Orkney Islands, Scotland
Today was a study in contrasts: Neolithic dwellings, a castle, a circle of standing stones, and a beautiful cathedral. Regardless of era, people build shelters, and many worship.
The Orkney Islands are currently home to 20,000 people, and nearly 100,000 cows. Among the emerald green pastures, heather-covered hills, and scattered dwellings on the Orkney countryside there are fascinating and mysterious structures built by people centuries ago . . . and even 5,000 years ago. The history of the area boggles the mind.
In the morning we visited Skara Brae, a 5,000 year old settlement which was partially exposed after a storm in the mid 1800’s. We looked down at the ancient rooms, passageways, and stone furnishings. Walking into a life-size reconstruction of a Neolithic home, we could try to imagine what life might have been like in that era.
A few miles away, we walked among the tall standing stones at the Ring of Brodgar. Was it a religious site? What were the beliefs of the people who went to the effort of making a circle of large stones?
We then visited the magnificent and beautiful St. Magnus Cathedral, which was established in 1173 by the Vikings. Old in its own right, it felt nearly modern, practically new! The Viking heritage of Orkney is obvious today in the Orcadian flag, which is nearly identical to the Norwegian flag (but with yellow in place of white).
In the afternoon we focused on more recent times. A short ferry ride from Kirkwall we visited Balfour Castle, which is radically different from the ancient dwellings we’d seen in the morning. In the mid-1800’s it was built with turrets, towers, extensive gardens . . . even a secret passageway in the formal library.
Others visited the Highland Park distillery, and learned how fine single malt Scotch is brewed and aged. We were treated to some fine regional flavors in the evening: we listened to local musicians play Orcadian music in the lounge, and we started dinner with a taste of haggis and a wee dram of authentic Orkney whiskey.
