The Orkneys

Position: 58°58’17″N 3°02’52″W

We’re going to return to all the stuff we did before we reached the Orkneys shortly. My daughter’s wedding photos aren’t back yet and tales of bloodthirsty lairds and epic Jacobite battles will take a little more time than I have right now.

If you don’t know where the Orkney Islands are, they lie about 10 nautical miles due north of Scotland’s northeast coast. People have lived here for more than 5,000 years. Over that time there’s been some back and forth with Vikings, Danes, English, and even the Germans and a few Italian POWs. These days the islands are firmly Scottish. Broadly agricultural, all the trees were cut down thousands of years ago clearing the way for cows and sheep to graze happily across the moors.

Fishing was important, but tourism is a big draw these days. Being so close to the mainland, it’s a short 90-minute ferry ride. Meaning even the most nautically squeamish can arrive intact. Going further north to the Shetlands has its own rewards, but is an overnight commitment in the North Sea that many are understandably reluctant to make.

Cruise ships stop in Kirkwall, the main town, on a regular basis during the summer, filling the town briefly with greying folks snapping away on their smartphones. Like a spring tide they flood in and ebb away over the course of the day.

Energy

You can feel the energy here through the land and in the air. The sea swirls around the islands’ coves and smashes satisfyingly against the precipitously tall cliffs. Come winter, winds regularly reach hurricane force and without trees for wind breaks, rock walls have to suffice. High winds were much rarer 50 years ago, and snow in the winter far more common. Given their position at the top of Great Britain, the weather changes constantly. Even the best forecasts have only a day’s predictive accuracy. You’re better off looking out the window and dressing accordingly.

The air is clean and crisp in the way only cold sea air that has crossed an ocean before you breathe it in is. In the summer, the weather pattern roughly follows Scotland’s. That is: rain in the morning, followed by broken clouds and sunshine in the afternoon. Evenings are long and slow this far north. If you’re lucky, the aurora borealis (known in these parts as “the merry dancers”) will entertain you during the hour or two of nighttime darkness.

Well-worn footpaths encircle the island and take you right up to the cliff’s edge where you can see stacks of seagulls nesting in the rocks. Sadly, we missed puffin season, so big black cormorants commanded our attention instead.

Signs of neolithic habitation include standing stone circles which add to the spiritual mystery of the place. Stone walls and old crofts, some unearthed only recently, find their origins centuries ago. Sites with names like the Ring of Brodgar and Skara Brae fire the imagination, especially for those with a passion for fantasy novels.

What if…

I often speculate what would happen to islands if the ferry service packed up for some reason. In the Bahamas, for example, the outer islands only survive thanks to regular seaborne deliveries. Here, though, there seems plenty of protein and cereal for the 22,000 or so year-round residents. There are no less than four distilleries, two whiskey, one rum and one gin. And we counted two breweries. With the sea also providing sustenance, it seems like a great place to ride out an apocalypse. Besides, those standing stone circles have kept the islands safe for thousands of years.

If you come, we highly recommend the Button-Ben Guest House. May has lived on the islands all her life and knows all there is to know about them. She runs one of the most comfortable bed and breakfasts we have ever stayed in. Her food is fantastic and the care for her guests has won her awards. Book your stay here: Button-Ben Guest House

Photos

 

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