The Orkneys
Steeped in history and shrouded in mystery, the Orkneys offer a variety of opportunities for explorations of the ancient past, living visits to the age of the great European cathedrals, and gentle rambles through the Victorian age.
The sun played through wildly roiling cumulus clouds as we landed in Kirkwall, tied up at the dock, and immediately boarded our buses for Skara Brae and the Ring of Brodgar, two extraordinary Neolithic sites.
Skara Brae is a four thousand-year-old village, in a state of remarkable preservation, due to the fact that for most of that time it was buried under hills of sand and only discovered after a powerful storm in 1850 exposed parts of the site. The area was then excavated and conserved, although not completely restored to its original appearance in order to maintain its archeological integrity. Extraordinary in preservation by any definition, the homes in the village appear very familiar to us, displaying beds, shelves for storage and ceremonial items, and other artifacts much like those we might find in more traditional societies even today. The visitor’s center at the site has a replica of a typical Skara Brae house available for exploration. Located on the wide arc of a sandy bay, Skara Brae provided a sweeping visual panorama and great opportunities for photography.
Next on the morning’s agenda, was a trip to the haunting Ring of Brodgar, a group of giant standing stones whose builders and purpose remain shrouded in mystery. No one knows exactly who constructed the stone circle or what their purpose might have been. Speculation and wonder can be the only reaction to the imposing megaliths gathered upon the Orkney plain.
The afternoon found us in Kirkwall, site of our landing and the largest city in the Orkneys. We were offered the option of a ferry ride to Balfour Castle, on the nearby island of Shapinsay, or the alternative of the rest of the day to explore the picturesque Orcadian community of Kirkwall. Those who chose the Balfour Castle trip were treated to afternoon tea at the 18th Century baronial mansion, while those of us who stayed in Kirkwall visited the many shops and pubs of the town and also explored St. Magnus Cathedral, the magnificent Romanesque red sandstone church at the center of the city. The cathedral’s grounds also offered a memorable tour of the town’s past, as the ancient gravesites presented a poignant photographic foreground for the magnificent cathedral beyond.
Back on board we were treated to a cocktail hour concert by the local Orcadian band, Hullion, a four-piece ensemble with guitar, harmonica, mandolin and tenor banjo. Reels and hornpipes, jigs and lively dance music filled the lounge.
A late departure provided additional opportunities to explore the city before we sailed on to our next port of call, Fair Isle, on the way to the Shetland Islands, and finally, Bergen, Norway.
