The Orkney Islands (Sep 2017)
This little lane opened on to the main street in Kirkwall.
A literally-name bar in the town.
St. Olaf's wynd...
An interesting window and even more interesting pot, on the main street in Kirkwall.
It's a place on Mainland. Though I think this joke was lost on 95% of tourists, who seemed to be mostly from China and Japan.
Footwear specialists in Kirkwall i.e. they sells shoes.
St. Magnus' Cathedral dominates the centre of Kirkwall. The rooks liked flying ominously around the central tower.
The Ba' is a traditional ball game played in Orkney, on Christmas Day and New Year's Day. This plaque showing the winners going back to the Nineteenth century was in the town hall.
In St. Magnus' Cathedral - it had quite a claustrophobic feel.
A Norwegian bible, given as a gift by a town in Norway. Orkney was ruled by the country for hundreds of years.
A distinctly Norse-looking carving in the cathedral.
A statue of the Norwegian King St. Olaf, given as gift from the Church of Norway to mark the Cathedral's 800th anniversary. St. Olaf turns up a lot in Orkney.
Light on the land, near the Ring of Brodgar.
The Neolithic chambered tomb of Maeshowe on the horizon. Like a small Newgrange.
Getting into the chamber at Maeshowe. No photographs allowed inside, unfortunately, but there was some really interesting Viking graffiti.
The impressive Neolithic stone circle, the Stones of Stenness.
Yes, it's big. Some of the stones are over 5m high.
The man isn't as small as he looks...
Sky and water all around, at the Ring of Brodgar.
The Stones of Stenness.
The enormous Neolithic stone circle at the Ring of Brodgar.
I'm sure I can see a face in profile here. Reminiscent of Easter Island.
The stone circle is in a beautiful location.
You can see how tall the stones are here.
They're also quite narrow, like the stones at Stenness.
Beautiful clouds.
An outlying stone, at the Ring of Brodgar.
One of the Churchill barriers, connecting the islands, and originally constructed (by Italian POWs) during the Second World War to prevent submarine attacks.
The fantastic Italian Chapel, constructed by Italian POWs from two Nissan huts during WW2.
Every bit of this was done by the POWs, using whatever materials they could get their hands on.
Inside the Italian chapel - it really was quite a moving and magical place.
You can see the shape of the Nissan huts here, but it's been cleverly decorated.
The little town of St. Margaret's Hope, on South Ronaldsay. I had a pint in the local pub while waiting for the bus back to Kirkwall. When I walked in the barmaid was sitting in the (empty) bar using some giant mangle-like machine to iron sheets, while listening to a recording of Norse myths. It was that kind of place.
Walking towards Hoxa head, near St. Margaret's Hope.
Remains of a WW2 gun battery, Hoxa Head
Inside one of the battery buildings.
This building was part of a gun battery from the First World War.
Some later graffiti in the First World War bunker. I think it's June 1939 (could be 34) - whichever it is, their world was about to change soon.
I wonder what happened to him.
Water, water, everywhere, near Hoxa Head. Actually the water in the foreground was in a very treacherous-looking quarry.
The very famous Neolithic village at Skara Brae, uncovered from the sand dunes by a storm in 1850.
One of the Neolithic houses, complete with Flintstone-esque stone dresser. The stone setting in the middle is a hearth, and the compartments on the left were for beds.
Skaill House, near Skara Brae. It's supposed to be haunted - there's an old Norse cemetery under the house. The skeletons are still there - one was recently uncovered when a floor was being replaced. It was left where it was.
Some flowers in a window at Skaill House. Click <2> below to continue.
