The Orkney Archipelago
Docking at the Orkney Mainland under a lowering gray sky, we could see the spire of the great Romanesque cathedral of Saint Magnus gleaming in the near distance. After boarding our excursion buses, we made our way to the ancient Neolithic sites of Skara Brae, the Ring of Brodgar and Maes Howe. Among the most important locations from this period in the world, those in the Orkney Islands have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The first settlers reached the Orkneys around 4000 BC.. Skara Brae, one of their earliest stone villages, was discovered as the result of a massive storm, which literally tore away the turf, heather and sand, which had covered the ancient location for millennia. Dating from the middle of the 4th century BC (3100 BC – 2500BC), Skara Brae consists of a number of well-preserved domestic dwellings. The surprising modernity of these old habitats--stone bureaus, bone combs and stone beds--reminds us powerfully of our own homes, making it easy to imagine life long ago in these Neolithic towns.
A short distance from Skara Brae is the great stone Ring of Brodgar. These standing stones are from a later date than the settlement at Skara Brae, suggesting that the community there had reached sufficient maturity to be able to invest the reserves of wealth and manpower necessary to construct a project of this great scope and size. The stones stand stark against the sky, offering a mysterious counterpoint to the gently rolling Orcadian landscape.
We next went to Maeshowe, perhaps the best passage grave and chambered tomb in northwest Europe. Crouching and crawling, we assayed the 45 foot-long passage into the depths of the tomb. Inside, we were rewarded with the beauty of the corbelled construction, created nearly four thousand years ago. A later 12th Century Viking party broke into the tomb, leaving wonderful graffiti, and some of the finest examples of “Tree” runes etched into the walls of the tomb.
Our last stop of this rich morning returned us to the Orcadian city of Kirkwall and a trip to the fabulous cathedral of Saint Magnus … the largest and perhaps the most beautiful of all the ancient Romanesque churches. The cathedral’s construction began in 1137 and took three and a half centuries to complete. Built of alternating bands of red and yellow sandstone, the cathedral is the resting place of the martyred warrior, Saint Magnus.
In an full day of remarkable experiences, our best may have been the afternoon trip to the 19th Century Balfour Castle on the island of Shapinsay. This unique baronial-like estate offered incredible views and interiors, as well as an entirely civilized diversion of tea and sweets in one of its great rooms. Concluding our day with the joyous fiddle tunes and singing of the local folk band Hellion, Orcadian dreams played in our sleep as we anticipated the next day’s adventures …
Docking at the Orkney Mainland under a lowering gray sky, we could see the spire of the great Romanesque cathedral of Saint Magnus gleaming in the near distance. After boarding our excursion buses, we made our way to the ancient Neolithic sites of Skara Brae, the Ring of Brodgar and Maes Howe. Among the most important locations from this period in the world, those in the Orkney Islands have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The first settlers reached the Orkneys around 4000 BC.. Skara Brae, one of their earliest stone villages, was discovered as the result of a massive storm, which literally tore away the turf, heather and sand, which had covered the ancient location for millennia. Dating from the middle of the 4th century BC (3100 BC – 2500BC), Skara Brae consists of a number of well-preserved domestic dwellings. The surprising modernity of these old habitats--stone bureaus, bone combs and stone beds--reminds us powerfully of our own homes, making it easy to imagine life long ago in these Neolithic towns.
A short distance from Skara Brae is the great stone Ring of Brodgar. These standing stones are from a later date than the settlement at Skara Brae, suggesting that the community there had reached sufficient maturity to be able to invest the reserves of wealth and manpower necessary to construct a project of this great scope and size. The stones stand stark against the sky, offering a mysterious counterpoint to the gently rolling Orcadian landscape.
We next went to Maeshowe, perhaps the best passage grave and chambered tomb in northwest Europe. Crouching and crawling, we assayed the 45 foot-long passage into the depths of the tomb. Inside, we were rewarded with the beauty of the corbelled construction, created nearly four thousand years ago. A later 12th Century Viking party broke into the tomb, leaving wonderful graffiti, and some of the finest examples of “Tree” runes etched into the walls of the tomb.
Our last stop of this rich morning returned us to the Orcadian city of Kirkwall and a trip to the fabulous cathedral of Saint Magnus … the largest and perhaps the most beautiful of all the ancient Romanesque churches. The cathedral’s construction began in 1137 and took three and a half centuries to complete. Built of alternating bands of red and yellow sandstone, the cathedral is the resting place of the martyred warrior, Saint Magnus.
In an full day of remarkable experiences, our best may have been the afternoon trip to the 19th Century Balfour Castle on the island of Shapinsay. This unique baronial-like estate offered incredible views and interiors, as well as an entirely civilized diversion of tea and sweets in one of its great rooms. Concluding our day with the joyous fiddle tunes and singing of the local folk band Hellion, Orcadian dreams played in our sleep as we anticipated the next day’s adventures …
