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Hoy And West Mainland National Scenic Area
Hoy and West Mainland is a national scenic area (NSA) covering parts of the islands of Hoy and Mainland in the Orkney Islands of Scotland, as well as parts of the surrounding sea. It is one of 40 such areas in Scotland, which are defined so as to identify areas of exceptional scenery and to ensure its protection by restricting certain forms of development. The Hoy and West Mainland NSA covers 24,407 ha in total, consisting of 16,479 ha of land with a further 7928 ha being marine (i.e. below low tide). National scenic areas are primarily designated due to the scenic qualities of an area, however NSAs may well have other special qualities, for example related to culture, history, archaeology, geology or wildlife. Areas with such qualities may be protected via other national and international designations that overlap with the NSA designation. Hoy and West Mainland includes one of the six World Heritage Sites in Scotland, and there are several Special Areas of Cons ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Old Man Of Hoy
The Old Man of Hoy is a sea stack on Hoy, part of the Orkney archipelago off the north coast of Scotland. Formed from Old Red Sandstone, it is one of the tallest stacks in the United Kingdom. The Old Man is popular with climbers, and was first climbed in 1966. Created by the erosion of a cliff through hydraulic action some time after 1750, the stack is not more than a few hundred years old, but may soon collapse into the sea. Geography The Old Man stands close to Rackwick Bay on the west coast of Hoy, in Orkney, Scotland, and can be seen from the Scrabster to Stromness ferry. From certain angles it is said to resemble a human figure. Winds are faster than for nearly a third of the time, and gales occur on average for 29 days a year. Combined with the depth of the sea, which quickly falls to , high-energy waves on the western side of Hoy lead to rapid erosion of the coast. Geology The Old Man of Hoy is a red sandstone stack, perched on a plinth of basalt rock, and one of the t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Glen Affric
Glen Affric ( gd, Gleann Afraig) is a glen south-west of the village of Cannich in the Highland region of Scotland, some west of Loch Ness. The River Affric runs along its length, passing through Loch Affric and Loch Beinn a' Mheadhoin. A minor public road reaches as far as the end of Loch Beinn a' Mheadhoin, but beyond that point only rough tracks and footpaths continue along the glen.Ordnance Survey 1:50000 Landranger Sheet 25, ''Glen Carron and Glen Affric.'' Often described as the most beautiful glen in Scotland, Glen Affric contains the third largest area of ancient Caledonian pinewoods in Scotland, as well as lochs, moorland and mountains. The area is a Caledonian Forest Reserve, a national scenic area and a national nature reserve, as well as holding several other conservation designations. The forests and open landscapes of the glen, and the mountains on either side, are a popular destination for hikers, climbers and mountain bikers. Flora and fauna Glen Affric i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Longhope, Orkney
Longhope is a coastal settlement on the island of South Walls, in Orkney, Scotland. South Walls is linked to Hoy by causeway; Longhope is the largest settlement on the two islands. The settlement is situated on the B9047, the main road on Hoy and South Walls. History A coastal artillery battery, Hackness Gun Battery, was established near Longhope at to defend gathering Baltic convoys from enemy attack. Excavation undertaken by Headland Archaeology proved that this battery had undergone two stages of development. It was built between 1813 and 1815 in response to a perceived threat from American privateers. On recommendations made by the Admiralty the base was constructed alongside one of only three martello towers in Scotland; the others being across the bay from Hackness at Crockness and the Tally Toor in Leith. Eight 24-pounder guns were placed in the original battery, but were replaced in 1866 with four 68-pounder guns as part of an overhaul. This remodelling was in response t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Scapa Flow
Scapa Flow viewed from its eastern end in June 2009 Scapa Flow (; ) is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray,S. C. George, ''Jutland to Junkyard'', 1973. South Ronaldsay and Hoy. Its sheltered waters have played an important role in travel, trade and conflict throughout the centuries. Vikings anchored their longships in Scapa Flow more than a thousand years ago. It was the United Kingdom's chief naval base during the First and Second World Wars, but the facility was closed in 1956. Scapa Flow has a shallow sandy bottom not deeper than and most of it is about deep; it is one of the great natural harbours and anchorages of the world, with sufficient space to hold a number of navies. The harbour has an area of and contains just under 1 billion cubic metres of water. Since the scuttling of the German fleet after World War I, its wrecks and their marine habitats form an internationally acclaimed diving lo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Martello Tower
Martello towers, sometimes known simply as Martellos, are small defensive forts that were built across the British Empire during the 19th century, from the time of the French Revolutionary Wars onwards. Most were coastal forts. They stand up to high (with two floors) and typically had a garrison of one officer and 15–25 men. Their round structure and thick walls of solid masonry made them resistant to cannon fire, while their height made them an ideal platform for a single heavy artillery piece, mounted on the flat roof and able to traverse, and hence fire, over a complete 360° circle. A few towers had moats or other batteries and works attached for extra defence. The Martello towers were used during the first half of the 19th century, but became obsolete with the introduction of powerful rifled artillery. Many have survived to the present day, often preserved as historic monuments. Origins Martello towers were inspired by a round fortress, part of a larger Genoese ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Salvelinus Inframundus
''Salvelinus inframundus'', also known as Orkney charr is a cold-water fish in the family Salmonidae which is endemic to Scotland. Description ''Salvelinus inframundus'' has the following characteristics which in combination make this taxon different from other "Arctic charr" in Great Britain. It has a relatively shallow body which is less than a fifth of its body length, it has an inferiorly positioned mouth, the pectoral fins are 67–88% the length of its head and there are 8–9 10 soft rays in the dorsal fin with 8–9 soft rays in the anal fin. It has moderately large teeth, 9–11 branchiostegals, 13–14 gill rakers, 188–200 lateral scales and 63–64 vertebrae. Other distinguishing features cited include a blunt snout; steel-grey colour on the sides with a white to pinkish or bright orange belly; there are numerous whitish spots along the flanks, mostly on the upper half of body. The pectoral and anal fins are orange-brown to orange-red while the pelvic fins can be ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Orkney Charr
''Salvelinus inframundus'', also known as Orkney charr is a cold-water fish in the family Salmonidae which is endemic to Scotland. Description ''Salvelinus inframundus'' has the following characteristics which in combination make this taxon different from other "Arctic charr" in Great Britain. It has a relatively shallow body which is less than a fifth of its body length, it has an inferiorly positioned mouth, the pectoral fins are 67–88% the length of its head and there are 8–9 10 soft rays in the dorsal fin with 8–9 soft rays in the anal fin. It has moderately large teeth, 9–11 branchiostegals, 13–14 gill rakers, 188–200 lateral scales and 63–64 vertebrae. Other distinguishing features cited include a blunt snout; steel-grey colour on the sides with a white to pinkish or bright orange belly; there are numerous whitish spots along the flanks, mostly on the upper half of body. The pectoral and anal fins are orange-brown to orange-red while the pelvic fins can be c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Loch Of Stenness
The Loch of Stenness is a large brackish loch on Mainland, Orkney, Scotland and is named for the parish of Stenness. It is northeast of the town of Stromness, lies immediately to the south of the Loch of Harray and is close to the World Heritage neolithic sites of the Stones of Stenness and Ring of Brodgar. In Old Norse its name was ''Steinnesvatn''.Pedersen, Roy (January 1992) ''Orkneyjar ok Katanes'' (map, Inverness, Nevis Print) Hydrography The Loch of Stenness is a sea loch and is the deepest loch on the Mainland, it is slightly smaller in area and volume than the Loch of Harray. It is located at northeast of Stromness, and is the largest brackish lagoon in the UK. JNCC. Retrieved 19 June 2011. Its outflow is into the Bay of Ireland and the |
Neolithic
The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several parts of the world. This "Neolithic package" included the introduction of farming, domestication of animals, and change from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to one of settlement. It began about 12,000 years ago when farming appeared in the Epipalaeolithic Near East, and later in other parts of the world. The Neolithic lasted in the Near East until the transitional period of the Chalcolithic (Copper Age) from about 6,500 years ago (4500 BC), marked by the development of metallurgy, leading up to the Bronze Age and Iron Age. In other places the Neolithic followed the Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age) and then lasted until later. In Ancient Egypt, the Neolithic lasted until the Protodynastic period, 3150 BC.Karin Sowada and Peter Grave. Egypt in th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Heart Of Neolithic Orkney
Heart of Neolithic Orkney refers to a group of Neolithic monuments found on the Mainland of the Orkney Islands, Scotland. The name was adopted by UNESCO when it proclaimed these sites as a World Heritage Site in December 1999. The site of patrimony currently consists of four sites: # Maes Howe – a unique chambered cairn and passage grave, aligned so that its central chamber is illuminated on the winter solstice. It was looted by Vikings who left one of the largest collections of runic inscriptions in the world. # Standing Stones of Stenness – the four remaining megaliths of a henge, the largest of which is 6 metres (19 ft) high. # Ring of Brodgar – a stone circle 104 metres in diameter, originally composed of 60 stones set within a circular ditch up to 3 metres deep and 10 metres wide, forming a henge monument. It has been estimated that the structure took 80,000 man-hours to construct. # Skara Brae – a cluster of eight houses making up Northe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dumfries And Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway ( sco, Dumfries an Gallowa; gd, Dùn Phrìs is Gall-Ghaidhealaibh) is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland and is located in the western Southern Uplands. It covers the counties of Scotland, historic counties of Dumfriesshire, Kirkcudbrightshire, and Wigtownshire, the latter two of which are collectively known as Galloway. The administrative centre and largest settlement is the town of Dumfries. The second largest town is Stranraer, on the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel coast, some to the west of Dumfries. Following the 1975 reorganisation of local government in Scotland, the three counties were joined to form a single regions and districts of Scotland, region of Dumfries and Galloway, with four districts within it. The districts were abolished in 1996, since when Dumfries and Galloway has been a unitary local authority. For lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy purposes, the area is divided into three lieutenancy a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Orkney Islands Council
The Orkney Islands Council ( gd, Comhairle Eileanan Arcaibh), is the local authority for Orkney, Scotland. It was established in 1975 by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 and was largely unaffected by the Scottish local government changes of the mid-1990s. It provides services in the areas of Environmental Health, Roads, Social Work, Community Development, Organisational Development, Economic Development, Building Standards, Trading Standards, Housing, Waste, Education, Burial Grounds, Port and Harbours and others. The council is allowed to collect Council Tax. The council is also the harbour authority for Orkney and its Marine Services division manages the operation of the islands' 29 piers and harbours. Elections 2012 Between 2012 and 2017 the council consisted of 21 members, all of whom were independent; they did not stand as representatives of a political party. These members are elected in the following wards: *East Mainland, South Ronaldsay and Burray (3 members) ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
