years. At the end of World War I, virtually the entire German fleet was scuttled here to avoid capture by the British. Then the Germans hit back in World War II, sinking the British ship the Royal Oak. Divers today love exploring the Royal Oak wreck despite the fact that the water is extremely cold. After the ship was sunk, good old Winston Churchill and his mates came up with a plan: they built huge concrete block barriers between many of the islands and sunk a number of old ships in strategic positions to prevent German submarines entering Scapa Flow. The Churchill Barriers proved rather useful for the locals, who built roads across them, enabling easier transport between the islands.
Another interesting relic of the war is the Italian Chapel. Many Italian POWs were held on Orkney during the 1940s and some of them built a very impressive chapel using a military hut. Inside the chapel was ornately painted by one very talented man. Everything was made out of scraps of whatever could be found and then decorated. It is awe- inspiring to imagine the dedication of this one man who put so many hours into completing this lovely place of worship. Apparently, some years after the war, he returned and touched up any bits that were showing wear and tear. He has now passed away, but it is to be hoped somebody can take over the task of doing what needs to be done to keep this place as beautiful as it is.
Norah was determined to provide with a typical Orkney meal and what a treat it was! First came delicious soup, then the most tender beef I have ever had in my life, potato (tatties) and turnips (neeps) cooked and mashed together (I can't remember what this was called, but it was very tasty) , tender carrots, bere bannock (a bit like a scone) followed by Orkney ice-cream and a mixture of berries. As a real ice-cream connoisseur, I can say it was the most delicious, creamy ice-cream you will ever taste. Must be all that lovely green grass the cows eat!
On Saturday evenings in summer, the Kirkwall City Pipe Band often pays in the main street and I was fortunate enough to be there when this happened. The main street is closed off and everyone watches as the band marches up and down playing stirring old Scottish songs like Scotland the Brave and The Highland Cathedral on the bagpipes and drums. This is what Scotland's all about! I asked Norah and John how many of the spectators were locals and how many were tourists and they said, 'The tourists are the ones with the cameras!' Obviously, going by the number of non-camera wielding people, the event is just as popular with locals as tourists.
Being so far North, not only is the climate quite cold so that their summer days are similar to cold winter's days back here in Queensland, but also there is often a blustery, cold wind blowing. Fortunately, it is lovely and cosy inside the heated houses. I can only imagine what winter must be like. In summer, there are plenty of daylight hours for going out and about as the sun doesn't set until about 11 p.m. and then rises again very early. Even during the hours when the sun is not visible, it is still not completely dark. However, I would not like to live there in winter when there are only a few hours of daylight each day. It's almost like the Land of the Midnight Sun!
Unfortunately for me, being rather seasick prone, the ferry ride back to Scrabster from Stromness was not as calm as the one on the way over. The North Sea lived up to its reputation and produced the rolling swell it is famous for and I felt downright sick and miserable most of the way. Going out on the deck helped, but the wind was freezing!
Orkney was a lovely place, filled with beautiful scenery, friendly people like Norah and John and so much history stretching back thousands of years. If I ever get to go again, I'd like to see some of the smaller islands and more of the wildlife. I'd definitely recommend a visit if you are visiting Scotland.
