TIME TRAVEL PARADISE: ORKNEY

For a beautiful deep dive into ancient history, a fine taste of remote northern Scottish culture, fine tastes of local Scotch whiskeys, world-class festivals, and spectacular scenery like none other on the planet, we took a look at Orkney.  

Prehistoric monuments and villages, sublime sandy beaches, storm-battered red sandstone cliffs, ancient stone circles, and incredible “sea stacks,” are just some of the wonders found here.

Orkney is an archipelago of 67 paleozoic sandstone islands off the north coast mainland Scotland. Mostly treeless, the islands are covered with moors and peat bogs, dimpled with lakes. Only 20 of the islands are inhabited.

Pentland Firth, which separates the Orkney archipelago from the northern coast of Scotland’s mainland, is one of Europe’s most dangerous waterways, with rough seas and heavy mists, it became a ship graveyard over many centuries

While it’s rough and wild here, and life is simple, there is tremendous complexity, both in its historic structures and its natural wonders. There is a heady cocktail of peace and excitement in store.

The Orkney Islands were a cradle of northern civilization, originally settled in Mesolithic times, with thriving Neolithic communities. Today, you can see Neolithic Orkney, well preserved, with remarkable archaeological remains -- beautiful stone houses, stone circles and elaborate burial monuments --  in what may seem a timeless setting. Orkney contains Europe’s highest concentration of ancient Neolithic sites.

According to a recent study examining 600 radiocarbon dates, the people back then came together for festivals at stone circles built as earlier versions of Stonehenge. Using new, highly accurate research techniques, researchers determined that the ancient islanders congregated at the Ring of Brodgar and the Standing Stones of Stenness to party and celebrate.

The study, published in the journal Antiquity, is part of a wider project called The Times of Their Lives, which revealed a treasure trove of new information about how these Neolithic communities lived and evolved. "Our study underlines that the Neolithic past was often rapidly changing, and that what may appear to us to be enduring monuments were in fact part of a dynamic historical context."

The islands were colonized by the Normans In the 9th century. They became part of Scotland  in 1472.

The Heart of Neolithic Orkney, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, on the western mainland, includes the chambered tomb at Maeshowe, the Standing Stones of Stenness, the Ness of Brodgar, the Ring of Brodgar and Skara Brae -- all  fascinating places to explore.

The Ring of Brodgar predates both Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids. You’ll see 27 of the original 60 stones still standing after all this time.

Nearby Skara Brae is a preserved 5,000 year old Stone Age settlement that was uncovered in 1850 when a violent storm blew away all the sand that had kept it hidden for centuries. Spend the night at Skaill House, a lovely 17th-century farm manor that overlooks this awesome archeological site.

If you want to see 5,000 years of Orcadian history condensed all in one place, you can find it in one small stretch of coastline on the Orkney island of Rousay. The Westness Heritage Walk lets you time travel from the Neolithic era, through the Iron Age, through the Viking invasions, all the way to the mass clearances of the 1800s, with more than 100 fascinating archaeological sites.

Orkney offers some of the most beautiful road trip experiences in the world. According to a recent UK Department of Transport study, you’ll find the best long open roads, with an average of 49m (160ft) of road per person, which is more than anywhere else in the UK.

Check out the extraordinary North Gaulton Castle, a 170-foot high sea-stack on the west coast of Orkney Mainland, near another, more famous sea-stack at Yesnaby.

While you’re there, walk the rugged coastline on a 10-mile path that takes you right to the edge of the cliffs, and offers fantastic views of the sea stacks. Go it alone or with an expert guide from Orkney Uncovered, which offers themed expeditions all over the islands.

Tresness, on the Orkney island of Sanday, offers some achingly beautiful deserted, golden sandy beaches, wide dunes rising up on the edge of crystal clear seas.

While most of Orkney is treeless, there is one extra special forest of note.  Berriedale Wood, in the towering hills of Hoy, is the most northerly ancient woodland in the British Isles.

If you’re looking for whiskey, you’ll find several unique distilleries on Orkney. The most famous of them is Highland Park, the northernmost distillery in the United Kingdom. They’ve been crafting their fine award-winning single malt since 1798, from locally grown barley, steeped in water fresh from a nearby creek, and aged in Spanish oak casks seasoned with sherry.

The capital of Orkney, Kirkwall, is rich with culture and history. It was an important trade center as early as the 11th century. St. Magnus Cathedral is a Viking-era sandstone building dating back to 1137. It’s a great place to sample Orkney’s contemporary culture, with quaint shops, restaurants, and music venues.

Check out the Orkney Storytelling Festival which celebrates centuries of tradition, as Orcadians listened to tales around the peat fire as their nights grew longer in autumn. The Festival includes walks, talks, story sessions and workshops with renowned international and local storytellers. (October 26 - 29, 2017)

In Orkney on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, join the crowd at St Magnus Cathedral for the annual throw of The Ba’, a prehistoric football game. (December 25 - January 1).

Orkney is home to a talented community of craft artists. The Orkney Crafts Association brings together traditional and contemporary professional craft makers to promote, support and develop high quality design-led craft work.

From artwork to jewelry, ceramics to furniture, apparel to decor, you’ll find true delights along the Orkney Craft Trail, where you can visit craft workshops, meet the crafters, and purchase some unique treasures.

The Woolshed produces a gorgeous collection of woollens, including knitwear, felt, and weavings using fleece from the native seaweed-eating North Ronaldsay sheep. It is located in a traditional stone-built Orkney longhouse with attached corn drying kiln and is part of a 60 acre sheep and beef farm on the West Mainland of Orkney. The views across Eynhallow Sound to Rousay and Westray beyond are truly spectacular.

Knitters, like Julie, at Pieceful Ewe, love wools from Orkney sheep. And so do we!

Check out all of Orkney’s Main Islands:

• Eday
• Flotta
• Hoy
• North Ronaldsay
• Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre
• Sanday
• Shapinsay
• Stronsay
• Westray and Papa Westray
• Inter-island Transport

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Check out Visit Orkney for travel advice and information on how to get here, where to stay, places to visit and the extensive programme of events.

And check out these Ebooks & Digital Guides to see why Orkney is one important reason why Scotland was recently voted as The Most Beautiful Country in the World!

Master of Sound, Julian Treasure, calls Orkney home. He treats us to a gorgeous taste of Orkney’s wild natural sounds. Have a Listen. Check out his new book, How to Be Heard. Check out Julian Treasure’s fascinating TED Talks. And enjoy the gorgeous soundscapes he created especially for BeautifulNow on the BeautifulNow app.

Read more about Beautiful Scotland in A Most Beautiful Train Ride Across a Most Beautiful Scotland, Bag a Beautiful Munro! Here’s How! and Outer Hebrides: Scotland’s Wild, Pristine. Prehistoric Bucket List Must.

And check out more beautiful things happening now in BN Mind/Body, Soul/Impact, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Arts/Design, and Place/Time, Daily Fix posts.

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IMAGE CREDITS:

1. Image: by Jenny Laird. “Ring of Brodgar.” Orkney, Scotland.
2. Image: by Markus Schroeder. “Ring of Brodgar.” Orkney, Scotland.
3. Image: by Kjersti Magnussen. “Ring of Brodgar.” Orkney, Scotland.
4. Image: by Tim Abbott. “Stone barn.” Orkney, Scotland.
5. Image: by scrappy annie. “Ring of Brodgar, Orkney.” Orkney, Scotland.
6. Image: by Ruth. “Skara Brae, Orkney.” Orkney, Scotland.
7. Image: by Sue Jackson. Orkney, Scotland.
8. Image: by yashima. “Orkney - Yesnaby Sea Stack.” Orkney, Scotland.
9. Image: by stevekeiretsu. “Cliffs at the Brough of Birsay.” Orkney, Scotland.
10. Image: Courtesy of Visit Scotland. Tresness beach in Sanday. Orkney, Scotland.
11. Image: by Martin Deutsch. “Highland Park Distillery.” Orkney, Scotland.
12. Image: by Owen Robertson. “St Magnus Cathedral.” Orkney, Scotland.
13. Image: by Tim Abbott. “Summer's end.” Orkney, Scotland.
14. Image: Courtesy of The Woolshed. Woolen Cap. Orkney, Scotland.
15. Image: Courtesy of The Woolshed. Handcrafted woolen textiles. Orkney, Scotland.
16. Image: Courtesy of The Woolshed. Hand-crafted Multi-colored yarn. Orkney, Scotland.
17. Image: Courtesy of Pieceful Ewe. Grazing sheep. Orkney, Scotland.
18. Image: by Ruth. “The Italian Chapel.” Orkney, Scotland.
19. Image: by Jenny Laird. Orkney, Scotland.
20. Image: by Carley. “Bishop's Palace.” Orkney, Scotland.
21. Image: by Tim Abbott. “My work here is done.” Orkney, Scotland.
22. Image: by BN App - Download now!
23. Image: Steve Cottrell. “Orkney.” Orkney, Scotland.