The Orkney Islands

Reaching the northern most tip of mainland Scotland (Scrabster), we boarded the HM Hamnavoe for an hour and one half trip across the North Sea to the Orkney Islands.  The Orkneys are a cluster of 70 islands (20 of which are inhabited) that were apparently acquired from Norway in an obscure marriage dowry in 1468.    Along the way, the dramatic coastline of Hoy greets visitors travelling to Orkney by ferry from the Scottish mainland.  We stayed on the mainland of Orkney in the capital of Kirkwall, and it became clear to us after not much time on the island that there was a much stronger Scandinavian than Scottish influence here (and it wasn't only due to the presence of the Norwegian flag every 500 yards or so ...).   Along with differences in building construction , the native Orcadians seemed to be physically smaller than mainland Scots and this was confirmed by locals who told us that the average height for a male on Orkney is 5'7".

Orkney is most well known for its Neolithic sites including the 5,000 year old settlement of Skara Brae on the mainland that was found almost entirely intact.  The settlement was unearthed almost 100 years ago by a huge windstorm which revealed multiple dwellings with many rooms still full of stone furniture, fire pits, hunting and cooking implements and jewelry. 

Skara Brae underground dwelling

Fulmars of Skara Brae

Close by is Maes Howe which is a massive tomb that predates the oldest pyramids in Egypt.  More recently the tomb was used by Viking travelers about 1,000 years ago and is filled with their Runic writings and a detailed and very small carving of a dragon/wolf/sheep (?).  This tomb, like the Clava Cairns we saw earlier, also has a doorway that lines up perfectly with the winter solstice sun, which seems to imply that a similar culture inhabited this entire area.

Chris emerging from Maes Howe.  Photos of the entrance were the only ones allowed.

Associated with these sites are two massively impressive standing stones circles.  The first is the Standing Stones of Stenness, (really best said as Sylvester the Cat or Sid the Sloth, depending on your generation) and the other is the Ring of Brodgar.   It was an impressive and awe-inspiring place as some of these stones are 15 feet high, and are again arranged to line up with the movements of the sun during the year.  When planning our trip we knew we wouldn't be able to include a trip to the Outer Hebrides and the Calanish Standing Stones, the disappointment of that was quickly dispelled by the magnificence of the Ring Of Brodgar.

The Ring of Brodgar originally housed 60 stones of which 34 remain

Brodgar posers

Worthy of mention is that the weather on Orkney was, in a word:  brutal.  You won't find colorfully painted cottages or much individuality expressed through yard art or fixtures here.  All buildings look pretty much the same and are covered by a gravelly substance over stucco that must protect surfaces from the lashing sea water and wind.  But what may be lost in curb appeal, can definitely be found in the natural landscape and beauty of Orkney.  We were fortunate in that we only had one day with gale force winds, but were able to get out and about otherwise, which is lucky because other than the church of St. Magnus, the Earl's Palace (a ruin) and a whisky distillery, there were not many "indoor" activities available on the island.  And, although there was only one hour of darkness each night, nearly every shop closed at 4pm, leaving the streets empty and the town quiet.  Many Orcadians dine out in the 2 available hotel restaurants in Kirkwall, so make your lunch and dinner reservations ahead of time or you will be out of luck!  Despite the rough weather conditions, the remoteness of the island  and the "other world" feeling of Kirkwall, Orkney is a beautiful, historically rich and extremely worthwhile destination.

The Earl's Palace

St. Magnus Cathedral and 1/3 of kirkyard

We had enough good weather to enjoy some of the natural beauty of the islands.  Just north of the stone age dwellings we stumbled across a hike which led us to within 15 feet of some cliff dwelling puffins.  These along with other seabirds were returning from a day of fishing and seemed to have little or no fear of us.  They were delightful and even cuter in person, if possible.

Sofie in the pink clover of Marwick Head

Marwick Head looking towards Hoy

The Clan Puffin of Marwick Head

Duncan of Clan Puffin

Many small islands make up the Orkneys and they all offer interesting historical sites, expansive shoreline, natural beauty, abundant wildlife and even a castle or two.  Ferries can transport you easily from one island to the next and much of the mainland is bikeable.  On our last day we went to the nearby island of Hoy where we hiked through the heather to the remote Old Man of Hoy, a sandstone sea stack tower just separated from the imposing sea cliffs.  We calculated the height by timing the fall of a rock and estimated it to be about 700 feet.  We thoroughly enjoyed relaxing in the surprisingly comfortable spongy heather to partake in our lunch.   It was a beautiful day with frequent bursts of sunshine to warm us.  We were entertained by a small group of rock climbers attempting to reach the top of the Old Man while seagulls and other birds circled them in the air.

Lunching in the comfy heather

Hoy posers

Chris and the kids are off to the right

The Old Man

The walk back

Old Man of Hoy panorama taken with my iPhone

On our way back to the car we walked through the old crofting township of Rackwick which is said to be one of the oldest in Scotland.  It is an isolated valley where original old crofting huts still exist and the villagers live a traditional crofting life without many modern conveniences.  An unusual rock-cut tomb, the Dwarfie Stane, lies in the Rackwick valley in the north of the island. It is unique in northern Europe, bearing similarity to Neolithic or Bronze Age tombs around the Mediterranean. The tomb gets its name as it is very small and was said to be carved by dwarves.

Dwarfie Stane

On the ferry to Hoy

Rackwick Valley

We returned to the ferry terminal in Stromness to await boarding the ferry which would take us back to Scrabster on mainland Scotland.  We planned an overnight stay on the ferry in a cozy cabin that slept 4 to avoid an extremely early drive to the terminal in the morning.  Once in Scrabster we began the long drive to the Isle of Skye on the western coast of Scotland.

The HM Hamnavoe

Boarding the ferry

On the deck passing Hoy

Aboard the ferry

Our cabin aboard the ferry