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Orkney is an ca. 80 km long archipelago, which is 10-15 km away from Scotland and which reaches partially into the North Sea. The 70 isles are inhabited by 20000 people. On the main isle 'Mainland' is the most remarkable town of Scotland: Kirkwall. Although it has been the capital for about 900 years, there only live about 6000 Orcadians, who are all descendants of the Celtcs, who once have come to the Orkney Isles. For that reason most of the people there are tall and blond. At Kirkwall there is a ferry harbour, Stromness, and the Earl Patrick's Palace, a count palace from the year 1607. Very interesting, too, is the Bishop's Palace of the Renaissance and a round tower from the 16th century. Beautiful to look at are the different eras in St. Magnus Cathedral: They began to build it in the 12th century, in the 15th century it was finished. It was built it of red sandstone, it has got a dome and you can see almost every stylistic era, from the Romanesque to the Gothic. Although the Orkney Isles lie on the same latitude as Siberia it rarely freezes (because of the "golfstream"). A strong wind blows permanently and the long summer days rarely are warmer than 16°C. The almost treeless and flat environment is covered with cerealfields. The people live from the dairy-farming, neatbreading and fishing. On Orkney there live more sheep than human beings! Thousands of "Papageientaucher" nest on the highest stonekliv of Great Britain and golfer still can play at midnight. The Wikings, who once have come to the Orkney Isles, have called the north of Scotland "Sudrland", because they have lived on the most northern island of Orkney. 3000 BC. farmers from Ireland came to Orkney and left behind bone- and firestonetools. From 2300 till 1500 BC. they built and settled "Skara Brae", the most perfect stone age village of Europe and the most important megalith grave, too. The 10 rectangular huts with roof over gearchange were, after they had been left, buried by a sandstorm. In 1850 the stone age village was laid open by another sandstorm. Next to the fireplace there are beds and cupboards that are make of stone. The 35 metre long village was dug out step by step from 1927 till 1930. Today archaeologists and geologists come because of the millions of years old granite- and gneiss formations, the sweetwater- and high sea fishermen come because of the trout-, halibut- and haddock shoals, and the ornithologists because of the 300 different bird species on the isle. More sights are the over 1000 stone monuments that are up to 6000 years old. In the south of Mainland there is the bay Skapa Flow, which was a naval base in both World Wars. In 1919 it sunk itself. The shipwrecked tower looks out of the floods still today. 50 British warships were in the night from October,13th.1939 in Skapa Flow, amongst them the "Royal Oak", too. It was sunk by a submarine from Germany. 833 human beings died. This happened within 15 minutes! There is an adress if you want to have more information about this wonderful isle: Orkney Tourist Board Board Street Tel: 0856-2856
The Shetland Isles consist of the island parts: Fetlar, Unst, Whalsy, Yell, Foula and the main isle Mainland. Only about 15 of the 100 isles are permanently inhabitend. This is the reason why there are only 23000 inhabitants. The 15 habitable isles lie 200 km north of Scotland. Lerwick, the capital, is on the main isle Mainland. With 7000 inhabitants Lerwick is a flourishing centre of economy and centre of fishing industry. In prehistorical time and in the ice age the original population settled here. The climate is most rugged, stormy, rainy and moist with hardly sunshine. It is very cold with an average temperature of 7° C during the year. If the weather is bad, you will have to expect that you will be isolated from the mainland. The rocky isles with steep coasts have just a sparse vegetation that grows on a 1 meter thick layer of moss. The highest hill is the "Ronie's Hill" with 450 metres. The formerly dense forest was cut down by the Normans very early and was used for ship construction, house construction and for making fire. Since 1468 the Shetland Isles and the Orkney Isles have belonged to Scotland. It was seized from Norway by Scotland. At the end of the 70s Europes biggest "Oilminal" was built in the north of Mainland. Two pipelines lead crudeoil from oilfields that lie out in the North Sea into tanks. In 1967 a few snow owls caused a world sensation on Fetlar, in the north east of Shetland. Since this time a big part of Fetlar has been a bird reservation. Shetland decree about a lot of sights for example the "Jardshof" one of the most important sights. It is on the south top of Mainland and is one of the most interesting monuments of the country from the 16th and 17th century. More sights are "Mousa Broch", in best condition of Scotland; "Scalloway Castle", a famous ruin in the early capital of Shetland; and "Hermaness", the national nature reserve on Unst!
West of the peninsula Kintry is Islay, which is about 40 km long and 32 km wide. Islay counts to one of the biggest isles of the Inner Hebrides. Whisky, wild geese and many more of histories from Islay attract the tourists. The destilleries are scattered over the whole isle. The changing landscape corresponds to the many bird species. The steep coast, the freshwater or saltwater lakes, the fen, but also arable land offer the bird species their habitat. At Porthaven, the west point of the isle, lies on the Rinn of Islay the small stretch of land. Here the Mac Donalds fought Jakob VI. The Mac Donalds lost the their land and the idea of the name "Lordship of Isles" disappered out of the reality. Important places are the biggest place with 1000 inhabitants. The Dunyvaig Castleis from the 14 century. It was the importent castle at the end of the Mac Donalds rule. The church ruin is from the 13th century. The particular at this changel is the Kildaton Cross of the 9th century, was only made of stone. In the little place, Ardtalla, is the highest mountain of Islay. The name of this mountain is Beinn Bheigir and it's 419 m high. The village Bowmore lies in the middle of Islay. Here can you see many sights of Islay, for example the parliament of Islay, "The Church of Kilvarour", thePort Akskaig it's the door from the isle of Islay and the next village to the isle Jura. Islay is a nice isle it is a isle for people who like Whisky, like to go walking, like gulfing or skin-dive. Katharina Damerau |
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