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The Mainland, Orkney
The Mainland, also known as Hrossey and Pomona, is the main island of Orkney, Scotland. Both of Orkney's burghs, Kirkwall and Stromness, lie on the island, which is also the heart of Orkney's ferry and air connections. Seventy-five per cent of Orkney's population live on the island, which is more densely populated than the other islands of the archipelago. The lengthy history of the island's occupation has provided numerous important archaeological sites and the sandstone bedrock provides a platform for fertile farmland. There is an abundance of wildlife, especially seabirds. Etymology The name Mainland is a corruption of the Old Norse . Formerly the island was also known as meaning 'horse island'. The island is sometimes referred to as '' Pomona'' (or ''Pomonia''), a name that stems from a 16th-century mis-translation by George Buchanan.Buchanan, George (1582''Rerum Scoticarum Historia: The First Book''The University of California, Irvine. Revised 8 March 2003. Retrieved 4 Octo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kirkwall
Kirkwall ( sco, Kirkwaa, gd, Bàgh na h-Eaglaise, nrn, Kirkavå) is the largest town in Orkney, an archipelago to the north of mainland Scotland. The name Kirkwall comes from the Norse name (''Church Bay''), which later changed to ''Kirkvoe'', ''Kirkwaa'' and ''Kirkwall''. Kirkwall was formerly the site of an ancient Norse town founded approximately 1000 years ago. Today, it is a transport hub with ferries to many locations. History The town was first mentioned in in the year 1046, when it was recorded as the residence of , the Earl of Orkney, who was killed by his uncle Thorfinn the Mighty. In 1486, King James III of Scotland elevated Kirkwall to the status of a royal burgh. On the western edge of the town, surrounded by Hatston Industrial Estate, there is a prehistoric monument, known as the "Grain Earth House" (see Historic Scotland). It is a short, low, stone-walled passage, deep underground, leading to a small pillared chamber. This kind of earth house (or "souterrai ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Churchill Barriers
The Churchill Barriers are four causeways in the Orkney islands with a total length of . They link the Orkney Mainland in the north to the island of South Ronaldsay via Burray and the two smaller islands of Lamb Holm and Glimps Holm. The barriers were built between May 1940 and September 1944, primarily as naval defences to protect the anchorage at Scapa Flow, but since 12 May 1945, serve as road links between the islands. The two southern barriers, Glimps Holm to Burray and Burray to South Ronaldsay, are Category A listed. History On 14 October 1939, the Royal Navy battleship HMS ''Royal Oak'' was sunk at her moorings within the natural harbour of Scapa Flow, by the under the command of Günther Prien. ''U-47'' had entered Scapa Flow through Holm Sound, one of several eastern entrances to Scapa Flow. The eastern passages were protected by measures including sunken block ships, booms and anti-submarine nets, but ''U-47'' entered at night at high tide by navigating be ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
St Andrews, Orkney
St Andrews is a parish on Mainland, Orkney in Scotland. It is located east of the town of Kirkwall and the parish of St Ola and lies north of Holm and west of Deerness. ''The Orcadian''. Retrieved 19 April 2008. The settlements of , Toab and Foubister are in the parish, as is Kirkwall Airport
Kirkwall Airport is the main airport serving Orkney in Scotland. It is located southeast of Kirkwall a ...
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Holm, Mainland Orkney
Holm (pronounced ) is a parish on Mainland, Orkney.Wilson, Rev. John ''The Gazetteer of Scotland'' (Edinburgh, 1882) Published by W. & A.K. Johnstone An adjacent Sound, running between Mainland, and Burray, is named after Holm. It has since been blocked up by the Churchill Barriers. The parish flanks the north side of the Sound and extends to within of Kirkwall, and contains the village of St Mary's Holm, as well as the island of Lamb Holm. The Mainland section is by . The shores are mostly rocky, and the interior consists of light thin, loamy land. Orkney F.C., the island group's main football club, plays its home games at The Rockworks Community ground near St. Mary's Holm. Church and manse Holm church and manse are both of unusual design. The church has no spire or turret, and the manse is constructed so that all chimneys appear through the centre of a pyramidal roof. World War II Netherbutton Radar Station, which was part of the Chain Home system, was situated on bot ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Evie, Orkney
Evie (pronounced ) is a parish and village on Mainland, Orkney, Scotland. The parish is located in the north-west of the Mainland, between Birsay and Rendall, forming the coastline opposite the isle of Rousay. History Within the parish are a number of prehistoric features, including Gurness, an Iron Age broch that overlooks Eynhallow Sound. Economy Evie is home to two large dairy farms called Dale and Georth as well as Burgar farm. There are also a few beef farms. This is due to the very good quality of soil contained in this area of Orkney. All three dairy farms contribute milk to the award-winning Orkney cheese as well as Orkney ice cream and other dairy products. Burgar Hill Wind Farm The five wind turbines on Burgar Hill in Evie are visible from a large part of the West Mainland. Established in 1983, Burgar Hill Wind Farm was one of the first wind farms in the UK. People Evie is the birthplace of the Orcadian writer Ernest Marwick. Very Rev Dr A. J. Campbell DD, ministe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rendall
Rendall (Old Norse: ''Rennudalr''Pedersen, Roy (January 1992) ''Orkneyjar ok Katanes'' (map, Inverness, Nevis Print) or ''Rennadal'') is a parish on Mainland, Orkney, Scotland. It is in the north west of the island and lies east of the parishes of Birsay and Evie and north east of Harray. The island of Gairsay is also in the parish. Important Sites and Attractions The Rendall Doocot is a 17th-century beehive doocot located at the Hall of Rendall and is unique in the Northern Isles, as most doocots are square/rectangle buildings. The Hall of Rendall is a settlement mound containing prehistoric structures, possibly a broch but that is doubted, and the remains of a medieval church. Human remains are regularly recovered from the beach and eroding sections near the church. The Tingwall Ferry Terminal is located in Rendall and operates ferries to Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre. Next to it is a broch and a Thing, both scheduled monuments. Tingwall is from the Old Norse place-name 'Thing- ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Birsay
Birsay () (Old Norse: ''Birgisherað'') is a parish in the north west corner of The Mainland of Orkney, Scotland. Almost all the land in the parish is devoted to agriculture: chiefly grassland used to rear beef cattle. There are various ancient monuments in the parish. Ancient monuments Two important ancient monuments are maintained by Historic Scotland and bring many visitors to the area in summer. These are the prehistoric and Norse settlements on the tidal island of Brough of Birsay and the ruins of the Earl's Palace on the Mainland opposite, at the northern end of the village. On the western part of Mainland Orkney's north shore there is other evidence of prehistoric man, including the well preserved ruins of the Broch of Gurness. Earl's Palace The late 16th century palace was built by Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Orkney (1533–93). Though extensively ruined, it can be seen to have consisted of four ranges round an open courtyard, with small towers at the corners, an u ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sandwick, Orkney
Sandwick ( non, Sandvík;Pedersen, Roy (January 1992) ''Orkneyjar ok Katanes'' (map, Inverness, Nevis Print) nrn, Sandvik) is a parish on the west coast of Mainland, Orkney, Scotland,Wilson, Rev. John ''The Gazetteer of Scotland'' (Edinburgh, 1882) Published by W. & A.K. Johnstone north of Stromness. The parish's name derives from the Old Norse Sandvík meaning "Sand Bay". The coast, except at the small sandy bay (whence the parish's name) consists of cavernous cliffs, from 100 to 200 ft, and includes a lofty natural arch called the hole of Rowe, and is much flanked by insulated pillar-rocks. The interior is much diversified, and comprises both a large aggregate of flat arable land, and a considerable extent of hilly ground, partly more than 300 ft high. The chief residence is Skaill House,Irvine, James M. ''The Breckness Estate'' (Ashtead, 2009) Published by James M. Irvine and chief antiquities include numerous tumuli, a vitrified cairn, a remarkable cromlech, a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Orcadian
''The Orcadian'' is the oldest newspaper in Orkney, Scotland, first published in 1854. At first a monthly paper, it soon became a weekly. The newspaper is based in Kirkwall but printed in Glasgow for sale every Thursday. It is part of the Orkney Media Group, formed out of a partnership with a competing newspaper, ''Orkney Today'', in 2007. History The newspaper was first founded in 1854 as ''A Literary and Commercial Advertiser for Orkney and Zetland'' by James Urquhart Anderson, who established the first printing press on the island in the 1820s, and his son of the same name. The first issues were written by James, while his son printed the issues on hand set type. The Andersons were joined by Ayrshire journalist and editor W.H. Mackintosh when he married into the family in 1877, and since then, the newspaper has been owned by the Anderson-Mackintosh family. During the Second World War, ''The Orcadian'' published a special armed forces newspaper titled ''Orkney Blast.'' A c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or more curates, and who operates from a parish church. Historically, a parish often covered the same geographical area as a manor. Its association with the parish church remains paramount. By extension the term ''parish'' refers not only to the territorial entity but to the people of its community or congregation as well as to church property within it. In England this church property was technically in ownership of the parish priest ''ex-officio'', vested in him on his institution to that parish. Etymology and use First attested in English in the late, 13th century, the word ''parish'' comes from the Old French ''paroisse'', in turn from la, paroecia, the latinisation of the grc, παροικία, paroikia, "sojourning in a foreign ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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] |
Glimps Holm
Glimps Holm or Glims Holm ( non, Glums Holm) is a small uninhabited islet in Orkney, Scotland. Geography Glimps Holm lies in Holm Sound, one of the eastern entrances to Scapa Flow, between Mainland, Orkney and the island of Burray. The Churchill Barriers link South Ronaldsay to the Orkney Mainland. Glimps Holm is connected to Lamb Holm, to the northeast, by Barrier number 2, and to Burray by Barrier number 3. History Scapa Flow had many entrances, making it difficult to protect the anchorages in this natural harbour. Blockships had been sunk to close the narrow passages, but these proved inadequate. The Churchill Barriers were built during World War II to block the eastern entrances. Much of the labour for the causeways was provided by over 1300 Italian prisoners of war, captured in North Africa and stationed in Camp 60 on Lamb Holm Lamb Holm is a small uninhabited island in Orkney, Scotland. The Italian Chapel, constructed during the Second World War, is the island's ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
