Regal Princess/Orkney Islands, Scotland
Wednesday, October 2, 2024
Sunny,
56F
Orkney is an archipelago off the north coast of Scotland. There are about 70 islands, of which 20 are inhabited (population 22,000). The largest island, the Mainland (where we docked), has an area of 202 sq miles, making it the sixth largest Scottish island and the tenth largest island in the British Isles. Orkney's largest settlement, and its administrative center, is Kirkwall, where the Regal Princess docked today.
In 1472, the Parliament of Scotland absorbed the Earldom of Orkney into the Kingdom of Scotland, following failure to pay a dowry promised to James III of Scotland by the family of his bride, Margaret of Denmark.
Residents are called Orcadians; they speak a distinctive dialect of the Scots language and have a rich body of folklore. Orkney contains some of the oldest and best-preserved Neolithic sites in Europe; the "Heart of Neolithic Orkney" is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. [Note: It is probably the only UNESCO World Heritage site where sheep roam free]
This morning, we
met our new friends for our private tour today, Barb (who arranged the tour)
and Bob [Michigan], Stacy and George [California]. The six of us met Paul of PJ Orkney Tours
( www.jporkney.co.uk)
right off the ship on this absolutely perfect day—sunny, no wind, and tolerable
temperature.
Paul drove a
Mercedes Benz electric van which was very comfortable and quiet. The first
thing he mentioned was that the Orkney Islands, Juneau, Alaska, St. Petersburg,
Russia, and southern Greenland all share the same latitude. Also, the Orkney
Islands are closer to Norway than London!
Interesting facts! But, Paul was full of interesting facts as we drove
along. We were very intrigued by this area
of Scotland.
According to Tour Guide Paul, the weather is mild with the average 60F in the summer and 40F in the winter. Snow is not common and does not stay. The Gulf Stream makes the difference. Wind is another story and makes life chilling with gale force winds (30 mph) every 13 days in the winter. Another fact: in the summer the population experience almost 24 hours of sunlight, and in the winter, mostly dark. He said owls are seen in the daylight in summer, what choice to they have if they want to eat?
There are few
trees since the Neolithic people used existing trees for building materials and
keeping warm and now the winter wind makes it difficult to grow trees. Ninety-five per cent of the land is grass and
the area is known for its highly prized beef cattle, dairy cows for cheese, and
sheep. As we passed by on winding narrow roads, we saw plenty of big beefy
cattle and sheep. The stone fences dividing
the properties and keeping the livestock penned can be up to 200 years old or
more.
After a look at the seals swimming freely in the loch nearby, our first stop was
the Standing Stones of Stenness, which are older than those at Stonehenge.
Nearby was the Ring of Brodgar. I am totally intrigued by these “standing
stones,” and of course, the TV series Outlander has made the sites even more
popular. No one knows for certain what the sites mean, but speculation is that
they were part of ceremonies and very sacred.
The Standing Stones of Stenness are 17 ft out of the ground with 5-6 ft underground.
Many are still standing despite the impact of weather.
Paul told us that
archeologists from around the world have studied the sites, with enough
artifacts (over 100,000) for further research for the next 10 years. We visited the Ring of Brodgar too, with
60-70 stones.
How do the Orkneys fit into WWI and WWII? The British and American Navy, Army, and Air Force used the area as a base—I will be studying this in the future. In WWII, one of the reasons was because Nazi Germany occupied nearby Norway.
Another important stop
was Skaill House, a historic manor house first built in the early 1600s
and is still a residence by a Lord today. The manor house overlooks Skara
Brae, western Europe’s best example of a neolithic village. We
enjoyed lunch at the gift shop’s coffee shop—TK and I shared carrot cake.
Daring Bob tried Cullen Skink, a soup of smoked fish, leeks, potatoes, and
milk. He said it was good, even though he really wanted Steak Kidney Pie.
It was an
overwhelming experience to glimpse into the way people lived over 5000 years
ago. The village was discovered about 1850 when it was uncovered by a storm, and predates
the Egyptian pyramids. Two hundred people could have lived here in the
interconnected homes, partly underground, ten to a home, according to Paul.
Dear Reader, I had
no idea what the Orkney Islands were all about, as well as its prehistory—we are
learning so much new information and this short blog will not do it justice. I
know I will research further. I have been watching YouTube videos about
archeological discoveries in England, and now I need to dig further! Enjoy the
photos!
Paul stopped at
his home so we could meet his delightful wife Jane—their home is in The Palace,
a small village. A castle ruin is right in front of their home, and an old
church and very old cemetery is right next door. Jane is a teacher, 11-18 year
olds, and they have a small shop with most products made by them. https://www.jporkneyproduce.co.uk/
Clear lochs, sun, fresh
water, brackish water, ocean water, swans, gray seals, blue skies, beautiful
clouds, beefy beef cattle, hundreds of sheep, stone fences, and neolithic
sites---Orkney Islands was a great stop!!
We could not have asked for a better tour guide or a better tour!
TK's Takes: This has been the best day so far. Weather and a private tour. Private tours are riskier in a sense, but they are more personal. You are not jam packed in a big bus and you can go to places that larger buses cannot go. Most of the time private tours are less expensive than cruise tours. He saw two seals in the first loch. They swam into that area because the orcas that were after them could not get them there--a land bridge prevented that.
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