The Orkney Islands lie in the north of Scotland. The islands are separated from mainland Scotland by the Pentland Firth. Although the islands lie unprotected in the middle of the North Sea, they were settled around 5,000 years ago. The buildings of the first settlers Mainland have been one since 1999 under the name "Heart of Neolithic Orkney" World Heritage Site.
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Regions
The Orkneys consist of a total of 69 islands, but not all of them are inhabited. Next to the main island Mainland there are the following more important islands:
- South Ronaldsay
- Hoy
- Rousay
- Egilsay
- Shapinsay
- Stronsay
- Eday
- Westray
- Papa Westray
- Sanday
- North Ronaldsay
places
- Birsay - small town in the far northwest of Mainland with the Brough of Birsay
- Kirkwall - Capital of the archipelago on Mainland
- Stromness - Port with ferry connection to the Scottish mainland
- St Margrete's Hope (South Ronaldsay) - With about 550 inhabitants the third largest town in the Orkneys, ferry port to the mainland
Other goals
- The neolithic World Heritage SitesSkara Brea, Ring of Brodgar,Stones of Stenness and Maes Howe on Mainland
- Scapa Flow, the bay in the middle of the Orkneys, which was the shelter of the British navy during two world wars. The scene of the self-sinking of 74 ships of the German navy after the First World War, whose commander von Reuter refused to accept the Versailles peace treaty. Some of the ships are still lying at the bottom of the bay today. During the Second World War, Scapa Flow represented a traumatic experience for the British fleet when the British battleship was at anchor HMS Royal Oak of the German submarine that entered Scapa Flow unnoticed U 47 was sunk and 833 men of the crew were killed. To the Royal Oak is remembered on the Orkneys in various places on the island, the ship's bell hangs today in St. Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall.
- Churchill Barrierswho have favourited man-made barriers on the west side of Scapa Flow, which were built on orders from Winston Churchill after the sinking of the Royal Oak were created and today a road connection via Lamb Holm and Glims Holm to South Ronaldsay Offer.
background
The 67 islands of the archipelago (16 of which are inhabited) lie off the Scottish north coast. Geologically speaking, the islands are a continuation of the Caithness Lowlands. The land is fertile and there is agriculture. Dairy and beef cows are also kept. Low hills with rounded peaks rise above the meadows and moors, only behind Stromness they are rockier. On the west coast of Mainland, around Yesnaby, there are pinnacles, caves, rock arches and narrow, steep-walled crevasses on the steep coast. Further north there are bays with beaches and sand dunes (e.g. the Bay of Skaill). Millions of seabirds live on the cliffs, while dolphins and seals live on the shallower coasts. Sometimes you can see whales.
history
The first people came after the Ice Age, and there was probably still a land connection to the Scottish mainland. The sea level rose slowly, the present-day outline of the islands was formed. These settlers left the great prehistoric monuments but no written records. Amazingly, people disappeared between 2500 and 700 BC. BC simple, probably the climate changed. No construction activity whatsoever could be proven over a period of approx. 2000 years.
Around 700 BC During the Iron Age, the Brochs and Souterrains (also called Earth House) were built.
The Vikings began to settle on the islands around 780 AD. The Orkneys were a fertile and safe base for them off the Scottish coast. They left behind the "Orkneyinga Saga".
In 1469 the Orkneys were part of the dowry of Princess Margarethe (daughter of the Danish king), who shared with King James III. was married by Scotland. The islands became the "Earldom Orkney", a remote and neglected province of Scotland.
language
The official language is English, but many people also speak a dialect here that combines English and Scandinavian. Gaelic is unknown here as the Orkneys belonged to Norway until 1468.
getting there
By plane
The Orkney's only major airport is that
- Aberdeen airport. Is approached from Amsterdam.
- Edinburgh Airport. Is served from Berlin, Bremen, Cologne-Bonn, Frankfurt-Hahn, Hamburg, Munich and Weeze, among others.
- Glasgow Airport. Is flown to Berlin, Düsseldorf, Amsterdam and Salzburg, among others.
- Inverness Airport. Is served from Amsterdam, among others.
By boat
- Scrabster to Stromness with North Link (Car ferry)
- Aberdeen to Kirkwall With North Link (Car ferry)
- Gills Bay to St. Margaret's Hope (South Ronaldsay) with Pentland Ferries (Car ferry)
- John O'Groats to Burwick from May to September with Jogferry
By train
Thurso is the terminus of the Far North Line, which comes from Inverness. From Glasgow or Edinburgh it takes about 3 1/2 hours by train to Inverness. The harbor is about 2 km west of Thurso in Scrabster.
By car
mobility
Connections between the islands are possible in the following ways:
- over a dam (Churchill Barriers) to Burray and South Ronaldsay
- Between the mainland and the other islands the Orkney Ferries
- By plane (Kirkwall Airport) to Papa Westray / North Ronaldsay and Sanday / Stronsay
- Stagecoach maintains the bus routes in the Orkney Islands:
- Line 2: Kirkwall - Houton Ferry (ferry to Hoy and Flotta)
- Lines 3, 4: Kirkwall - Kirkwall Airport - Deerness
- Line 6: Kirkwall - Finstown - Evie - Birsay
- Lines 7, 8: Kirkwall - Finstown - Downby - Birsay - Stromness
- Line 9: Kirkwall Town Route
- Line X1: Stromness - Finstown - Kirkwall - Holm - St Margaret’s Hope
- T1 Line: Kirkwall - Finstown - Maes Howe - Stenness - Ring of Brodgar - Skara Brae - Stromness - Houton Ferry - Kirkwall (tourist bus)
Tourist Attractions
In addition to the World Heritage Sites, there are numerous other sights on the various islands such as Broughs, palaces, old farms and also the partly untouched nature and wildlife.
- Hoy: Old Man of Hoy
- Lamb Holm: The Italian Chapel was made from a Nissen hut by Italian prisoners of war interned on Lam Holm during World War II. The prisoners of war had to erect the Churchill Barriers after the German submarine U 47 had penetrated through the barriers in Scapa Flow and the British warship Royal Oak had sunk. On the initiative of an Italian clergyman and under the direction of Domenico Chiocchetti, one of the prisoners, the interior of the chapel was lavishly designed. He also directed the restoration of the chapel from 1960 onwards, after it became increasingly dilapidated.
- Mainland: Brough of Birsay
activities
- hike
- Climbing, e.g. at the Old Man of Hoy or Yesnaby Castle
- Diving
kitchen
nightlife
security
climate
Despite the northern location, the climate - thanks to the Gulf Stream - is very moderate, in winter it is an average of 4 ° C (as in southern England Kent or East Sussex, in summer 12 ° C. In summer and early autumn there is fog and a total of 4-5 times a year violent storms. Frost is very rare, the snow never stays long.
The Orkneys have almost nocturnal summers, it is so bright that no light is needed. The winter days are very long for that. Occasionally, auroras can also be observed here.
literature
- Orkneyinga Saga: The History of the Earls of Orkney, Penguin Classics, 256 pages, ISBN 9780140443837 , about 11 €
