Orkney
North of Scotland
Orkney is an archipelago off the northeastern tip of Scotland, comprising about seventy islands.
The name refers to both the island group and the administrative council area.
Locals and careful writers prefer Orkney alone rather than the Orkney Islands or the Orkneys, though all forms appear: We spent a week in Orkney exploring Neolithic sites.
Norse regional rulers
- NorsemenMedieval Scandinavian warriors
- longshipsMedieval Norse sailing vessels
- runesOld Germanic script
- earldomNobleman's rank and realm
Thing · sagas · Viking raids · mead halls
Earthen heaps over graves
- stone circlesPrehistoric arrangements of standing rocks
- megalithsLarge prehistoric stones
- prehistoric settlementsDwellings from before history
- hengesCircular prehistoric earthworks
Steep natural rock walls
- moorlandOpen uncultivated upland
- lochsScottish lakes or inlets
- farmlandAgricultural terrain
- treelessHaving no woods
windswept · heather · peatland · sea stacks · rolling hills · fertile soil · sandy beaches · seals
Regular water transport vessels
- fishingCatching aquatic creatures
- seabirdsOcean-dwelling avians
- piersWaterside mooring platforms
- lighthousesCoastal towers with lamps
Regional language variety
- folkloreInherited cultural narratives
- fiddle musicTunes played on strings
- storytellingRecounting events aloud
- knitwearGarments made by looping yarn
seaweed · crofting · island life · community · heritage · traditional crafts
jarls
Norse regional rulers
- NorsemenMedieval Scandinavian warriors
- longshipsMedieval Norse sailing vessels
- runesOld Germanic script
earldom · Thing · sagas · Viking raids · mead halls
burial mounds
Earthen heaps over graves
- stone circlesPrehistoric arrangements of standing rocks
- megalithsLarge prehistoric stones
- prehistoric settlementsDwellings from before history
cliffs
Steep natural rock walls
treeless · windswept · heather · peatland · sea stacks · rolling hills · fertile soil · sandy beaches · seals · Atlantic waves
Mainland
Principal continuous territory
- archipelagoChain of scattered islands
ferries
Regular water transport vessels
lighthouses · lifeboat · tidal currents · shipwrecks · herring
dialect
Regional language variety
- folkloreInherited cultural narratives
- fiddle musicTunes played on strings
- storytellingRecounting events aloud
knitwear · seaweed · crofting · island life · community · heritage · traditional crafts
Bishop's Palace
Official dwelling of diocese head
OrkneyCornwall
Southwestern English peninsula county
Land's End · Channel Islands · London · Isle of Wight · Kent
OrkneyLondon
England's capital city
Manchester · Glasgow · Edinburgh · Birmingham · metropolitan areas