Living the retirement dream

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The Last of The Orkney Islands

The history of Scotland and Orkney is so extensive, goes back so far and is intertwined with so many other countries and cultures. It is very easy to become overwhelmed by all that there is to see, explore and learn about. Even though we have five days here we are just barely scratching the surface.

St Magnus Cathedral construction began in 1137 when Orkney was an earldom within Norway and it is the only completely medieval cathedral surviving in Scotland; but over 900 years its appearance has changed many times. In 1560 the Scottish Reformation transformed the cathedral from a Catholic to Protestant church. Today it has a Church of Scotland congregation and by arrangement can be used by any Christian denomination.
This door took us through to the Upper Levels Tour
Which gave us a chance to walk up the very very narrow, spiral, stone staircases of this stunning sandstone cathedral.
Our guide Lorraine gave us some interesting info regarding various artifacts. Here she is showing us an execution ladder which is a 13 rung double sided ladder used by Orkney hangmen. The prisoner would ascend one side, and the hangman would climb up and down the other side which made it more worn out. If you enlarge the photo you can see the upper rungs were the hangman’s ascent and descent. The town had temporary gallows, hence the need for the ladder.
This is the west Window of the cathedral which was installed in 1987 to mark the 850th anniversary of the cathedral’s foundation.
The Cathedral is known as “The Light in the North”.
Let there be light.
The Rose window of the cathedral was left unstained as it floods the interior with natural light that shifts throughout the day and seasons, creating a mystical atmosphere that enhances the sacred nature of the space.
Looking down on the nave
Our tour continued up through the belfry just in time to see the mechanism and hear the bell.
Play the video to see the mechanism working and hear the beautiful bells.
Our guide took us out on the parapet where we enjoyed wonderful views of Kirkwall and the islands.
After the tour we sat down to learn about the story of St Magnus who was killed by an axe blow to his head while he was praying.
He is buried in this pillar of the church
A cross on the pillar designates his burial place
St Magnus’s nephew Rognvald built the church in honor of him and is also buried in a pillar of the church near his uncle.
We really enjoyed this church tour and learning about its fascinating history.
This picture is looking out at Scapa Flow which is a vast natural harbor whose sheltered waters have played an important role in travel, trade and conflict throughout the centuries. This was the UK’s chief naval base during the First and Second World wars. The facility was closed in 1956. On June 21 1919 Germany attempted to scuttle all 74 ships of its fleet which were impounded here. 52 of the vessels were successfully sunk. This area has subsequently become an international Mecca for divers
Imagine what that bay looked like with the United Kingdom’s Navy out there.
A very large bull reminiscent of some of the giant prehistoric cows.
We made the best of our time here in Orkney although we lost a day and half by listening to the weather forecasts. We attempted to go for a hike on our last day but went too early when it was still misty and very windy. The afternoon then turned out to be beautiful.
Our last night’s dinner was in this American themed bar across the alley from our hotel.

This is the end of our island hopping in Scotland, it has been fun and there are so many more out there just waiting for us to explore but alas there is so little time. We are now heading back to the mainland to explore more of the highlands and two major national parks.

Living our retirement dream

2 responses to “The Last of The Orkney Islands”

  1. Victoria Kinnally Avatar
    Victoria Kinnally

    again a very thorough detail of your travels. Quite interesting. I suppose you will publish a book with all your journaling? Safe travels and keep in.

    Reply
  2. joe Avatar
    joe

    Enticing!

    Reply

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