<\/sup>Orkney is one of the 32 council areas<\/a>\u00a0of Scotland, as well as a\u00a0constituency<\/a>\u00a0of the\u00a0Scottish Parliament<\/a>, a\u00a0lieutenancy area<\/a>, and an\u00a0historic county<\/a>. The local council is\u00a0Orkney Islands Council<\/a>, one of only three councils in Scotland with a majority of elected members who are\u00a0independents<\/a>.<\/p>\n The islands have been inhabited for at least 8,500 years, originally occupied by\u00a0Mesolithic<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Neolithic<\/a>\u00a0tribes and then by the\u00a0Picts<\/a>. Orkney was colonized and later annexed by\u00a0Norway<\/a>\u00a0in 875 and settled by the\u00a0Norse<\/a>. In 1472, the\u00a0Scottish Parliament<\/a>\u00a0absorbed the\u00a0earldom<\/a>\u00a0into the\u00a0Kingdom of Scotland<\/a>, following the failure to pay a\u00a0dowry<\/a>\u00a0promised to\u00a0James III<\/a>\u00a0by the family of his bride,\u00a0Margaret of Denmark<\/a>.<\/sup><\/p>\n In addition to the Mainland, most of the remaining islands are divided into two groups: The North Isles and the South Isles. The climate is relatively mild and the soils are extremely fertile: Most of the land is farmed, and agriculture is the most important sector of the economy. The significant wind- and marine-energy resources are of growing importance; the amount of electricity that Orkney generates annually from renewable energy sources exceeds its demand.<\/p>\n The local people are known as Orcadians; they speak a distinctive\u00a0dialect<\/a>\u00a0of the\u00a0Scots language<\/a>\u00a0and have inherited a rich body of folklore. Orkney contains some of the oldest and best-preserved Neolithic sites in Europe; the “Heart of Neolithic Orkney<\/a>” is a designated\u00a0UNESCO<\/a>\u00a0World Heritage Site<\/a>. Orkney also has an abundance of marine and avian wildlife.<\/p>\n Ring of Brodgar, on the island of Mainland, Orkney<\/p>\n A charred\u00a0hazelnut<\/a>\u00a0shell, recovered in 2007 during excavations in\u00a0Tankerness<\/a>\u00a0on the Mainland has been dated to 6820\u20136660 BC indicating the presence of Mesolithic nomadic tribes.<\/sup>\u00a0The earliest known permanent settlement is at\u00a0Knap of Howar<\/a>, a Neolithic farmstead on the island of\u00a0Papa Westray<\/a>, which dates from 3500 BC. The village of\u00a0Skara Brae<\/a>, Europe’s best-preserved Neolithic settlement, is believed to have been inhabited from around 3100 BC.<\/sup>\u00a0Other remains from that era include the\u00a0Standing Stones of Stenness<\/a>, the\u00a0Maeshowe<\/a>\u00a0passage grave<\/a>, the\u00a0Ring of Brodgar<\/a> and other standing stones. Many of the Neolithic settlements were abandoned around 2500 BC, possibly due to changes in the climate.<\/sup><\/p>\n During the\u00a0Bronze Age<\/a>\u00a0fewer large stone structures were built although the great ceremonial circles continued in use<\/sup>\u00a0as metalworking was slowly introduced to Britain from Europe over a lengthy period.<\/sup><\/sup>\u00a0There are relatively few Orcadian sites dating from this era although there is the impressive\u00a0Plumcake Mound<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0near the Ring of Brodgar and various islands sites such as Tofts Ness on\u00a0Sanday<\/a>\u00a0and the remains of two houses on\u00a0Holm of Faray<\/a>.<\/sup><\/p>\n Excavations at Quanterness on the Mainland have revealed an\u00a0Atlantic roundhouse<\/a>\u00a0built about 700 BC and similar finds have been made at Bu on the Mainland and Pierowall Quarry on Westray.<\/sup>\u00a0The most impressive\u00a0Iron Age<\/a>\u00a0structures of Orkney are the ruins of later round towers called “brochs<\/a>” and their associated settlements such as the\u00a0Broch of Burroughston<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0and\u00a0Broch of Gurness<\/a>. The nature and origin of these buildings is a subject of ongoing debate. Other structures from this period include\u00a0underground storehouses<\/a>, and\u00a0aisled roundhouses<\/a>, the latter usually in association with earlier broch sites.<\/sup><\/p>\n During the\u00a0Roman<\/a>\u00a0invasion of Britain the “King of Orkney” was one of 11 British leaders who is said to have submitted to the Emperor\u00a0Claudius<\/a>\u00a0in AD 43 at\u00a0Colchester<\/a>.<\/sup><\/sup>\u00a0After the Agricolan fleet had come and gone, possibly anchoring at\u00a0Shapinsay<\/a>, direct Roman influence seems to have been limited to trade rather than conquest.<\/p>\n However,\u00a0Polemius Silvius<\/a>\u00a0wrote a list of Late Roman provinces, which\u00a0Seeck<\/a>\u00a0appended to his edition of the\u00a0Notitia Dignitatum<\/a>. The list is famous because it names six provinces in Roman Britannia: the sixth is the dubious “Orcades provincia”, of which recent researches re-evaluate the possibility of real existence.<\/p>\n By the late Iron Age, Orkney was part of the\u00a0Pictish<\/a>\u00a0kingdom, and although the\u00a0archaeological<\/a> remains from this period are less impressive there is every reason to suppose the fertile soils and rich seas of Orkney provided the Picts with a comfortable living.\u00a0The\u00a0Dalriadic<\/a>\u00a0Gaels<\/a>\u00a0began to influence the islands towards the close of the Pictish era, perhaps principally through the role of\u00a0Celtic<\/a>\u00a0missionaries<\/a>, as evidenced by several islands bearing the epithet “Papa” in commemoration of these preachers.<\/sup>\u00a0However, before the Gaelic presence could establish itself the Picts were gradually dispossessed by the\u00a0Norse<\/a>\u00a0from the late 8th century onwards. The nature of this transition is controversial, and theories range from peaceful integration to\u00a0enslavement<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0genocide<\/a>.<\/sup>\u00a0It has been suggested that an assault by forces from\u00a0Fortriu<\/a> in 681 in which Orkney was “annihilated” may have led to a weakening of the local power base and helped the Norse come to prominence.<\/p>\n Both Orkney and\u00a0Shetland<\/a>\u00a0saw a significant influx of Norwegian settlers during the late 8th and early 9th centuries.\u00a0Vikings<\/a>\u00a0made the islands the headquarters of their\u00a0pirate<\/a>\u00a0expeditions carried out against Norway and the coasts of mainland Scotland. In response, Norwegian king\u00a0Harald Fairhair<\/a>\u00a0(Harald H\u00e5rfagre) annexed the\u00a0Northern Isles<\/a>, comprising Orkney and Shetland, in 875. Rognvald Eysteinsson<\/a>\u00a0received Orkney and Shetland from Harald as an earldom as reparation for the death of his son in battle in Scotland, and then passed the earldom on to his brother\u00a0Sigurd the Mighty<\/a>.<\/sup><\/p>\n However, Sigurd’s line barely survived him and it was\u00a0Torf-Einarr<\/a>, Rognvald’s son by a slave, who founded a dynasty that controlled the islands for centuries after his death.<\/sup><\/sup>\u00a0He was succeeded by his son\u00a0Thorfinn Skull-splitter<\/a>\u00a0and during this time the deposed Norwegian King\u00a0Eric Bloodaxe<\/a>\u00a0often used Orkney as a raiding base before being killed in 954. Thorfinn’s death and presumed burial at the\u00a0broch of Hoxa<\/a>, on\u00a0South Ronaldsay<\/a>, led to a long period of dynastic strife.<\/sup><\/p>\n Thorfinn the Mighty<\/a>\u00a0was a son of Sigurd and a grandson of\u00a0King Malcolm II of Scotland<\/a>\u00a0(M\u00e1el Coluim mac Cin\u00e1eda<\/i>). Along with Sigurd’s other sons he ruled Orkney during the first half of the 11th century and extended his authority over a small maritime empire stretching from\u00a0Dublin<\/a>\u00a0to\u00a0Shetland<\/a>. Thorfinn died around 1065 and his sons\u00a0Paul and Erlend<\/a>\u00a0succeeded him, fighting at the\u00a0Battle of Stamford Bridge<\/a>\u00a0in 1066.<\/sup>\u00a0Paul and Erlend quarreled as adults and this dispute carried on to the next generation. The\u00a0martyrdom<\/a>\u00a0of\u00a0Magnus Erlendsson<\/a>, who was killed in April 1116 by his cousin\u00a0Haakon Paulsson<\/a>, resulted in the building of\u00a0St. Magnus Cathedral<\/a>, still today a dominating feature of Kirkwall.<\/sup><\/p>\n Unusually, from c. 1100 onwards the Norse\u00a0jarls<\/i>\u00a0owed allegiance both to Norway for Orkney and to the Scottish crown through their holdings as\u00a0Earls of Caithness<\/a>.<\/sup>\u00a0In 1231 the line of Norse earls, unbroken since Rognvald, ended with\u00a0Jon Haraldsson<\/a>‘s murder in\u00a0Thurso<\/a>.<\/sup>\u00a0The\u00a0Earldom of Caithness<\/a>\u00a0was granted to\u00a0Magnus<\/a>, second son of the\u00a0Earl of Angus<\/a>, whom\u00a0Haakon IV of Norway<\/a>\u00a0confirmed as Earl of Orkney in 1236.<\/sup>\u00a0In 1290, the death of the child princess\u00a0Margaret, Maid of Norway<\/a>\u00a0in Orkney, en route to mainland Scotland, created a disputed succession that led to the\u00a0Wars of Scottish Independence<\/a>.\u00a0In 1379 the earldom passed to the\u00a0Sinclair<\/a>\u00a0family, who were also barons of\u00a0Roslin<\/a>\u00a0near\u00a0Edinburgh<\/a>.<\/sup><\/p>\n Evidence of the Viking presence is widespread, and includes the settlement at the\u00a0Brough of Birsay<\/a>,<\/sup>\u00a0the vast majority of\u00a0place names<\/a>,<\/sup>\u00a0and the\u00a0runic<\/a> inscriptions at Maeshowe.<\/p>\n In 1468 Orkney was\u00a0pledged<\/a>\u00a0by\u00a0Christian I<\/a>, in his capacity as King of Norway, as security against the payment of the\u00a0dowry<\/a>\u00a0of his daughter\u00a0Margaret<\/a>, betrothed to\u00a0James III of Scotland<\/a>. However the money was never paid, and Orkney was absorbed by the\u00a0Kingdom of Scotland<\/a> in 1472.<\/p>\n The history of Orkney prior to this time is largely the history of the ruling aristocracy. From now on the ordinary people emerge with greater clarity. An influx of Scottish entrepreneurs helped to create a diverse and independent community that included farmers, fishermen and merchants that called themselves\u00a0comunitas Orcadie<\/i> and who proved themselves increasingly able to defend their rights against their feudal overlords.<\/sup><\/p>\n From at least the 16th century, boats from mainland Scotland and the Netherlands dominated the local\u00a0herring<\/a>\u00a0fishery. There is little evidence of an Orcadian fleet until the 19th century but it grew rapidly and 700 boats were involved by the 1840s with Stronsay and later\u00a0Stromness<\/a> becoming leading centers of development.\u00a0White fish<\/a> never became as dominant as in other Scottish ports.<\/p>\n In the 17th century, Orcadians formed the overwhelming majority of employees of the\u00a0Hudson’s Bay Company<\/a> in Canada. The harsh winter weather of Orkney and the Orcadian reputation for sobriety and their boat handling skills made them ideal candidates for the rigors of the Canadian north.<\/sup>\u00a0During this period, burning\u00a0kelp<\/a>\u00a0briefly became a mainstay of the islands’ economy. For example on Shapinsay over 3,000\u00a0long tons<\/a>\u00a0(3,048\u00a0t<\/a>) of burned seaweed were produced per annum to make\u00a0soda ash<\/a>, bringing in \u00a320,000 to the local economy.<\/sup>\u00a0The industry collapsed suddenly in 1830 after the removal of tariffs on imported\u00a0alkali<\/a>.<\/p>\n Agricultural improvements beginning in the 17th century resulted in the enclosure of the commons and ultimately in the Victoria era the emergence of large and well-managed farms using a five-shift rotation system and producing high-quality beef cattle.<\/p>\n During the 18th century\u00a0Jacobite risings<\/a>, Orkney was largely Jacobite in its sympathies. At the end of the 1715 rebellion, a large number of Jacobites who had fled north from mainland Scotland sought refuge in Orkney and were helped on to safety in Sweden.<\/sup>\u00a0In 1745, the Jacobite lairds on the islands ensured that Orkney remained pro-Jacobite in outlook, and was a safe place to land supplies from Spain to aid their cause. Orkney was the last place in the British Isles that held out for the Jacobites and was not retaken by the\u00a0British Government<\/a>\u00a0until 24 May 1746, over a month after the defeat of the main Jacobite army at\u00a0Culloden<\/a>.<\/p>\n Orkney was the site of a\u00a0Royal Navy<\/a>\u00a0base at\u00a0Scapa Flow<\/a>, which played a major role in World War I and\u00a0II<\/a>. After the\u00a0Armistice<\/a>\u00a0in 1918, the\u00a0German High Seas Fleet<\/a>\u00a0was transferred in its entirety to Scapa Flow to await a decision on its future.\u00a0The German sailors opened the seacocks and scuttled all the ships<\/a>. Most ships were salvaged, but the remaining wrecks are now a favored haunt of recreational divers. One month into World War II, a German U-boat<\/a>\u00a0sank the Royal Navy battleship\u00a0HMS\u00a0Royal Oak<\/i><\/a>\u00a0in Scapa Flow. As a result,\u00a0barriers<\/a> were built to close most of the access channels; these had the additional advantage of creating causeways enabling travelers to go from island to island by road instead of being obliged to rely on ferries. The causeways were constructed by Italian prisoners of war, who also constructed the ornate\u00a0Italian Chapel<\/a>.<\/p>\n The navy base became run down after the war, eventually closing in 1957. The problem of a declining population was significant in the post-war years, though in the last decades of the 20th century there was a recovery and life in Orkney focused on growing prosperity and the emergence of a relatively classless society.<\/sup> Orkney was rated as the best place to live in Scotland in both 2013 and 2014, and in 2019 the best place to live in the UK, according to the Halifax Quality of Life survey.<\/sup><\/p>\n Orkney is separated from the\u00a0Shetland Islands<\/a>, a group farther out, by a body of water called the\u00a0Fair Isle Channel<\/a>.<\/p>\n The islands are mainly low-lying except for some sharply rising sandstone hills on Mainland, Rousay and Hoy (where the tallest point in Orkney,\u00a0Ward Hill<\/a>, can be found) and rugged cliffs on some western coasts. Nearly all of the islands have\u00a0lochs<\/a>, but the watercourses are merely streams draining the high land. The coastlines are indented, and the islands themselves are divided from each other by straits generally called “sounds” or “firths”.<\/sup><\/p>\n The\u00a0tidal currents<\/a>, or “roosts” as some of them are called locally,\u00a0off many of the isles are swift, with frequent whirlpools.<\/sup> The islands are notable for the absence of trees, which is partly accounted for by the strong winds.<\/p>\n The soil of Orkney is generally very fertile and most of the land is taken up by farms, agriculture being by far the most important sector of the economy and providing employment for a quarter of the workforce according to a 2008 report.<\/sup> More than 90% of agricultural land is used for grazing for sheep and cattle, with cereal production utilizing about 4% (4,200 hectares (10,000 acres)) and woodland occupying only 134 hectares (330 acres).<\/p>\n Fishing has declined in importance, but still employed 345 individuals in 2001, about 3.5% of the islands’ economically active population, the modern industry concentrating on herring, white fish,\u00a0lobsters<\/a>,\u00a0crabs<\/a>\u00a0and other shellfish, and\u00a0salmon<\/a> fish farming.<\/p>\n A 2009 report indicated the traditional sectors of the economy export\u00a0beef<\/a>,\u00a0cheese<\/a>,\u00a0whisky<\/a>,\u00a0beer<\/a>,\u00a0fish<\/a>\u00a0and other\u00a0seafood<\/a>. In recent years there has been growth in other areas including tourism, food and beverage manufacture, jewelery, knitwear, and other crafts production, construction and oil transportation through the Flotta<\/a>\u00a0oil terminal.<\/sup>\u00a0Retailing accounts for 17.5% of total employment,<\/sup> and public services also play a significant role, employing a third of the islands’ workforce.<\/p>\n In 2007, of the 1,420\u00a0VAT<\/a>\u00a0registered enterprises 55% were in agriculture, forestry and fishing, 12% in manufacturing and construction, 12% in wholesale, retail and repairs, and 5% in hotels and restaurants. A further 5% were public service related.<\/sup>\u00a055% of these businesses employ between 5 and 49 people.<\/sup><\/p>\n The report expressed concern about the loss of business caused by the worldwide <\/span>COVID-19 pandemic<\/a>: “blighting business activity, travel and tourism”. On 1 February 2021, a new plan (subsequent to previous funding schemes) from the Scottish government was announced. The Island Equivalent Payment Fund was designed to “provide the equivalent of Level 4 support to eligible businesses in Orkney and other island areas”.<\/span><\/p>\n Highland and Islands Airports<\/a>\u00a0operates the main airport in Orkney,\u00a0Kirkwall Airport<\/a>.\u00a0Loganair<\/a>\u00a0provides services to the Scottish mainland (Aberdeen<\/a>,\u00a0Edinburgh<\/a>,\u00a0Glasgow<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Inverness<\/a>), as well as to\u00a0Sumburgh Airport<\/a>\u00a0in Shetland.[172]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n Within Orkney, the council operates airports on most of the larger islands including\u00a0Stronsay<\/a>,\u00a0Eday<\/a>,\u00a0North Ronaldsay<\/a>,\u00a0Westray<\/a>,\u00a0Papa Westray<\/a>,\u00a0Sanday<\/a>, and\u00a0Flotta<\/a>.<\/sup>\u00a0The\u00a0shortest scheduled air service in the world<\/a>, between the islands of Westray and Papa Westray, is scheduled at two minutes’ duration<\/sup>\u00a0but can take less than one minute if the wind is in the right direction.<\/p>\n 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:<\/p>\n Inter-island ferry services connect all the inhabited islands to Orkney Mainland, and are operated by\u00a0Orkney Ferries<\/a>, a company owned by Orkney Islands Council. The isles of\u00a0Westray<\/a>,\u00a0Papa Westray<\/a>\u00a0(or Papay),\u00a0North Ronaldsay<\/a>,\u00a0Sanday<\/a>,\u00a0Eday<\/a>,\u00a0Stronsay<\/a>, and\u00a0Shapinsay<\/a> are served from Kirkwall harbor, while the northern end of\u00a0Hoy<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Graemsay<\/a> are served from Stromness harbor, the\u00a0Lyness<\/a>\u00a0end of\u00a0Hoy<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Flotta<\/a>\u00a0are served from\u00a0Houton<\/a>\u00a0on the south of the mainland, and\u00a0Rousay<\/a>,\u00a0Egilsay<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Wyre<\/a>\u00a0are served from\u00a0Tingwall<\/a>, in the\u00a0Rendall<\/a>\u00a0area of the Orkney mainland. As well as this, the\u00a0MV Golden Mariana<\/a>\u00a0connects the village of\u00a0Pierowall<\/a> on Westray with Papa Westray – this provides a vital local service for schoolchildren on Papay as well as supplementing existing through sailings from Kirkwall.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/09\/Orkney-Islands-within-Scotland-234x300.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>History:<\/h2>\n
![\"Four](\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/9\/94\/RingofBrodgarJM.jpg\/170px-RingofBrodgarJM.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/div>\nPrehistory:<\/span><\/h3>\n
Iron Age:<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/9\/96\/Midhowe_Broch.jpg\/220px-Midhowe_Broch.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Norwegian rule<\/span>[<\/span>edit<\/a>]<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/d\/d4\/Flateyjarbok_Haraldr_Halfdan.jpg\/220px-Flateyjarbok_Haraldr_Halfdan.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"A](\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/e\/e6\/Peter_nicolai_arbo%2C_olaf_tryggvasson_king.jpg\/220px-Peter_nicolai_arbo%2C_olaf_tryggvasson_king.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"A](\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/f\/f1\/Kirkwall_cathedral.jpg\/220px-Kirkwall_cathedral.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Absorbed by Scotland:<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/2\/2a\/James_III_and_Margaret_of_Denmark.jpg\/200px-James_III_and_Margaret_of_Denmark.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>20th century:<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/9\/97\/The_altar_art_of_the_Italian_chapel_of_Orkney_-_geograph.org.uk_-_739607.jpg\/220px-The_altar_art_of_the_Italian_chapel_of_Orkney_-_geograph.org.uk_-_739607.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Geography:<\/span><\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/7\/78\/Orkney_Islands_by_Sentinel-2.jpg\/220px-Orkney_Islands_by_Sentinel-2.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Economy:<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/04\/Hoy-High-Lighthouse-on-Graemsay-225x300.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Transportation:<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/04\/Orkeny-Transportation-Routes.png\" "\\"\\""){kind=spacer}
<\/a>Air:<\/span><\/h4>\n
Ferry:<\/span><\/h4>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/3\/39\/Ferry_at_Whale_Geo_pier%2C_Westray_-_geograph.org.uk_-_33804.jpg\/220px-Ferry_at_Whale_Geo_pier%2C_Westray_-_geograph.org.uk_-_33804.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>\n