The Mainland, Orkney
Encyclopedia
The Mainland is the main island
of Orkney, Scotland
. Both of Orkney's burgh
s, Kirkwall
and Stromness
, lie on the island, which is also the heart of Orkney's ferry
and air connections.
Seventy-five per cent of Orkney's population live on the island, which is more densely populated than the other islands of the archipelago. The lengthy history of the island's occupation has provided numerous important archaeological sites and the sandstone bedrock provides a platform for fertile farmland. There is an abundance of wildlife, especially seabirds.
Meginland. Formerly the island was also known as Hrossey meaning "Horse Island". The island is sometimes referred to as "Pomona" (or "Pomonia"), a name that stems from a sixteenth century mis-translation by George Buchanan
and which has rarely been used locally, although it is retained in the name of the Pomona Inn at Finstown
in the parish of Firth, as well as a local cafe in the capital of Kirkwall also known as the Pomona.
s to the north and west and two sizeable bodies of freshwater, the loch
s of Stenness
and Harray.
The eastern part of the Mainland is shaped like the letter "W", the easternmost peninsula
being known as Deerness
. To the south, causeway
s called Churchill Barriers
connect the island to Burray
and South Ronaldsay
via Lamb Holm
and Glims Holm
.
Mainland effectively provides the core of the Orkney Islands, linking the northern members of the archipelago with the southern ones. At the east, and west ends, islands proceed to the north and south, somewhat in the shape of an "X". The western part of the island is part of the Hoy
and West Mainland National Scenic Area
, one of 40 in Scotland.
es on the island. Sandwick
, Birsay
and Stromness
lie on the west coast, Rendall
and Evie
to the north west. Holm
, Deerness
and St Andrews
are located to the east of central St Ola
, which contains Kirkwall town. Firth
, Orphir
, Stenness
and Harray
lie west of Kirkwall and east of the westernmost parishes. Harray has the unique distinction of being the only landlocked parish in Orkney, although it too has a significant coast along the Loch of Harray, albeit a freshwater one.
and Stromness
, both of which are burghs, and Finstown
.
Kirkwall, the capital of the islands, lies on a narrow strip of land between west Mainland and east Mainland, which historically enabled it to have access to both the southern and northern Orkney Islands. and also to Scapa Flow
to the south, one of the world's great natural harbours. Kirkwall is also the traditional seat of the Bishop of Orkney
, and St. Magnus Cathedral is to be found there. It is also one of the island's ferry ports.
A long-established seaport that grew with the expansion of whaling
, Stromness
has a population of approximately 2,200 residents. The old town is clustered along the main street, flanked with houses and shops built from local stone, with narrow lanes and alleys branching off it. There is a ferry link from Stromness to Scrabster in Caithness
on the Scottish mainland as well as the Isle of Hoy
.
Finstown is the third largest settlement, and used to be known as the "Toon o' Firth". The origin of its name is thought to be from an Irishman named David Phin who came to the area in 1811. It is on the main Stromness to Kirkwall road.
In common with most of the Orkney isles, Mainland rests almost entirely on a bedrock of Old Red Sandstone
, which is approximately 400 million years old and was laid down in the Devonian
period. These thick deposits accumulated as earlier Silurian
rocks, uplifted by the formation of Pangaea
, eroded and then deposited into river deltas. The freshwater Orcadian Lakes
existed on the edges of these eroding
mountains, stretching from Shetland to the southern Moray Firth
. As in nearby Caithness, these rocks rest upon the metamorphic rock
s of the eastern schist
s, and in Mainland where a narrow strip is exposed between Stromness and Inganess, they are represented by grey gneiss
and granite
.
The Lower Old Red Sandstone is represented by well-bedded flagstones over most of the islands; in the south of Mainland these are faulted against an overlying series of massive red sandstones.
Many indications of glacial action exist in the form of striated surfaces in Kirkwall Bay, with boulder clay with marine shells, and many boulders of rocks foreign to the islands made of chalk
, oolitic limestone, flint
, &c. Local moraine
s are found in some of the valleys.
The soil generally is a sandy loam
or a strong but friable clay, and very fertile. Large quantities of seaweed
as well as lime
and marl
are available for manure.
, Bo Skerry, Bow Skerries, Braga, Brough of Bigging, Damsay
, Holm of Houton
, Holm of Grimbister, Holm of Rendall, Iceland Skerry, Inner Holm, Kirk Rocks, Little Skerry, Mirkady Point, Nevi Skerry, Outer Holm, Oyster Skerries, Puldrite Skerry, Quanterness Skerry, Scare Gun, Seal Skerry, Skaill Skerries, Skerries of Clestrain, Skerries of Coubister, Skerries of Lakequoy, Skerry of Work, Skerry of Yinstay, Smoogro Skerry, Thieves Holm
, Whyabatten, and Yesnaby Castle.
The other islands in the Orkney Islands are generally classified as north or south of the Mainland. The exceptions are the remote islets of Sule Skerry
and Sule Stack
, which lie 37 miles (60 km) west of the archipelago, but form part of Orkney for local government purposes.
The western section of the island contains numerous Neolithic
and Pictish
constructions.
Most of the best known Neoloithic ancient monuments are located in west Mainland, which includes the "Heart of Neolithic Orkney
", a UNESCO
World Heritage Site
. This comprises the large chambered tomb of Maes Howe, the ceremonial stone circles the Standing Stones of Stenness and the Ring of Brodgar
and the Neolithic village of Skara Brae
, together with a number of unexcavated burial, ceremonial and settlement sites. The group constitutes a major prehistoric cultural landscape which gives a graphic depiction of life in the north of Scotland some 5,000 years ago. Nearby is the Barnhouse Settlement
, a smaller cluster of prehistoric buildings.
Other sites of interest include St. Magnus Cathedral and the ruin of the Bishop's Palace
in Kirkwall, the Earl's Palace
, a ruined 16th century castle in Birsay parish, and Skaill House, a merchants house and museum near Skara Brae.
Viking
settlers comprehensively occupied Orkney, and Mainland became a possession of Norway
until being given to Scotland
during the 15th century as part of a dowry settlement. Evidence of the Viking presence is widespread, and includes the site of a settlement at the Brough of Birsay
, the vast majority of place names, and runic inscriptions at Maeshowe and other ancient sites.
Stromness is of relatively recent origin, being first recorded as the site of an inn in the 16th century, although the name is of Norse origin. Stromness became important during the late 17th century, when England
was at war with France
and shipping was forced to avoid the English Channel
. Ships of the Hudson's Bay Company
were regular visitors, as were whaling fleets.
The Churchill Barriers are a series of four causeways with a total length of 1.5 miles (2.4 km). They link the south of Mainland in the north to the island of South Ronaldsay via Burray and the two smaller islands of Lamb Holm and Glimps Holm. On 14 October 1939, the Royal Navy battleship HMS Royal Oak was sunk at her moorings within the natural harbour of Scapa Flow, by the German U-boat U-47 under the command of Günther Prien. U-47 had entered Scapa Flow through Holm Sound, one of several eastern entrances to Scapa Flow. To prevent further attacks, Winston Churchill
ordered the construction of permanent barriers. They now serve as road links, carrying the A961. Work began in May 1940 and the barriers were completed in September 1944, but were not officially opened until 12 May 1945, four days after the end of World War II in Europe.
The climate is remarkably temperate and steady for such a northerly latitude. The average temperature for the year is 8 °C (46.4 °F), for winter 4 °C (39.2 °F) and for summer 12 °C (53.6 °F).
The average annual rainfall varies from 850 to 940 mm (33.5 to 37 in). Fogs occur during summer and early autumn, and furious gales may be expected four or five times in the year.
To tourists, one of the fascinations of the islands is their nightless summers. On the longest day, the sun rises at 03:00 and sets at 21:29 GMT and darkness is unknown. It is possible to read at midnight and very few stars can be seen in the night sky. Winter, however, is long. On the shortest day the sun rises at 09:05 and sets at 15:16.
There are ideas being discussed to build the Orkney Tunnel
, an undersea tunnel between Orkney and the Scottish Mainland, at a length of about 9–10 mi (14.5–16.1 km) or (more likely) one connecting Orkney Mainland to Shapinsay
. The Orkney-Caithness route would be connected to Mainland, via the Churchill Barriers, but would make landfall on South Ronaldsay, if constructed.
, operated by Highland and Islands Airports
. Loganair
, a franchise of Flybe
provides services to the Scottish Mainland (Aberdeen
, Edinburgh
, Glasgow
and Inverness
), as well as to Sumburgh Airport
in Shetland. Most of the scheduled flights within Orkney depart/arrive at Kirkwall from one of the other islands.
Ferries serve both to link Orkney to the rest of Scotland, and also to link together the various islands of the Orkney archipelago. Ferry services operate between Orkney and the Scottish Mainland and Shetland on the following routes:
Two services also connect Caithness, with South Ronaldsay, which is in turn connected to Mainland by road.
Inter-island ferry services connect all the inhabited islands to Orkney Mainland, and are operated by Orkney Ferries
, a company owned by Orkney Islands Council.
Mainland has a great deal of marine life surrounding it, especially seabirds. Corncrakes can also be found in some parts. The Loch of Harray
can host up to 10,000 wintering duck and is important for Pochard.
There are few wild land mammals although there is an endemic sub-species of the Common Vole
, the Orkney Vole
or Cuttick, (Microtus arvalis orcadensis) found only in the Orkney archipelago. It may have been introduced by early settlers circa 4,000 years ago. Brown hares and rabbits can be found and there are frogs, but no toads.
There are six hundred recorded species of plant on the Orkney Mainland. Two rarities to be found here are the oyster plant (Mertensia maritima) and the Scottish Primrose (Primula scotica). The latter is endemic to the north coast of Scotland, including Orkney and nearby Caithness. It is closely related to the Arctic
species Primula stricta and Primula scandinavica.
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
of Orkney, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. Both of Orkney's burgh
Burgh
A burgh was an autonomous corporate entity in Scotland and Northern England, usually a town. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when King David I created the first royal burghs. Burgh status was broadly analogous to borough status, found in the rest of the United...
s, Kirkwall
Kirkwall
Kirkwall is the biggest town and capital of Orkney, off the coast of northern mainland Scotland. The town is first mentioned in Orkneyinga saga in the year 1046 when it is recorded as the residence of Rögnvald Brusason the Earl of Orkney, who was killed by his uncle Thorfinn the Mighty...
and Stromness
Stromness
Stromness is the second-biggest town in Orkney, Scotland. It is in the south-west of Mainland Orkney. It is also a parish, with the town of Stromness as its capital.-Etymology:...
, lie on the island, which is also the heart of Orkney's ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
and air connections.
Seventy-five per cent of Orkney's population live on the island, which is more densely populated than the other islands of the archipelago. The lengthy history of the island's occupation has provided numerous important archaeological sites and the sandstone bedrock provides a platform for fertile farmland. There is an abundance of wildlife, especially seabirds.
Etymology
The name Mainland is a corruption of the Old NorseOld Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
Meginland. Formerly the island was also known as Hrossey meaning "Horse Island". The island is sometimes referred to as "Pomona" (or "Pomonia"), a name that stems from a sixteenth century mis-translation by George Buchanan
George Buchanan
George Buchanan may refer to:*George Buchanan , Scottish humanist*Sir George Buchanan , Scottish soldier during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms*Sir George Buchanan , Chief Medical Officer...
and which has rarely been used locally, although it is retained in the name of the Pomona Inn at Finstown
Finstown
Finstown in the parish of Firth on Mainland, Orkney is the third largest settlement on the island. According to travel author Linklater, the homes in Finstown are tidy and well cared for...
in the parish of Firth, as well as a local cafe in the capital of Kirkwall also known as the Pomona.
Geography
The island is relatively densely populated and has much fertile farmland. The bulk of the Mainland is west of Kirkwall and is low-lying, with coastal cliffCliff
In geography and geology, a cliff is a significant vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure. Cliffs are formed as erosion landforms due to the processes of erosion and weathering that produce them. Cliffs are common on coasts, in mountainous areas, escarpments and along rivers. Cliffs are usually...
s to the north and west and two sizeable bodies of freshwater, the loch
Loch
Loch is the Irish and Scottish Gaelic word for a lake or a sea inlet. It has been anglicised as lough, although this is pronounced the same way as loch. Some lochs could also be called a firth, fjord, estuary, strait or bay...
s of Stenness
Loch of Stenness
The Loch of Stenness together with the Loch of Harray are the two largest freshwater lochs of Mainland, Orkney. In Old Norse their names are Steinnesvatn and Heraðvatn...
and Harray.
The eastern part of the Mainland is shaped like the letter "W", the easternmost peninsula
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
being known as Deerness
Deerness
Deerness is a quoad sacra parish and peninsula in Mainland, Orkney....
. To the south, causeway
Causeway
In modern usage, a causeway is a road or railway elevated, usually across a broad body of water or wetland.- Etymology :When first used, the word appeared in a form such as “causey way” making clear its derivation from the earlier form “causey”. This word seems to have come from the same source by...
s called Churchill Barriers
Churchill Barriers
The Churchill Barriers are a series of four causeways in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, with a total length of 1.5 miles . They link the Orkney Mainland in the north to the island of South Ronaldsay via Burray and the two smaller islands of Lamb Holm and Glimps Holm.The barriers were built in the...
connect the island to Burray
Burray
Burray is one of the Orkney Islands in Scotland. It lies to the east of Scapa Flow and is one of a chain of islands linked by the Churchill Barriers.-Geography and geology:...
and South Ronaldsay
South Ronaldsay
South Ronaldsay is one of the Orkney Islands off the north coast of Scotland. It is linked to the Orkney Mainland by the Churchill Barriers, running via Burray, Glimps Holm and Lamb Holm.-Geography and geology:...
via Lamb Holm
Lamb Holm
Lamb Holm is a small uninhabited island in Orkney, Scotland. The remarkable Italian Chapel, constructed during the Second World War, is the island's main attraction.-Geography:...
and Glims Holm
Glims Holm
Glims Holm is a small uninhabited islet in Orkney, Scotland.-Geography:Glims Holm lies in Holm Sound, one of the eastern entrances to Scapa Flow, between Mainland, Orkney and the island of Burray, The Churchill Barriers link South Ronaldsay to the Orkney Mainland...
.
Mainland effectively provides the core of the Orkney Islands, linking the northern members of the archipelago with the southern ones. At the east, and west ends, islands proceed to the north and south, somewhat in the shape of an "X". The western part of the island is part of the Hoy
Hoy
Hoy is an island in Orkney, Scotland. With an area of it is the second largest in the archipelago after the Mainland. It is connected by a causeway called The Ayre to South Walls...
and West Mainland National Scenic Area
National Scenic Area
National Scenic Area is a designation for areas of natural beauty used by more than one nation.* National Scenic Area * National Scenic Area * National scenic areas in Taiwan* National Scenic Area...
, one of 40 in Scotland.
Parishes
There are 13 parishParish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
es on the island. Sandwick
Sandwick, Orkney
Sandwick is a parish on the west coast of Mainland, Orkney. It commences four miles north of Stromness.The coast, except at the small sandy bay consists of cavernous cliffs, from 100-200 ft, and includes a lofty natural arch called the hole of Rowe, and is much flanked by insulated...
, Birsay
Birsay
Birsay is a parish in the north west corner of The Mainland of Orkney, Scotland. Almost all the land in the parish is devoted to agriculture: chiefly grassland used to rear beef cattle...
and Stromness
Stromness
Stromness is the second-biggest town in Orkney, Scotland. It is in the south-west of Mainland Orkney. It is also a parish, with the town of Stromness as its capital.-Etymology:...
lie on the west coast, Rendall
Rendall
Rendall is a former parish in Mainland, Orkney. It is in the north west of the island and lies east of the parishes of Birsay and Evie and north east of Harray. The island of Gairsay is also in the parish....
and Evie
Evie
Evie is a former parish and village on The Mainland, Orkney, Scotland. It now forms part of the civil parish of Evie and Rendall.-Economy:...
to the north west. Holm
Holm, Mainland Orkney
Holm, pronounced "Ham", is a parish on Mainland, Orkney. It is not to be confused with the many Orkney Islands with "holm" in their name.An adjacent Sound, running between Mainland, and Burray, is also named after Holm. It has since been blocked up by the Churchill Barriers...
, Deerness
Deerness
Deerness is a quoad sacra parish and peninsula in Mainland, Orkney....
and St Andrews
St Andrews, Orkney
St Andrews is a parish in Mainland, Orkney. It is located east of the town of Kirkwall and the parish of St Ola and lies north of Holm and west of Deerness...
are located to the east of central St Ola
St Ola
St Ola is a parish in Mainland, Orkney. It is in the centre of the island, east of the parish Firth and north of Holm. It contains the capital and largest town of the Orkney archipelago, Kirkwall. Both Kirkwall and St Ola may take their name from the church of St...
, which contains Kirkwall town. Firth
Firth, Orkney
Firth is a parish mainly in Mainland, Orkney. The islands of Damsay and Holm of Grimbister, which lie in the Bay of Firth, are also in the parish...
, Orphir
Orphir
Orphir is a parish and settlement in Mainland, Orkney. It is averagely southwest of Kirkwall, and comprehends a seaboard tract of about 7 by 3½ miles , and includes Cava and the Holm of Houton...
, Stenness
Stenness
Stenness is a village and parish on the Orkney Mainland in Scotland. It contains several notable prehistoric monuments including the Standing Stones of Stenness and the Ring of Brodgar.-Geography:...
and Harray
Harray
Harray is a former parish on Mainland, Orkney, now merged with Birsay. It has the unique distinction of being the only landlocked parish on the islands, however it is next to the freshwater Loch of Harray....
lie west of Kirkwall and east of the westernmost parishes. Harray has the unique distinction of being the only landlocked parish in Orkney, although it too has a significant coast along the Loch of Harray, albeit a freshwater one.
Main Settlements
The three main settlements on Mainland, in order of magnitude are KirkwallKirkwall
Kirkwall is the biggest town and capital of Orkney, off the coast of northern mainland Scotland. The town is first mentioned in Orkneyinga saga in the year 1046 when it is recorded as the residence of Rögnvald Brusason the Earl of Orkney, who was killed by his uncle Thorfinn the Mighty...
and Stromness
Stromness
Stromness is the second-biggest town in Orkney, Scotland. It is in the south-west of Mainland Orkney. It is also a parish, with the town of Stromness as its capital.-Etymology:...
, both of which are burghs, and Finstown
Finstown
Finstown in the parish of Firth on Mainland, Orkney is the third largest settlement on the island. According to travel author Linklater, the homes in Finstown are tidy and well cared for...
.
Kirkwall, the capital of the islands, lies on a narrow strip of land between west Mainland and east Mainland, which historically enabled it to have access to both the southern and northern Orkney Islands. and also to Scapa Flow
Scapa Flow
right|thumb|Scapa Flow viewed from its eastern endScapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy. It is about...
to the south, one of the world's great natural harbours. Kirkwall is also the traditional seat of the Bishop of Orkney
Bishop of Orkney
The Bishop of Orkney was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Orkney, one of thirteen medieval bishoprics within the territory of modern Scotland. It included both Orkney and Shetland. It was based for almost all of its history at St...
, and St. Magnus Cathedral is to be found there. It is also one of the island's ferry ports.
A long-established seaport that grew with the expansion of whaling
Whaling
Whaling is the hunting of whales mainly for meat and oil. Its earliest forms date to at least 3000 BC. Various coastal communities have long histories of sustenance whaling and harvesting beached whales...
, Stromness
Stromness
Stromness is the second-biggest town in Orkney, Scotland. It is in the south-west of Mainland Orkney. It is also a parish, with the town of Stromness as its capital.-Etymology:...
has a population of approximately 2,200 residents. The old town is clustered along the main street, flanked with houses and shops built from local stone, with narrow lanes and alleys branching off it. There is a ferry link from Stromness to Scrabster in Caithness
Caithness
Caithness is a registration county, lieutenancy area and historic local government area of Scotland. The name was used also for the earldom of Caithness and the Caithness constituency of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . Boundaries are not identical in all contexts, but the Caithness area is...
on the Scottish mainland as well as the Isle of Hoy
Hoy
Hoy is an island in Orkney, Scotland. With an area of it is the second largest in the archipelago after the Mainland. It is connected by a causeway called The Ayre to South Walls...
.
Finstown is the third largest settlement, and used to be known as the "Toon o' Firth". The origin of its name is thought to be from an Irishman named David Phin who came to the area in 1811. It is on the main Stromness to Kirkwall road.
Geology
Old Red Sandstone
The Old Red Sandstone is a British rock formation of considerable importance to early paleontology. For convenience the short version of the term, 'ORS' is often used in literature on the subject.-Sedimentology:...
, which is approximately 400 million years old and was laid down in the Devonian
Devonian
The Devonian is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic Era spanning from the end of the Silurian Period, about 416.0 ± 2.8 Mya , to the beginning of the Carboniferous Period, about 359.2 ± 2.5 Mya...
period. These thick deposits accumulated as earlier Silurian
Silurian
The Silurian is a geologic period and system that extends from the end of the Ordovician Period, about 443.7 ± 1.5 Mya , to the beginning of the Devonian Period, about 416.0 ± 2.8 Mya . As with other geologic periods, the rock beds that define the period's start and end are well identified, but the...
rocks, uplifted by the formation of Pangaea
Pangaea
Pangaea, Pangæa, or Pangea is hypothesized as a supercontinent that existed during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras about 250 million years ago, before the component continents were separated into their current configuration....
, eroded and then deposited into river deltas. The freshwater Orcadian Lakes
Orcadian Lakes
The Orcadian Lakes are a series of lakes which existed during the Devonian period in the region which is now northern Scotland, Orkney and Shetland. The sedimentary rocks they left behind have been studied since the 1830's...
existed on the edges of these eroding
Erosion
Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
mountains, stretching from Shetland to the southern Moray Firth
Moray Firth
The Moray Firth is a roughly triangular inlet of the North Sea, north and east of Inverness, which is in the Highland council area of north of Scotland...
. As in nearby Caithness, these rocks rest upon the metamorphic rock
Metamorphic rock
Metamorphic rock is the transformation of an existing rock type, the protolith, in a process called metamorphism, which means "change in form". The protolith is subjected to heat and pressure causing profound physical and/or chemical change...
s of the eastern schist
Schist
The schists constitute a group of medium-grade metamorphic rocks, chiefly notable for the preponderance of lamellar minerals such as micas, chlorite, talc, hornblende, graphite, and others. Quartz often occurs in drawn-out grains to such an extent that a particular form called quartz schist is...
s, and in Mainland where a narrow strip is exposed between Stromness and Inganess, they are represented by grey gneiss
Gneiss
Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks.-Etymology:...
and granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
.
The Lower Old Red Sandstone is represented by well-bedded flagstones over most of the islands; in the south of Mainland these are faulted against an overlying series of massive red sandstones.
Many indications of glacial action exist in the form of striated surfaces in Kirkwall Bay, with boulder clay with marine shells, and many boulders of rocks foreign to the islands made of chalk
Chalk
Chalk is a soft, white, porous sedimentary rock, a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite. Calcite is calcium carbonate or CaCO3. It forms under reasonably deep marine conditions from the gradual accumulation of minute calcite plates shed from micro-organisms called coccolithophores....
, oolitic limestone, flint
Flint
Flint is a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as a variety of chert. It occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalks and limestones. Inside the nodule, flint is usually dark grey, black, green, white, or brown in colour, and...
, &c. Local moraine
Moraine
A moraine is any glacially formed accumulation of unconsolidated glacial debris which can occur in currently glaciated and formerly glaciated regions, such as those areas acted upon by a past glacial maximum. This debris may have been plucked off a valley floor as a glacier advanced or it may have...
s are found in some of the valleys.
The soil generally is a sandy loam
Loam
Loam is soil composed of sand, silt, and clay in relatively even concentration . Loam soils generally contain more nutrients and humus than sandy soils, have better infiltration and drainage than silty soils, and are easier to till than clay soils...
or a strong but friable clay, and very fertile. Large quantities of seaweed
Seaweed
Seaweed is a loose, colloquial term encompassing macroscopic, multicellular, benthic marine algae. The term includes some members of the red, brown and green algae...
as well as lime
Calcium oxide
Calcium oxide , commonly known as quicklime or burnt lime, is a widely used chemical compound. It is a white, caustic, alkaline crystalline solid at room temperature....
and marl
Marl
Marl or marlstone is a calcium carbonate or lime-rich mud or mudstone which contains variable amounts of clays and aragonite. Marl was originally an old term loosely applied to a variety of materials, most of which occur as loose, earthy deposits consisting chiefly of an intimate mixture of clay...
are available for manure.
Surrounding islands
There are numerous smaller Orkney islands surrounding the mainland, some which are islets only separated at higher stages of the tide, or skerries which are only exposed at lower stages of the tide. These include Barrel of ButterBarrel of Butter
The Barrel of Butter is a rock in the Orkney Islands-Geography and geology:The rock is old red sandstone of the Devonian period. There is no soil of any significance on it....
, Bo Skerry, Bow Skerries, Braga, Brough of Bigging, Damsay
Damsay
Damsay is an island in the Orkney archipelago in Scotland. It is approximately 18 hectares in extent and rises to only 11 metres above sea level. It is situated in the Bay of Firth north of the Orkney Mainland near Finstown...
, Holm of Houton
Holm of Houton
-Geography:The Holm is in Midland Harbour, part of Scapa Flow. It is south of the Mainland parish of Orphir, near Houton whence its name.The Holm is north of Cava and Rysa Little, and to the north west of Hoy over the Bring Deeps.-References:...
, Holm of Grimbister, Holm of Rendall, Iceland Skerry, Inner Holm, Kirk Rocks, Little Skerry, Mirkady Point, Nevi Skerry, Outer Holm, Oyster Skerries, Puldrite Skerry, Quanterness Skerry, Scare Gun, Seal Skerry, Skaill Skerries, Skerries of Clestrain, Skerries of Coubister, Skerries of Lakequoy, Skerry of Work, Skerry of Yinstay, Smoogro Skerry, Thieves Holm
Thieves Holm
Thieves Holm is a small island in the Orkney Islands.-Geography and geology:Thieves Holm is due north of Mainland, Orkney at the mouth of Kirkwall Bay, between the Mainland and the isle of Shapinsay. It is at the west end of the strait between Mainland and Shapinsay, known as the String. It is...
, Whyabatten, and Yesnaby Castle.
The other islands in the Orkney Islands are generally classified as north or south of the Mainland. The exceptions are the remote islets of Sule Skerry
Sule Skerry
Sule Skerry is a remote skerry in the North Atlantic off the north coast of Scotland.-Geography:Sule Skerry lies 60 kilometres west of the Orkney Mainland at . Sule Skerry's sole neighbour, Sule Stack, lies 10km to the southwest. The remote islands of Rona and Sula Sgeir lie approximately 80km...
and Sule Stack
Sule Stack
Sule Stack or Stack Skerry is an extremely remote island or stack in the North Atlantic off the north coast of Scotland. It is formed of Lewisian gneiss.Sule Stack lies 66 kilometres west of the Orkney mainland at...
, which lie 37 miles (60 km) west of the archipelago, but form part of Orkney for local government purposes.
History and notable sites
The western section of the island contains numerous Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
and Pictish
Picts
The Picts were a group of Late Iron Age and Early Mediaeval people living in what is now eastern and northern Scotland. There is an association with the distribution of brochs, place names beginning 'Pit-', for instance Pitlochry, and Pictish stones. They are recorded from before the Roman conquest...
constructions.
Most of the best known Neoloithic ancient monuments are located in west Mainland, which includes the "Heart of Neolithic Orkney
Heart of Neolithic Orkney
Heart of Neolithic Orkney refers to a group of Neolithic monuments found on the Mainland, one of the islands of Orkney, Scotland. The name was adopted by UNESCO when it proclaimed these sites as a World Heritage Site in 1999....
", a UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
. This comprises the large chambered tomb of Maes Howe, the ceremonial stone circles the Standing Stones of Stenness and the Ring of Brodgar
Ring of Brodgar
The Ring of Brodgar is a Neolithic henge and stone circle on the Mainland, the largest island in Orkney, Scotland...
and the Neolithic village of Skara Brae
Skara Brae
Skara Brae is a large stone-built Neolithic settlement, located on the Bay of Skaill on the west coast of Mainland, Orkney, Scotland. It consists of ten clustered houses, and was occupied from roughly 3180 BCE–2500 BCE...
, together with a number of unexcavated burial, ceremonial and settlement sites. The group constitutes a major prehistoric cultural landscape which gives a graphic depiction of life in the north of Scotland some 5,000 years ago. Nearby is the Barnhouse Settlement
Barnhouse Settlement
The Neolithic Barnhouse Settlement is sited by the shore of Loch of Harray, Orkney Mainland, Scotland, not far from the Standing Stones of Stenness. It was discovered in 1984. The base courses of at least 15 houses have been found...
, a smaller cluster of prehistoric buildings.
Other sites of interest include St. Magnus Cathedral and the ruin of the Bishop's Palace
Bishop's Palace, Kirkwall
The Bishop's Palace, Kirkwall was built at the same time as the adjacent St Magnus Cathedral in the centre of Kirkwall, Orkney, Scotland, was being constructed, and housed the cathedral's first bishop, William the Old of the Norwegian Catholic church who took his authority from the Archbishop of...
in Kirkwall, the Earl's Palace
Earl's Palace, Birsay
The Earl's Palace in Birsay, Orkney, Scotland, is a ruined 16th-century castle. It was built by Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Orkney , illegitimate son of King James V and his mistress Euphemia Elphinstone. The palace is a category A listed building and a Scheduled Ancient Monument, and is in the...
, a ruined 16th century castle in Birsay parish, and Skaill House, a merchants house and museum near Skara Brae.
Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
settlers comprehensively occupied Orkney, and Mainland became a possession of Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
until being given to Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
during the 15th century as part of a dowry settlement. Evidence of the Viking presence is widespread, and includes the site of a settlement at the Brough of Birsay
Brough of Birsay
- Lighthouse :An unmanned lighthouse on the Brough was built in 1925 by David A Stevenson.-References:...
, the vast majority of place names, and runic inscriptions at Maeshowe and other ancient sites.
Stromness is of relatively recent origin, being first recorded as the site of an inn in the 16th century, although the name is of Norse origin. Stromness became important during the late 17th century, when England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
was at war with France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and shipping was forced to avoid the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
. Ships of the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
were regular visitors, as were whaling fleets.
The Churchill Barriers are a series of four causeways with a total length of 1.5 miles (2.4 km). They link the south of Mainland in the north to the island of South Ronaldsay via Burray and the two smaller islands of Lamb Holm and Glimps Holm. On 14 October 1939, the Royal Navy battleship HMS Royal Oak was sunk at her moorings within the natural harbour of Scapa Flow, by the German U-boat U-47 under the command of Günther Prien. U-47 had entered Scapa Flow through Holm Sound, one of several eastern entrances to Scapa Flow. To prevent further attacks, Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
ordered the construction of permanent barriers. They now serve as road links, carrying the A961. Work began in May 1940 and the barriers were completed in September 1944, but were not officially opened until 12 May 1945, four days after the end of World War II in Europe.
Climate
The average annual rainfall varies from 850 to 940 mm (33.5 to 37 in). Fogs occur during summer and early autumn, and furious gales may be expected four or five times in the year.
To tourists, one of the fascinations of the islands is their nightless summers. On the longest day, the sun rises at 03:00 and sets at 21:29 GMT and darkness is unknown. It is possible to read at midnight and very few stars can be seen in the night sky. Winter, however, is long. On the shortest day the sun rises at 09:05 and sets at 15:16.
Road
Mainland contains the vast majority of the island's roads, and is also connected to those on the main south east islands, such as South Ronaldsay and Burray thanks to the Churchill Barriers.There are ideas being discussed to build the Orkney Tunnel
Orkney Tunnel
The Orkney Tunnel is a suggested undersea road tunnel between Orkney and Caithness on the Scottish Mainland. The expected length of it would be about 9-10 miles ....
, an undersea tunnel between Orkney and the Scottish Mainland, at a length of about 9–10 mi (14.5–16.1 km) or (more likely) one connecting Orkney Mainland to Shapinsay
Shapinsay
Shapinsay is one of the Orkney Islands off the north coast of mainland Scotland. There is one village on the island, Balfour, from which roll-on/roll-off car ferries sail to Kirkwall on the Orkney Mainland...
. The Orkney-Caithness route would be connected to Mainland, via the Churchill Barriers, but would make landfall on South Ronaldsay, if constructed.
Air
The main airport in Orkney is Kirkwall AirportKirkwall Airport
Kirkwall Airport is the main airport serving the Orkney Islands in Scotland. It is located southeast of Kirkwall and is owned by Highlands and Islands Airports Limited...
, operated by Highland and Islands Airports
Highlands and Islands Airports Limited
Highlands and Islands Airports Limited is the company that owns and operates 10 airports in the Scottish Highlands, the Northern Isles and the Western Isles...
. Loganair
Loganair
Loganair is a Scottish airline with its registered office on the grounds of Glasgow International Airport and in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland. Loganair operates scheduled services under a Flybe franchise in mainland Scotland and to Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles. In addition it operates...
, a franchise of Flybe
Flybe
Flybe Group PLC is a British low-cost regional airline headquartered at the Jack Walker House at Exeter International Airport in Devon, England...
provides services to the Scottish Mainland (Aberdeen
Aberdeen Airport
Aberdeen Airport is an international airport, located at Dyce, a suburb of Aberdeen, Scotland, approximately northwest of Aberdeen city centre. 2.76 million passengers used Aberdeen Airport in 2010, a reduction of 7.4% compared with 2009, making it the 15th busiest airport in the UK...
, Edinburgh
Edinburgh Airport
Edinburgh Airport is located at Turnhouse in the City of Edinburgh, Scotland, and was the busiest airport in Scotland in 2010, handling just under 8.6 million passengers in that year. It was also the sixth busiest airport in the UK by passengers and the fifth busiest by aircraft movements...
, Glasgow
Glasgow International Airport
Glasgow International Airport is an international airport in Scotland, located west of Glasgow city centre, near the towns of Paisley and Renfrew in Renfrewshire...
and Inverness
Inverness Airport
Inverness Airport is an international airport situated at Dalcross, north east of the city of Inverness in Highland, Scotland. The airport is the main gateway for travellers to the north of Scotland with a wide range of scheduled services throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland, and limited...
), as well as to Sumburgh Airport
Sumburgh Airport
-Other tenants:*Maritime and Coastguard Agency *Bristow Helicopters*Bond Helicopters -Incidents and accidents:...
in Shetland. Most of the scheduled flights within Orkney depart/arrive at Kirkwall from one of the other islands.
Ferry
- Lerwick to Kirkwall (operated by Northlink FerriesNorthlink FerriesNorthLink Ferries operates daily ferry services between mainland Scotland and the northern archipelagos of Orkney and Shetland. NorthLink Ferries is a wholly owned subsidiary of David MacBrayne Ltd, whose sole shareholder is the Scottish Government.-History:...
) - Aberdeen to Kirkwall (operated by Northlink Ferries)
- Scrabster to Stromness (operated by Northlink Ferries)
Two services also connect Caithness, with South Ronaldsay, which is in turn connected to Mainland by road.
Inter-island ferry services connect all the inhabited islands to Orkney Mainland, and are operated by Orkney Ferries
Orkney Ferries
Orkney Ferries is a company operating inter-island ferry services in Orkney, to the north of mainland Scotland.-History:The company is owned by the Orkney Islands Council and was established in 1960 as the Orkney Islands Shipping Company....
, a company owned by Orkney Islands Council.
Flora and fauna
Loch of Stenness
The Loch of Stenness together with the Loch of Harray are the two largest freshwater lochs of Mainland, Orkney. In Old Norse their names are Steinnesvatn and Heraðvatn...
can host up to 10,000 wintering duck and is important for Pochard.
There are few wild land mammals although there is an endemic sub-species of the Common Vole
Common Vole
The Common Vole, Microtus arvalis, is a European mammal.- Distribution and habitat :The common vole is hardly restricted in means of distribution and habitat and inhabits large areas of Eurasia. As Microtus arvalis followed human civilisation, primary and secondary habitats can be distinguished...
, the Orkney Vole
Orkney vole
The Orkney vole is a population of the common vole found in the Orkney Islands, off the northern coast of Scotland, United Kingdom. Orkney voles are larger than voles from other populations of the common vole...
or Cuttick, (Microtus arvalis orcadensis) found only in the Orkney archipelago. It may have been introduced by early settlers circa 4,000 years ago. Brown hares and rabbits can be found and there are frogs, but no toads.
There are six hundred recorded species of plant on the Orkney Mainland. Two rarities to be found here are the oyster plant (Mertensia maritima) and the Scottish Primrose (Primula scotica). The latter is endemic to the north coast of Scotland, including Orkney and nearby Caithness. It is closely related to the Arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
species Primula stricta and Primula scandinavica.
Notable people from Mainland
- William Balfour BaikieWilliam Balfour BaikieWilliam Balfour Baikie was a Scottish explorer, naturalist and philologist.-Biography:Baikie was born at Kirkwall, Orkney, eldest son of Captain John Baikie, R.N. He studied medicine at Edinburgh, and, on obtaining his M.D. degree, joined the Royal Navy in 1848...
, explorer, naturalist and philologist (Kirkwall) - Stanley CursiterStanley CursiterStanley Cursiter, CBE was a Scottish artist who played an important role in introducing Post-Impressionism and Futurism to Scotland.- Biography :...
, painter (Kirkwall) - Magnus Erlendsson, Earl of OrkneyMagnus Erlendsson, Earl of OrkneySaint Magnus, Earl Magnus Erlendsson of Orkney, sometimes known as Magnus the Martyr, was the first Earl of Orkney to bear that name, and ruled from 1108 to about 1115...
- Rögnvald Kali Kolsson, who initiated the building of St. Magnus Cathedral
- George Mackay BrownGeorge Mackay BrownGeorge Mackay Brown , was a Scottish poet, author and dramatist, whose work has a distinctly Orcadian character...
, writer, (Stromness) - Ernest MarwickErnest MarwickErnest Walker Marwick was a Scottish writer noted for his writings on Orkney folklore and history. He was born in the parish of Evie.From 1955 to 1960 he was on the staff of the Orkney Herald newspaper....
, antiquarian, (Evie) - Edwin MuirEdwin MuirEdwin Muir was an Orcadian poet, novelist and translator born on a farm in Deerness on the Orkney Islands. He was remembered for his deeply felt and vivid poetry in plain language with few stylistic preoccupations....
, writer and translator, (Deerness) - John RaeJohn Rae (explorer)John Rae was a Scottish doctor who explored Northern Canada, surveyed parts of the Northwest Passage and reported the fate of the Franklin Expedition....
, Arctic explorer (Orphir) - Cameron StoutCameron StoutCameron Stout was the winner of Big Brother 4 UK in 2003. He received 1.9 million votes, 500,000 more than runner-up Ray Shah. Cameron is the elder brother of television and radio presenter Julyan Sinclair....
, TV personality (Stromness) - Thomas Stewart TraillThomas Stewart TraillThomas Stewart Traill was a Scottish physician, chemist, mineralogist, meteorologist, zoologist and scholar of medical jurisprudence.He was the grandfather of the physicist, meteorologist and geologist Robert Traill Omond....
, professor of medical jurisprudence at the University of EdinburghUniversity of EdinburghThe University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
(Kirkwall) - William WallsWilliam WallsWilliam Walls was a Scottish lawyer, industrialist and Dean of Guild of Glasgow.The son of John Walls and Elizabeth , he was born in Kirkwall, Orkney, and trained as a lawyer in Edinburgh before founding whale oil merchants and refiners William Walls & Co in 1847, in Glasgow...
, lawyer, industrialist and Dean of Guild of Glasgow (Kirkwall)