77-570: The St Magnus International Festival is an annual, week-long arts festival which takes place at midsummer on the islands of Orkney , off the north coast of mainland Scotland . The festival was founded in 1977 by a group including the composer Sir Peter Maxwell Davies , who was a resident of Orkney, and the Orcadian poet George Mackay Brown . The artistic director is Alasdair Nicolson, who succeeded Glenys Hughes in 2010. The artistic programme consists mainly of music alongside drama, dance, literature and
154-524: A relative height of at least 150 metres, regardless of absolute height ). Four islands were recorded as inhabited in 2011 that were not mentioned in the 2001 census: Eilean dà Mhèinn , Eilean Tioram , Holm of Grimbister and Inner Holm. These following are listed by the National Records of Scotland as "included in the NRS statistical geography for inhabited islands but had no usual residents at
231-454: A Singers' Course also run alongside the festival. The conductors' and composers' courses were not held in 2016, the 40th anniversary of the festival. The director, Alasdair Nicolson , attributed this to a lack of funding. Orkney Orkney ( / ˈ ɔːr k n i / ), also known as the Orkney Islands , is an archipelago off the north coast of mainland Scotland . The plural name
308-728: A decision on its future. The German sailors opened the seacocks and scuttled all the ships . Most ships were salvaged, but the remaining wrecks are now a favoured haunt of recreational divers. One month into World War II, a German U-boat sank the Royal Navy battleship HMS Royal Oak in Scapa Flow. As a result, barriers were built to close most of the access channels; these had the additional advantage of creating causeways enabling travellers 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
385-537: A distinctive dialect of the Scots language and have a rich body of folklore. Orkney contains some of the oldest and best-preserved Neolithic sites in Europe; the " Heart of Neolithic Orkney " is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site . Orkney also has an abundance of marine and avian wildlife. Pytheas of Massalia visited Britain – probably sometime between 322 and 285 BC – and described it as triangular in shape, with
462-434: A few cases where the island is part of either a recognisable smaller group or an archipelago, or is located away from the main groups, an archipelago, local authority or other descriptive name is used instead. "F" designates a freshwater island. Scotland's islands include thirteen Munros (mountains with a height over 3,000 feet or 914.4 metres), twelve of them found on Skye, and a total of 227 Marilyns (hills with
539-901: A further 17 islands that were inhabited in 2001 but not in 2011, or are "included in the NRS statistical geography for inhabited islands but had no usual residents at the time of either the 2001 or 2011 censuses". There are a small number of other islands that are evidently inhabited but which are not recorded in this list. The local government council areas with the most inhabited islands are Argyll and Bute with 23, Orkney with 20, Shetland with 16 and Highland and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar with 14 each. There are also three in North Ayrshire and one each in Fife , Perth and Kinross , Stirling and West Dunbartonshire . The last three named plus two islands in Argyll and Bute are freshwater rather than offshore. In
616-548: A name that stems from a 16th-century mistranslation by George Buchanan , which has rarely been used locally. Usage of the plural "Orkneys" dates from the 18th century or earlier and was used by for example Sir Walter Scott . From the mid-19th century onwards this plural form has fallen out of use in the local area although it is still often used, particularly by publications based outside Scotland. A charred hazelnut shell, recovered in 2007 during excavations in Tankerness on
693-586: A northern tip called Orcas . This may have referred to Dunnet Head , from which Orkney is visible. Writing in the 1st century AD, the Roman geographers Ptolemy and Pomponius Mela called the islands Orcades (Ancient Greek: Όρκάδες), as did Tacitus in AD 98, claiming that his father-in-law Agricola had "discovered and subjugated the Orcades hitherto unknown" (although both Mela and Pliny had previously referred to
770-598: A raiding base before being killed in 954. Thorfinn's death and presumed burial at the broch of Hoxa , on South Ronaldsay , led to a long period of dynastic strife. Initially a pagan culture, detailed information about the turn to the Christian religion in the islands of Scotland during the Norse era is elusive. The Orkneyinga Saga suggests the islands were Christianised by Olaf Tryggvasson in 995 when he stopped at South Walls on his way from Ireland to Norway. The King summoned
847-659: A similar time frame to the above. In July 2013, the Scottish Government made the Lerwick Declaration , indicating an intention to decentralise power to the three island council areas of Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles and later that year made a commitment to do so. In 2017 an Islands bill was introduced to make "island proofing" (including for uninhabited islands) a statutory requirement for public bodies. The Bill completed Stage 1 on 8 February 2018. This
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#1732848346264924-528: A whole grew by 4% to 103,702. The Scottish Community Alliance noted that "the largest rate of increase has been in the Western Isles (6%) where local people now own approximately 60% of the landmass. Where populations have fallen (Bute, Arran and Islay) community ownership is virtually non-existent." The following table compares the populations of the main Scottish archipelagos with that of the Faroe Islands for
1001-500: Is a list of islands of Scotland , the mainland of which is part of the island of Great Britain . Also included are various other related tables and lists. The definition of an offshore island used in this list is "land that is surrounded by seawater on a daily basis, but not necessarily at all stages of the tide, excluding human devices such as bridges and causeways". Scotland has around 900 offshore islands, most of which are to be found in four main groups: Shetland , Orkney , and
1078-455: Is a list of Scottish islands that either have an area greater than 40 hectares (approximately 100 acres) and/or are inhabited. The main groups, from Haswell-Smith (2004), in many cases provide a more useful guide to location than local authority areas. These groups are: Firth of Clyde , Islay , Firth of Lorn , Mull , Small Isles , Skye , Lewis and Harris , Uists and Barra , St Kilda , Orkney , Shetland and Firth of Forth . In
1155-467: Is a list of places which were formerly islands, but which are no longer so due to silting up, harbour building etc. Many of Scotland's islands are connected to the mainland and/or other islands by bridge or causeway. Although some people consider them no longer to be islands, they are generally treated as such. Outer Hebrides Many of the islands of the southern Outer Hebrides have been joined to other islands by causeways and bridges. These include: To
1232-529: Is almost entirely Old Red Sandstone , mostly of Middle Devonian age. As in the neighbouring mainland county of Caithness , this sandstone rests upon the metamorphic and igneous rocks of the Moine series, as may be seen on the Mainland, where a narrow strip is exposed between Stromness and Inganess, and again in the small island of Graemsay ; they are represented by grey gneiss and granite . The Middle Devonian
1309-697: Is also abundant and moraines cover substantial areas. Orkney has a cool temperate climate that is remarkably mild and steady for such a northerly latitude , due to the influence of the warm waters of the Norwegian Current , a north-easterly extension of the North Atlantic Drift which is itself an extension of the Gulf Stream . The average temperature for the year is 8 °C (46 °F); for winter 4 °C (39 °F) and for summer 12 °C (54 °F). List of islands of Scotland This
1386-502: Is divided into three main groups. The lower part of the sequence, mostly Eifelian in age, is dominated by lacustrine beds of the lower and upper Stromness Flagstones that were deposited in Lake Orcadie . The later Rousay flagstone formation is found throughout much of the North and South Isles and East Mainland. The Old Man of Hoy is formed from sandstone of the uppermost Eday Group that
1463-501: Is in Loch Lomond , which contains over sixty other islands. Loch Maree also contains several islands, the largest of which are Eilean Sùbhainn , Garbh Eilean and Eilean Ruairidh Mòr but aren't as big as others. This is a continuing list of uninhabited Scottish islands smaller than 40 hectares in size. There are various small archipelagos which may be better known than the larger islands they contain. These include: The following
1540-526: Is separated from Hirta by a shallow strait about 50 metres (160 feet) wide. This is normally impassable but is reputed to dry out on rare occasions. There are a number of offshore islands that defy easy classification. There are several small Scottish islands that are dominated by a castle or other fortification. The castle is often better known than the island, and the islands are often tidal or bridged. Due to their picturesque nature some of them are well known from postcards and films. Examples are: Many of
1617-630: Is the "Grey Dog" between Scarba and Lunga . The culture of the islands has been affected by the successive influences of Celtic -, Norse - and English -speaking peoples, and this is reflected in names given to the islands. Many of the Hebrides have names with Scots Gaelic derivations, whilst those of the Northern Isles tend to be derived from the Viking names. A few have Brythonic , Scots and even perhaps pre-Celtic roots. A feature of modern life in
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#17328483462641694-618: Is up to 800 metres (870 yd) thick in places. It lies unconformably upon steeply inclined flagstones, the interpretation of which is a matter of continuing debate. The Devonian and older rocks of Orkney are cut by a series of WSW–ENE to N–S trending faults, many of which were active during deposition of the Devonian sequences. A strong synclinal fold traverses Eday and Shapinsay, the axis trending north-south. Middle Devonian basaltic volcanic rocks are found on western Hoy, on Deerness in eastern Mainland and on Shapinsay. Correlation between
1771-672: The -aibh representing a fossilized prepositional case ending. Some earlier sources alternatively hypothesise that Orkney comes from the Latin orca , whale. The Anglo-Saxon monk Bede refers to the islands as Orcades insulae in Ecclesiastical History of the English People . Norwegian settlers arriving from the late ninth century reinterpreted orc as the Old Norse orkn " seal " and added eyjar "islands" to
1848-609: The jarl Sigurd the Stout and said, "I order you and all your subjects to be baptised. If you refuse, I'll have you killed on the spot and I swear I will ravage every island with fire and steel." Unsurprisingly, Sigurd agreed and the islands became Christian at a stroke, receiving their own bishop in the early 11th century. Thorfinn the Mighty was a son of Sigurd and a grandson of King Malcolm II of Scotland ( Máel Coluim mac Cináeda ). Along with Sigurd's other sons he ruled Orkney during
1925-629: The Broch of Burroughston and Broch of Gurness . The nature and origin of these buildings is a subject of debate. Other structures from this period include underground storehouses and aisled roundhouses , the latter usually in association with earlier broch sites. During the Roman invasion of Britain the "King of Orkney" was one of 11 British leaders who is said to have submitted to the Emperor Claudius in AD 43 at Camulodunum (modern Colchester). After
2002-674: The Fair Isle Channel . The islands are mainly low-lying except for some sharply rising sandstone hills on Mainland, Rousay and Hoy (where the tallest point in Orkney, Ward Hill , can be found) and rugged cliffs on some western coasts. Nearly all of the islands have lochs , 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". The tidal currents , or "roosts" as some of them are called locally, off many of
2079-620: The Hebrides , sub-divided into the Inner Hebrides and Outer Hebrides . There are also clusters of islands in the Firth of Clyde , Firth of Forth , and Solway Firth , and numerous small islands within the many bodies of fresh water in Scotland including Loch Lomond and Loch Maree . The largest island is Lewis and Harris which extends to 2,179 square kilometres, and there are a further 200 islands which are greater than 40 hectares in area. Of
2156-636: The Islands of the Forth and southern Orkney Islands have fortifications from the two world wars. Rosyth Castle stands on a former island. A large number of the islands of Scotland have some kind of culdee /church connection, and/or are dominated by a church. The more notable include: Brother Isle 's name is not ecclesiastical in origin as is sometimes stated. This is a list of islands, which are known to be named after someone. In some cases such as North Ronaldsay this status may not be obvious (it isn't named after
2233-482: The Northern Isles , comprising Orkney and Shetland, in 875 (it is clear that this story, which appears in the Orkneyinga Saga , is based on the later voyages of Magnus Barelegs and some scholars believe it to be apocryphal). Rognvald Eysteinsson received 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 Sigurd
2310-679: The Picts . Orkney was colonised and later annexed by the Kingdom of Norway in 875 and settled by the Norsemen . In 1472, the Parliament of Scotland absorbed the Earldom of Orkney into the Kingdom of Scotland , following failure to pay a dowry promised to James III of Scotland by the family of his bride, Margaret of Denmark . In addition to the Mainland, most of the remaining islands are divided into two groups:
2387-449: The St Kilda archipelago, which were abandoned during the course of the 20th century. Declines have been particularly significant in the more remote outlying islands, some of which remain vulnerable to ongoing losses. The following table shows population trends for the ten most populous islands as of the 2011 census. The overall trends are typically growth in populations in the early part of
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2464-667: The Standing Stones of Stenness , the Maeshowe passage grave , the Ring of Brodgar and other standing stones. Many of the Neolithic settlements were abandoned around 2500 BC, possibly due to changes in the climate. In September 2021, archaeologists announced the discovery of two polished stone balls in a 5500-year-old Neolithic burial tomb in Sanday . According to Dr Hugo Anderson, the second object
2541-476: The 16th century, boats from mainland Scotland and the Netherlands dominated the local herring fishery. 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 Stromness becoming leading centres of development. White fish never became as dominant as in other Scottish ports. Agricultural improvements beginning in
2618-622: The 17th century resulted in the enclosure of the commons and ultimately in the Victorian era the emergence of large and well-managed farms using a five-shift rotation system and producing high-quality beef cattle. In the 17th century, Orcadians formed the overwhelming majority of employees of the Hudson's Bay Company in Canada. The harsh winter weather of Orkney and the Orcadian reputation for sobriety and their boat handling skills made them ideal candidates for
2695-614: The Agricolan fleet had come and gone, possibly anchoring at Shapinsay , direct Roman influence seems to have been limited to trade rather than conquest. Polemius Silvius wrote a list of Late Roman provinces, which Seeck appended to his edition of the Notitia Dignitatum . The list names six provinces in Roman Britannia: the sixth is the dubious "Orcades provincia", the possible existence of which recent researches re-evaluate. By
2772-557: The British Isles . Orkney's largest settlement, and also its administrative centre, is Kirkwall . Orkney is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, as well as a constituency of the Scottish Parliament , a lieutenancy area , and an historic county . The local council is Orkney Islands Council . The islands have been inhabited for at least 8,500 years, originally occupied by Mesolithic and Neolithic tribes and then by
2849-757: The British Isles that held out for the Jacobites and was not retaken by the British Government until 24 May 1746, over a month after the defeat of the main Jacobite army at Culloden . Orkney was the site of a Royal Navy base at Scapa Flow , which played a major role in World War I and World War II . After the Armistice in 1918, the German High Seas Fleet was transferred in its entirety to Scapa Flow to await
2926-507: The Hoy volcanics and the other two exposures has been proposed, but differences in chemistry mean this remains uncertain. Lamprophyre dykes of Late Permian age are found throughout Orkney. Glacial striation and the presence of chalk and flint erratics that originated from the bed of the North Sea demonstrate the influence of ice action on the geomorphology of the islands. Boulder clay
3003-412: The Mainland, has been dated to 6820–6660 BC, indicating the presence of Mesolithic nomadic tribes. The earliest known permanent settlement is at Knap of Howar , a Neolithic farmstead on the island of Papa Westray , which dates from 3500 BC. The village of Skara Brae , Europe's best-preserved Neolithic settlement, is believed to have been inhabited from around 3100 BC. Other remains from that era include
3080-460: The Mighty . Sigurd went on to conquer northern parts of mainland Britain in the late 9th century, including Caithness and Sutherland . However, Sigurd's line barely survived him and it was Torf-Einarr , Rognvald's son by a slave, who founded a dynasty that controlled the islands for centuries after his death. He was succeeded by his son Thorfinn Skull-splitter and during this time the deposed Norwegian King Eric Bloodaxe often used Orkney as
3157-639: The North Isles and the South Isles. The local 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. Temperatures average 4 °C (39 °F) in winter and 12 °C (54 °F) in summer. The local people are known as Orcadians; they speak
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3234-505: The Orkneys is also sometimes used, but is now considered incorrect. Part of the Northern Isles along with Shetland , Orkney is 10 miles (16 km) north of Caithness and has about 70 islands, of which 20 are inhabited. The largest island, the Mainland , has an area of 523 square kilometres (202 sq mi), making it the sixth-largest Scottish island and the tenth-largest island in
3311-517: The Ring of Brodgar, and various island sites such as Tofts Ness on Sanday and the remains of two houses on Holm of Faray . Excavations at Quanterness on the Mainland have revealed an Atlantic roundhouse built about 700 BC and similar finds have been made at Bu on the Mainland and Pierowall Quarry on Westray. The most impressive Iron Age structures of Orkney are the ruins of later round towers called " brochs " and their associated settlements such as
3388-641: The UK census. An undersea tunnel between the archipelago and Caithness , at a length of about 9–10 miles (14–16 km) and a tunnel connecting Orkney Mainland to Shapinsay have been discussed, although little has come of it. Shetland Islands Several Shetland islands are joined to the Shetland Mainland : There is also a bridge which joins Housay and Bruray in the Out Skerries . Others Various other islands are also connected by bridges or causeways, to
3465-509: The Viking presence is widespread and includes the settlement at the Brough of Birsay , the vast majority of place names , and the runic inscriptions at Maeshowe. In 1468 Orkney was pledged by Christian I , in his capacity as King of Norway, as security against the payment of the dowry of his daughter Margaret , betrothed to James III of Scotland . However, the money was never paid, and Orkney
3542-477: The best place to live in the UK, according to the Halifax Quality of Life survey. In the modern era, the population peaked in the mid-19th century at just over 32,000 and declined for a century thereafter to a low of fewer than 18,000 in the 1970s. Declines were particularly significant in the outlying islands, some of which remain vulnerable to ongoing losses. Although Orkney is in many ways very distinct from
3619-572: The building of St Magnus Cathedral , still today a dominating feature of Kirkwall. The Scottish crown claimed the overlordship of the Caithness and Sutherland area from Norway in 1098. The jarls thereafter owed allegiance to the Scottish crown for their territory on mainland Britain, which they held as the Mormaer of Caithness , but owed allegiance to the Norwegian crown for Orkney and Shetland. In 1195,
3696-511: The end, so the name became Orkneyjar "Seal Islands". The plural suffix -jar was later removed in English leaving the modern name Orkney . According to the Historia Norwegiæ , Orkney was named after an earl called Orkan. The Norse knew Mainland, Orkney as Megenland "Mainland" or as Hrossey "Horse Island". The island is sometimes referred to as Pomona (or Pomonia ),
3773-577: The epithet "Papa" in commemoration of these preachers. Before the Gaelic presence could establish itself the Picts were gradually dispossessed by the North Germanic peoples from the late 8th century onwards. The nature of this transition is controversial, and theories range from peaceful integration to enslavement and genocide . It has been suggested that an assault by forces from Fortriu in 681 in which Orkney
3850-639: The festival both from Scotland and England. Festival poets have included Carol Ann Duffy , John Gallas , Seamus Heaney , Jackie Kay , Gwyneth Lewis , Liz Lochhead and Andrew Motion . The National Theatre of Scotland also appeared at the festival in 2007. The St Magnus Festival has commissioned music from composers including James MacMillan , Judith Weir , Simon Holt , Sir Richard Rodney Bennett , Thea Musgrave , Sally Beamish , Edward McGuire , William Sweeney , Gordon McPherson and David Horne . Premières of works by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies have included works written in collaboration with or inspired by
3927-612: The first half of the 11th century and extended his authority over a small maritime empire stretching from Dublin to Shetland . Thorfinn died around 1065 and his sons Paul and Erlend succeeded him, fighting at the Battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066. Paul and Erlend quarrelled as adults and this dispute carried on to the next generation. The martyrdom of Magnus Erlendsson , who was killed in April 1116 by his cousin Haakon Paulsson , resulted in
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#17328483462644004-411: The island of South Ronaldsay and Duncansby Head in Caithness . Orkney lies between 58°41′ and 59°24′ north, and 2°22′ and 3°26′ west, measuring 80 kilometres (50 mi) from northeast to southwest and 47 kilometres (29 mi) from east to west, and covers 975 square kilometres (376 sq mi). Orkney is separated from the Shetland Islands , a group further out, by a body of water called
4081-430: The islands ). The Byzantine John Tzetzes in his work Chiliades called the islands Orcades. Etymologists usually interpret the element orc- as a Pictish tribal name meaning "young pig" or "young boar ". Speakers of Old Irish referred to the islands as Insi Orc "islands of the young pigs". The archipelago is known as Ynysoedd Erch in modern Welsh and Arcaibh in modern Scottish Gaelic ,
4158-443: The islands is the low crime rate, and they are considered to be among the safest places to live in Britain . Orkney was rated as the best place to live in Scotland in both 2013 and 2014, according to the Halifax Quality of Life survey. Rockall is a small rocky islet in the North Atlantic which was declared part of Scotland by the Island of Rockall Act 1972 . However, despite no possession by any other state and other precedents,
4235-462: The isles are swift, with frequent whirlpools. The islands are notable for the absence of trees, which is partly accounted for by the strong winds. Only three settlements have a population of over 500; the towns of Kirkwall and Stromness and the village of Finstown . 7,500 1,790 500 Other villages include Balfour , Dounby , Houton , Longhope , Lyness , Pierowall , St Margaret's Hope , and Whitehall . The superficial rock of Orkney
4312-436: The jarls lost control of Shetland when it became a separate lordship. In 1231 the line of Norse earls, unbroken since Rognvald, ended with Jon Haraldsson 's murder in Thurso . The Earldom of Caithness was granted to Magnus , second son of the Earl of Angus , whom Haakon IV of Norway confirmed as Earl of Orkney in 1236. Around the same time, the earldom lost the southern part of its territory on mainland Britain when it
4389-437: The late Iron Age, Orkney was part of the Pictish kingdom, and although the archaeological remains from this period are less impressive, the fertile soils and rich seas of Orkney probably provided the Picts with a comfortable living. The Dalriadic Gaels began to influence the islands towards the close of the Pictish era, perhaps principally through the role of Celtic missionaries , as evidenced by several islands bearing
4466-433: The legality of the claim is disputed by the Republic of Ireland , Denmark and Iceland , and some say it may be unenforceable in international law. The 2011 census records 94 Scottish islands as having a usually resident population, of which 89 are offshore islands. There are however various complications with both the definitions of an "island" and occasional habitation; and the National Records of Scotland also list
4543-430: The local community and the support provided by local residents. The Festival on Tour project has visited Orkney's outer islands to give workshops and performances for schools and communities. Beginning in 2006, a type of fringe festival called MagFest has included late-night shows, circus, cabaret, comedy, music and children's events. Orkney Conducting Course, St Magnus Composers' Course, a Writers' Course and, from 2012,
4620-410: The mainland or other islands, including: There are a large number of small tidal islands in Scotland. The more notable ones include: Oronsay means "ebb island" and there are several tidal islands of this name. The three main islands of the Monach Islands (Heisgeir), Ceann Iar , Ceann Ear and Shivinish are connected at low tides. It is said that at one time it was also possible to walk all
4697-535: The modern period, followed by declines from the mid 19th century onwards. In every case except Orkney the highest population was recorded prior to 1932 and the lowest post- Industrial Revolution figure after 1960. Subsequently, there has been modest growth overall, although some islands are continuing to show a decline. Between 1991 and 2001, the population of the islands as a whole fell by 3% to 99,739, although there were 35 islands whose population increased. By contrast, between 2001 and 2011 Scottish island populations as
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#17328483462644774-431: The north, Scalpay and Great Bernera are connected to Lewis and Harris . Inner Hebrides Orkney Islands Similarly, four Orkney islands are joined to the Orkney Mainland by a series of causeways known as the Churchill Barriers . They are: Hunda is in turn connected to Burray via a causeway. South Walls and Hoy are connected by a causeway called the Ayre. The islands are treated as one entity (Hoy) by
4851-443: The ornate Italian Chapel . 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. Orkney was rated as the best place to live in Scotland in both 2013 and 2014, and in 2019
4928-432: The other islands and archipelagos of Scotland these trends are very similar to those experienced elsewhere. The archipelago's population grew by 11% in the decade to 2011 as recorded by the census . During the same period Scottish island populations as a whole grew by 4% to 103,702. Orkney is separated from the mainland of Scotland by the Pentland Firth , a ten-kilometre-wide (6 mi) seaway between Brough Ness on
5005-550: The past many smaller islands that are uninhabited today had permanent populations. Losses were severe in many areas during the 19th century when islands such as Pabbay and Fuaigh Mòr were subject to forcible evictions during the Highland Clearances . Mass emigration from the Hebridean islands was at its height in the mid-19th century but it commenced as early as the 1770s in some areas. The crofting counties held 20% of Scotland's population in 1755 but by 1961 this figure had declined to 5%. Other examples are Mingulay , Noss and
5082-521: The remainder, several such as Staffa and the Flannan Isles are well-known despite their small size. Some 94 Scottish islands are permanently inhabited, of which 89 are offshore islands. Between 2001 and 2011, Scottish island populations as a whole grew by 4% to 103,702. The geology and geomorphology of the islands is varied. Some, such as Skye and Mull , are mountainous, while others like Tiree and Sanday are relatively low-lying. Many have bedrock made from ancient Archaean Lewisian Gneiss which
5159-437: The rigours of the Canadian north. During this period, burning kelp briefly became a mainstay of the islands' economy. For example, on Shapinsay over 3,000 long tons (3,048 t ) of burned seaweed were produced per annum to make soda ash , bringing in £20,000 to the local economy. The industry collapsed suddenly in 1830 after the removal of tariffs on imported alkali . During the 18th century Jacobite risings , Orkney
5236-416: The time of either the 2001 or 2011 censuses." None except Lamb Holm are greater than 40 ha in area. There are numerous other freshwater islands, of which the more notable include Lochindorb Castle Island , Loch Leven Castle Island , St Serf's Inch , and Inchmahome , each of which have played an important part in Scottish history. Inchmurrin is the largest freshwater island in the British Isles . It
5313-461: The visual arts, and is managed by a small staff and many local volunteers, who also offer accommodation for visiting artists. Artists who have appeared at the festival include Vladimir Ashkenazy , Nicola Benedetti , Colin Currie , Evelyn Glennie , John Harle , Angela Hewitt , Steven Isserlis , Paul Lewis , John Lill , Tasmin Little , Joanna MacGregor , Lisa Milne , Steven Osborne and Isaac Stern . Many orchestras and ensembles have visited
5390-455: The way to Baleshare , and on to North Uist , five miles (eight kilometres) away at low tide. In the 16th century, a large tidal wave was said to have washed the route away. St Ninian's Isle is connected to Mainland Shetland by a tombolo . Although greater than 40 hectares in size it fails to meet the definition of an island used in this list as it is only surrounded by water during occasional spring tides and storms. Dùn in St Kilda
5467-412: The work of the Orcadian writer George Mackay Brown . Visual arts, drama and dance projects have also been commissioned for the festival, including a trio of original plays by Alan Plater . Education and community projects have included many residents of Orkney. The St Magnus Festival Chorus includes around 130 singers from all parts of the archipelago. The festival prides itself on its involvement with
5544-442: Was "annihilated" may have led to a weakening of the local power base and helped the Norse come to prominence. Both Orkney and Shetland saw a significant influx of Norwegian settlers during the late 8th and early 9th centuries. Vikings made the islands the headquarters of their pirate expeditions carried out against Norway and the coasts of mainland Scotland. In response, Norwegian king Harald Fairhair (Harald Hårfagre) annexed
5621-500: Was absorbed by the Kingdom of Scotland in 1472. The history of Orkney prior to this time is largely the history of the ruling aristocracy. From then on 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 comunitas Orcadie and who proved themselves increasingly able to defend their rights against their feudal overlords. From at least
5698-462: Was as the "size of a cricket ball, perfectly spherical and beautifully finished". During the Bronze Age , fewer large stone structures were built (although the great ceremonial circles continued in use ) as metalworking was slowly introduced to Britain from Europe over a lengthy period. There are relatively few Orcadian sites dating from this era although there is the impressive Plumcake Mound near
5775-589: Was formed 3 billion years ago; Shapinsay and other Orkney islands are formed from Old Red Sandstone , which is 400 million years old; and others such as Rùm from more recent Tertiary volcanoes . Many of the islands are swept by strong tides, and the Corryvreckan tide race between Scarba and Jura is one of the largest whirlpools in the world. Other strong tides are to be found in the Pentland Firth between mainland Scotland and Orkney , and another example
5852-452: 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. In 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
5929-584: Was made the separate earldom of Sutherland. In 1290, the death of the child princess Margaret, Maid of Norway in Orkney, en route to mainland Scotland, created a disputed succession that led to the Wars of Scottish Independence . In the 14th century the earls of Orkney also lost Caithness, after which the earldom just covered the islands of Orkney itself. In 1379 the earldom passed to the Sinclair family, who were also barons of Roslin near Edinburgh . Evidence of
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