Orkney
Books
Orkney
(Exploring Scotland's Heritage) This work is part of the
"Exploring Scotland's Heritage" series which provides
an introduction to the archaeological heritage of Scotland.
This volume looks at the archaeological heritage of Orkney.
Orkney
Books.
Between the Wind and the Water. World Heritage Orkney. The archaeological sites of Orkney give us an unparalleled glimpse into prehistory. Inscribed as the 'Heart of Neolithic Orkney' World Heritage Site in 1999, four great monuments - the village of Skara Brae, the Ring of Brodgar, the Stones of Stenness and the burial mound of Maeshowe - are also at the centre of the archipelago's story. Caroline Wickham-Jones looks at what makes these monuments so special. She explores the Neolithic world in which they were built, how they come to be a focus through the ages, and what they mean today. Picts, saints, Vikings, antiquarians and tourists populate Orkney's past: a history which is channelled - like the sun entering Maeshowe on the winter solstice, through these 'dances of stones'. Between the Wind and the Water: World Heritage Orkney
.
Orkney and Shetland together consist of more than 170 islands and islets. Once remote from outside influence, they are now reaping the benefits of parliamentary devolution, oil, tourism and modern communications, while still managing to preserve their individual characters and traditions unspoilt by commercialisation. The islands have much to offer the discerning visitor. Nature lovers will find wild flowers, some of which are found nowhere else on earth, and land and marine wildlife including whales, dolphins and otters. Fishermen can catch fighting trout and salmon in the lochs while divers will find clean water plus the prospect of diving for treasure off Shetland. Bird watchers can see merlins, skuas, puffins, fulmars and kittiwakes while those interested in history will find the richest archaeological legacy in the British Isles, including ancient stone circles, standing stones, burial chambers and Viking treasures. Walkers, cyclists, canoeists, yachtsmen and kayakers can all pursue their individual sports in the islands stunning countryside. Scottish Islands, Orkney and Shetland, will lead the visitor to sights and places that might otherwise be missed, including how to book a bed in a lighthouse or a castle, where to find the best preserved Stone Age village in Europe, how to find the best of the islands traditional folk music and where to buy the finest Shetland jerseys and lace. Orkney and Shetland: Scottish Islands (Scottish Islands: Orkney & Shetland)
.
Orkney and Shetland Sea Kayaking. Their relative isolation, stunning scenery and Norse history make Orkney and Shetland a very special place. For the sea kayaker Scottish island archipelagos are particularly rewarding, none more so than these. Illustrated with superb colour photographs and useful maps throughout, this book is a practical guide to help you select and plan trips. It will provide inspiration for future voyages and a souvenir of journeys undertaken. As well as providing essential information on where to start and finish, distances, times and tidal information, this book does much to stimulate interest in the environment. It is full of facts and anecdotes about local history, geology, scenery, seabirds and sea mammals. The Northern Isles: Orkney and Shetland Sea Kayaking
.
Early English Settlement of Orkney and Shetland. In this new book by one of Britain's foremost experts in mediaeval linguistics and history, Dr Graeme Davis counters popular historical belief by proposing that there was a Saxon settlement in both Orkney and Shetland during the fourth century AD. The Saxons were a minority group, and were ultimately subsumed into the Norwegian Viking population which migrated to the islands from around AD 790, but they had a four-hundred year presence in the islands, and constitute one of the first English settlements in the British Isles. Basing his thesis on extensive linguistic, historical and archaeological research, Dr Davis challenges some of the longest held beliefs about the settlement of Orkney and Shetland and casts a new light on the origins and history of the first island settlers. The Early English Settlement of Orkney and Shetland
.
Scar:
A Viking Age Boat Burial in Orkney
The story of a remarkable Viking boat grave at Scar in Orkney,
rescued by archaeologists in 1991, just before winter storms
finally claimed it. The boat's wealthy cargo included three
people: a man of about 20, a child of 10 or 11, and a woman
astonishingly old for the time, probably in her 70s.
Secret
Scroll
Although references to this famous order of military knights
rarely appears in standard histories of the time, a great
deal of information about them can be gleaned from other,
more esoteric sources, such as sculpture and architecture.Suppressed
by Philip of France out of greed, the Templars were gradually
driven underground in more and more European countries. Yet
they continued to exist, still guarding the knowledge and
relics that they had gathered for the defence of the Holy
Land. It is this that connects all this to Henry St Clair,
Earl of Orkney and Grand Master of the Knights Templar and
discoverer of America. All of these threads come together
in one extraordinary scroll still in Kirkwall which reveals
in full the secrets of the Knights Templar. Orkney Books
Orkneyinga
Saga: The History of the... Earls of Orkney. Written around
AD 1200 by an unnamed Icelandic author, the Orkneyinga Saga
is an intriguing fusion of myth, legend and history. The only
medieval chronicle to have Orkney as the central place of
action, it tells of an era when the islands were still part
of the Viking world, beginning with their conquest by the
kings of Norway in the ninth century. The saga describes the
subsequent history of the Earldom of Orkney and the adventures
of great Norsemen such as Sigurd the Powerful, St Magnus the
Martyr and Hrolf, the conqueror of Normandy. Savagely powerful
and poetic, this is a fascinating depiction of an age of brutal
battles, murder, sorcery and bitter family feuds. Orkney
Books.
Orkney
(Pevensey Island Guides) Remote, romantic and often mysterious,
the islands off the coast of Scotland hold a strong fascination
for thousands of visitors each year. Focusing on Orkney, this
title is one of a series of illustrated guidebooks providing
information on heritage, landscape, climate, flora and fauna.
Orkney
Books.
The
New History of Orkney A fully-revised new edition of the
major modern history of Orkney. This major modern history
of Orkney is now in a fully-revised new edition. The story
of the islands is an enthralling one. Surviving monuments
testify to a busy prehistoric period; the Vikings raided and
traded over centuries; the great Earldom of the Orkneyinga
Saga was established in the Middle Ages; and during two world
wars Orkney was crucial to naval strategy. Orkney
Books.
The
Islands of Orkney Colin Baxter Photography.
Orkney:
A Historical Guide (Birlinn... Historical Guides) The
Orkney Islands lie 20 miles north of mainland Scotland and
were first given to the country as compensation for non-payment
of a queen's dowry in 1472. This guide presents a chronological
history of the islands from prehistoric times to the industrial
age. Orkney
Books.
Orkney
Nature The Orkneys have been strangely neglected by naturalists
when compared to Shetland or western Scotland, although they
have long been a place of pilgrimage for archaeologists and
historians. This book is an antidote to the neglect, making
available the islands' animals, plants, and scenic history
to casual readers as well as to specialists. The Orkney Islands
are a special place, both in terms of their natural history
and human inhabitants. Their rich coastal habitats lost significant
seabird colonies and marine communities. Their northerly position
provides a major land fall for migratory birds. In human terms,
traditional lifestyles of fishing and crafting vie with modern
industries, such as oil, leading to conflicts of both human
and wildlife conservation dimensions. This book paints a broad
picture of the natural and manmade environments. Orkney
Books.
The
Scots Fiddle: Tunes, Tales and... Traditions of the Western
Highlands, Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland v. 3.
Scotland's
Northern Lights: Lighthouses... of the Orkney and Shetland
Islands. Some of Scotland's and the world's most spectacular
lighthouses are located in the Northern Isles. This books
discusses all 21 major lighthouses in the area most of which
were built by the famous Stevenson family of lighthouses.
The first and last Stevenson-engineered lighthouses are among
them.
The
Northern Isles: Orkney and Shetland This volume is designed
as a contribution to European ethnology. The Northern Isles,
Orkney and Shetland, were and are a crossroad of North-Atlantic
Europe, and that is the context in which they are placed in
this book. The common factors and differences between Orkney
and Shetland are charted against the competing influences
of Scandinavia and Scotland. Orkney
Books.
Scottish
Islands: Orkney and Shetland... This is a detailed guide
for all visitors to the magical islands of Orkney and Shetland
with their stunning coastal scenery, unique flora and fauna
and rich archaeological heritage. This revised and updated
edition is packed with up-to-date information, tips and advice.
Orkney
Books.
The
Grand Scuttle: The Sinking of the... German Fleet at Scapa
Flow in 1919. At Scapa Flow on 21 June 1919, there occurred
a very unusual event in naval history. The German Admiral
in charge of 74 of his countries warships ordered that the
fleet be scuttled. The High Sees Fleet of the German Royal
Navy was one of the most formidable ever built, yet 52 of
the ships were deliberately sent to the bottom of the British
Grand Fleet's principal anchorage at Orkney. The book reports
that Admiral Ludwig von Reuter became the only man in history
to sink his own navy on the strength of a misleading report
in a four-day old British newspaper; the Royal Navy guessed
his intention but could do nothing about it; the sinking produced
the last casualties and the last prisoners of the war. The
author looks at the events leading up to and including the
scuttling.
Between the Wind and the Water: World Heritage Orkney The archaeological sites of Orkney give us an unparalleled glimpse into prehistory. Inscribed as the 'Heart of Neolithic Orkney' World Heritage Site in 1999, four great monuments; the village of Skara Brae, the Ring of Brodgar, the Stones of Stenness and the burial mound of Maeshowe - are also at the centre of the archipelago's story. Caroline Wickham-Jones looks at what makes these monuments so special. She explores the Neolithic world in which they were built, how they come to be a focus through the ages, and what they mean today. Picts, saints, Vikings, antiquarians and tourists populate Orkney's past: a history which is channelled, like the sun entering Maeshowe on the winter solstice, through these 'dances of stones'.
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