Northern Isles
Location | |
---|---|
OS grid reference | HY99 |
Coordinates | 59°50′N 2°00′W / 59.833°N 2.000°W |
Physical geography | |
Island group | British Isles |
Area | 2,464 km2[1] |
Highest elevation | Ward Hill 481 m (1,578 ft) |
Administration | |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Country | Scotland |
Demographics | |
Population | 44,516[2] |
Population density | 18/km2 |
Largest settlement | Kirkwall |
The Northern Isles (
Tourism is important to both archipelagos, with their distinctive prehistoric ruins playing a key part in their attraction, and there are regular ferry and air connections with mainland Scotland. The
Geography
The phrase "Northern Isles" generally refers to the main islands of the Orkney and Shetland archipelagos. The
Orkney has 20 inhabited islands and Shetland has 16.[5][6]
Orkney is situated 16 kilometres (10 mi) north of the coast of mainland Scotland, separated from it by the waters of the Pentland Firth. The largest island of Orkney, known as the "Mainland" has an area of 523.25 square kilometres (202.03 sq mi), making it the sixth largest Scottish island.[7] Its total population in 2001 was 19,245, and its largest town is Kirkwall.[8] Shetland is around 170 kilometres (110 mi) north of mainland Scotland. It covers an area of 1,468 square kilometres (567 sq mi) and its coastline is 2,702 kilometres (1,679 mi) long.[9] Lerwick, the capital and largest settlement, has a population of around 7,500. About half of the archipelago's total population of 22,000 people live within 16 kilometres (10 mi) of the town.[10]
Geology
The superficial rock of Orkney is almost entirely Old Red Sandstone, mostly of Middle Devonian age.[11] As in the neighbouring mainland county of Caithness, this sandstone rests upon the metamorphic rocks of the Moine series. This can be seen on the Orkney Mainland, where a narrow strip of the older rock is exposed between Stromness and Inganess, and also on the small island of Graemsay.[12]
Middle Devonian basaltic volcanic rocks are found on western Hoy, on Deerness in eastern Mainland and on Shapinsay. A correlation between the Hoy volcanics and the other two exposures has been proposed, but because of differences in their chemical makeup, this remains uncertain.[13] Lamprophyre dykes of Late Permian age are found throughout Orkney.[14] Glacial striation and the presence of chalk and flint erratics that originated from the bed of the North Sea demonstrate the influence of ice action on the geomorphology of the islands. Boulder clay is also abundant, and moraines cover substantial areas.[15]
The geology of Shetland is quite different from that of Orkney. It is extremely complex, with numerous faults and fold axes. The Shetland Islands are the northern outpost of the Caledonian orogeny, and there are outcrops of Lewisian, Dalriadan and Moine metamorphic rocks whose histories are similar to those of their counterparts on the Scottish mainland. There are also small Old Red Sandstone deposits and granite intrusions. Shetland's most distinctive geological feature is the ultrabasic ophiolite, peridotite and gabbro on Unst and Fetlar, which are remnants of the Iapetus Ocean floor.[16] There are oil-bearing sediments in the surrounding seas, on which much of Shetland's economy depends.[17]
Geological evidence shows that, sometime around 6100 BC, a tsunami caused by the Storegga Slides hit the Northern Isles (as well as much of the east coast of Scotland), and may have created a wave of up to 25 metres (82 ft) high in the voes of Shetland, where modern populations are largest.[18]
Climate
The Northern Isles have a cool, temperate climate that is remarkably mild and steady for such a northerly latitude, due to the influence of the surrounding seas and the Gulf Stream.[19] In Shetland, average peak temperatures are 5 °C (41 °F) in February and 15 °C (59 °F) in August. Temperatures over 21 °C (70 °F) are rare.[20][21] The frost-free period may be as short as three months.[22]
The average annual rainfall is 982 millimetres (38.7 in) in Orkney[19] and 1,168 millimetres (46.0 in) in Shetland.[21] Winds are a key feature of the climate. In summer, there are almost constant breezes. In winter, there are frequent strong winds: Orkney has an average of 52 hours of gales annually.[23] The Burradale wind farm in Shetland, which operates with five Vestas V47 660 kW turbines, achieved a world record of 57.9% capacity over the course of 2005 due to the persistent strong winds.[24]
Snowfall is usually confined to the period of November to February and seldom lies on the ground for more than a day. Less rain falls between April and August than at other times of the year, but no month has an average rainfall of less than 50 mm (2.0 in).[19][20][21] In Shetland there are 1082 hours of bright sunshine per year, on average, and overcast days are common.[20]
To tourists, one of the fascinations of the islands is their "nightless" summers. On the
Prehistory
There are numerous important prehistoric remains in Orkney, especially from the
History, culture and politics
Pictish times
The culture that built the brochs is unknown, but by the late Iron Age the Northern Isles had become part of the
Christianity probably arrived in Orkney in the 6th century, and organised church authority emerged in the 8th century. An Ogham–inscribed artefact known as the Buckquoy spindle-whorl was found at a Pictish site on Birsay. There has been controversy about its origin and meaning, but it is now generally considered to be of Irish Christian origin.[43][44]
Norse era
The 8th century was also the time when the
In 995, King
Annexation by Scotland
In the 14th century, Orkney and Shetland remained a Norwegian province, but Scottish influence was growing. Jon Haraldsson, who was murdered in Thurso in 1231, was the last of an unbroken line of Norse jarls,[49] and thereafter the earls were Scots noblemen of the houses of Angus and St. Clair.[50] In 1468 Shetland was pledged by Christian I, in his capacity as King of Norway, as security against the payment of the dowry of his daughter Margaret, betrothed to James III of Scotland. As the money was never paid, the connection with the crown of Scotland became permanent. In 1470 William Sinclair, 1st Earl of Caithness ceded his title to James III and the following year the Northern Isles were directly annexed to Scotland.[51]
17th, 18th and 19th centuries
From the early 15th century on the Shetlanders had sold their goods through the
British rule came at a price for many ordinary people as well as traders. The Shetlanders' nautical skills were sought by the
The Orcadian experience was somewhat different. An influx of Scottish entrepreneurs helped to create a diverse and independent community that included farmers, fishermen and merchants that called themselves comunitatis Orcadie and who proved themselves increasingly able to defend their rights against their feudal overlords.
World Wars
Orkney was the site of a naval base at
One month into World War II, the Royal Navy battleship HMS Royal Oak was sunk by a German U-boat at Scapa Flow. As a result, barriers were built to close most of the access channels; these had the advantage of creating causeways enabling travellers to go from island to island by road instead of being obliged to rely on ferries. The causeways were constructed by Italian prisoners of war, who also constructed the ornate Italian Chapel.[67] The Scapa Flow base was neglected after the war, eventually closing in 1957.[68]
During World War II, a Norwegian naval unit nicknamed the "Shetland Bus" was established by the Special Operations Executive in the autumn of 1940 with a base first at Lunna and later in Scalloway to conduct operations around the coast of Norway. About 30 fishing vessels used by Norwegian refugees were gathered, and the Shetland Bus conducted covert operations, carrying intelligence agents, refugees, instructors for the resistance, and military supplies. It made over 200 trips across the sea, with Leif Larsen, the most highly decorated allied naval officer of the war, making 52 of them.[69][70]
The problem of a declining population was significant in the post-war years, although in the last decades of the 20th century there was a recovery and life in the islands focused on growing prosperity and the emergence of a relatively classless society.[68]
Modern times
Politics
Due to their history, the islands have a Norse, rather than a
In the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, 65.4% of the constituency's electors voted for Scotland to stay part of the United Kingdom.[74]
However, there are also two separate constituencies that elect one
The Orkney Movement, a political party that supported devolution for Orkney from the rest of Scotland, contested the 1987 general election as the Orkney and Shetland Movement (a coalition of the Orkney movement and its equivalent for Shetland). Their candidate, John Goodlad, came 4th with 3,095 votes, 14.5% of those cast.[80]
Transport
Ferry services link Orkney and Shetland to the rest of Scotland, the main routes being
Inter-Island flights are available from Kirkwall to several Orkney islands and from the Shetland Mainland to most of the inhabited islands including those from
Economics
The very different geologies of the two archipelagos have resulted in dissimilar local economies. In Shetland, the main revenue producers are agriculture,
Orkney and Shetland have significant wind and marine energy resources, and renewable energy has recently come into prominence. The European Marine Energy Centre is a Scottish Government–backed research facility that has installed a wave testing system at Billia Croo on the Orkney Mainland and a tidal power testing station on the island of Eday.[95] This has been described as "the first of its kind in the world set up to provide developers of wave and tidal energy devices with a purpose-built performance testing facility."[96] Billia Croo also houses an experimental underwater data center run by Microsoft.[97]
Culture
The Northern Isles have a rich source of folklore. There are many Orcadian tales concerning trows, a form of troll that draws on the islands' Scandinavian connections.[98] Local customs in the past included marriage ceremonies at the Odin Stone that forms part of the Stones of Stenness.[99] The best known literary figures from modern Orkney are the poet Edwin Muir, the poet and novelist George Mackay Brown and the novelist Eric Linklater.[100]
Shetland has a strong tradition of local music.
Language
The Norn language, formerly spoken in the islands, is descendant of Old Norse brought by the Vikings in the 9th century. Since 1468-1469, after Orkney and Shetland were absorbed by the Kingdom of Scotland, Norn gradually began to fade as the influx of Scots-speaking settlers migrated to the islands. Norn as such became an extinct language around 1850, after the death of its last-known speaker Walter Sutherland. The local dialects of the Scots language, collectively known as Insular Scots, are distinctive and retain strong Nordic influences.[103][104][105]
Main settlements
List of the main centres of population in the Orkney and Shetland islands as of 2020, with populations of over 500.[106]
Settlement | Island | Population | Area (km2) | Old Norse name | Picture |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kirkwall | Mainland, Orkney | 10,020[107] | 4.01 | Kirkjuvágr | |
Lerwick | Mainland, Shetland | 6,760[108] | 3.15 | Leirvik | |
Stromness | Mainland, Orkney | 2,490[109] | 1.21 | Straumnes | |
Scalloway | Mainland, Shetland | 1,170[110] | Skálivágr | ||
Symbister | Whalsay, Shetland | 797[111] | Sunnbólstaðr | ||
Brae | Mainland, Shetland | 750[112] | Breiðeið | ||
St Margaret's Hope | South Ronaldsay, Orkney | 600[113] | 0.42 | Hjop | |
Pierowall | Westray, Orkney | 570[114] | Hofn | ||
Finstown | Mainland, Orkney | 550[115] | Fjörðr |
Island names
The etymology of the island names is dominated by Norse influence. There follows a listing of the derivation of all the inhabited islands in the Northern Isles.
Shetland
The oldest version of the modern name Shetland is Hetlandensis recorded in 1190 becoming Hetland in 1431 after various intermediate transformations.
The location of "
Island | Derivation | Language | Meaning | Alternatives |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bressay | Breiðøy | Norse | broad island[123] | |
Bruray | Norse | east isle[124] | Norse: bruarøy – "bridge island"[124] | |
East Burra | Scots/Norse | east broch island[125] | ||
Fair Isle | Frioarøy | Norse | fair island[126] | Norse: feoerøy – "far-off isle".[126] |
Fetlar | Unknown | Pre-Celtic? | Unknown | Norse: fetill – "shoulder-straps"[127] or "fat land".[128] See also Funzie Girt. |
Foula | Fugløy | Norse | bird island[129] | |
Housay | Húsøy | Norse | house isle[124] | |
Shetland Mainland
|
Hetlandensis | Norse/ Gaelic | island of the cat people?[119] | Perhaps originally from Gaelic: Innse Chat – see above[119] |
Muckle Roe | Rauðey Milkla | Scots/Norse | big red island[125] | |
Papa Stour | Papøy Stóra | Celtic/Norse | big island of the priests[130] | |
Trondra | Norse | boar island[131] | Norse: "Þrondr's isle" or "Þraendir's isle". The first is a personal name, the second a tribal name from the Trondheim area.[131] | |
Unst | Unknown | Pre-Celtic? | Unknown | Norse: omstr – "corn-stack"[127] or ørn-vist – "home of the eagle"[132] |
Vaila | Valøy | Norse | falcon island[133] | Norse: "horse island", "battlefield island" or "round island"[133] |
West Burra | Scots/Norse | west broch island[125] | ||
Whalsay | Hvalsey | Norse | whale island[134] | |
Yell
|
Unknown | Pre-Celtic? | Unknown | Norse: í Ála – "deep furrow"[127] or Jala – "white island"[135] |
Orkney
Pytheas described
The Norse retained the earlier root but changed the meaning, providing the only definite example of an adaption of a pre-Norse place name in the Northern Isles. The islands became Orkneyar meaning "seal islands".[143] An alternative name for Orkney is recorded in 1300—Hrossey, meaning "horse isle" and this may also contain a Pictish element of ros meaning "moor" or "plain".[116]
Unlike most of the larger Orkney islands, the derivation of the name "Shapinsay" is not obvious. The final 'ay' is from the Old Norse for island, but the first two syllables are more difficult to interpret. Haswell-Smith (2004) suggests the root may be hjalpandis-øy (helpful island) due to the presence of a good harbour, although anchorages are plentiful in the archipelago.[144] The first written record dates from 1375 in a reference to Scalpandisay, which may suggest a derivation from "judge's island". Another suggestion is "Hyalpandi's island", although no one of that name is known to have been associated with Shapinsay.[145]
Island | Derivation | Language | Meaning | Alternatives |
---|---|---|---|---|
Auskerry | Østr sker | Norse | east skerry[146] | |
Burray | Borgrøy | Norse | broch island[147] | |
Eday | Eidøy | Norse | isthmus island[148] | |
Egilsay | Égillsey | Norse or Gaelic | Egil's island[149] | Possibly from Gaelic eaglais – church island[150] |
Flotta | Flottøy | Norse | flat, grassy isle[151] | |
Gairsay | Gáreksøy | Norse | Gárekr's isle[152] | |
Graemsay | Grims-øy | Norse | Grim's island[153] | |
Holm of Grimbister | Norse | Small and rounded islet of Grim's farm | ||
Hoy | Háøy | Norse | high island[154] | |
Inner Holm | English/Norse | inner rounded islet | ||
North Ronaldsay | Rinansøy | Norse | Uncertain – possibly "Ringa's isle"[155] | |
Orkney Mainland
|
Orcades | Various | isle(s) of the young pig[138] | See above |
Papa Stronsay | Papey Minni | Norse | priest isle of Stronsay[156] | The Norse name is literally "little priest isle"[156] |
Papa Westray | Papey Meiri | Norse | priest isle of Westray[157] | The Norse name is literally "big priest isle"[157] |
Rousay | Hrólfsøy | Norse | Hrólfs island[158] | |
Sanday | Sandøy | Norse | sand island[159] | |
Shapinsay | Unknown | Possibly "helpful island"[144] | See above | |
South Ronaldsay | Rognvaldsey | Norse | Rognvald's island[147] | |
South Walls | Sooth Was | Scots/Norse | "southern voes" | "Voe" means fjord. Possibly "south bays". |
Stronsay | Possibly Strjónsøy | Norse | good fishing and farming island[160] | |
Westray | Vestrøy | Norse | western island[161] | |
Wyre | Vigr | Norse | spear-like island[162] |
Uninhabited islands
Stroma, from the Norse Straumøy[163] means "current island"[164] or "island in the tidal stream",[163] a reference to the strong currents in the Pentland Firth. The Norse often gave animal names to islands, and these have been transferred into English in, for example, the Calf of Flotta and Horse of Copinsay. Brother Isle is an anglicisation of the Norse breiðareøy meaning "broad beach island".[165] The Norse holmr, meaning "a small islet" has become "Holm" in English and there are numerous examples of this use including Corn Holm, Thieves Holm and Little Holm. "Muckle" meaning large or big is one of few Scots words in the island names of the Nordreyar and appears in Muckle Roe and Muckle Flugga in Shetland and Muckle Green Holm and Muckle Skerry in Orkney. Many small islets and skerries have Scots or Insular Scots names such as Da Skerries o da Rokness and Da Buddle Stane in Shetland, and Kirk Rocks in Orkney.
See also
References
- Notes
- Footnotes
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- ^ a b c Gammeltoft (2010) p. 9
- ^ a b Watson (1994) p. 30
- ^ a b Breeze, David J. "The ancient geography of Scotland" in Smith and Banks (2002) pp. 11–13
- ^ Watson (1994) p. 7
- ^ Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 425
- ^ a b c Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 459
- ^ a b c Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 433
- ^ a b Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 408
- ^ a b c Gammeltoft (2010) pp. 19–20
- ^ Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 471
- ^ Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 419
- ^ Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 449
- ^ a b Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 434
- ^ Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 481
- ^ a b Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 430
- ^ Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 452
- ^ Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 467
- ^ a b "Early Historical References to Orkney" Orkneyjar.com. Retrieved 27 June 2009.
- ^ Tacitus (c. 98) Agricola. Chapter 10. "ac simul incognitas ad id tempus insulas, quas Orcadas vocant, invenit domuitque".
- ^ a b Waugh, Doreen J. "Orkney Place-names" in Omand (2003) p. 116
- ^ Pokorny, Julius (1959) Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch (Indo-European Etymological Dictionary) Archived 14 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 3 July 2009.
- ^ "The Origin of Orkney" Orkneyjar.com. Retrieved 27 June 2009.
- ^ "Proto-Celtic – English Word List" Archived 31 December 2010 at the Wayback Machine (pdf) (12 June 2002) University of Wales. p. 101
- Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. 125. ARCHway: 677–96. Archived from the originalon 7 June 2007. Retrieved 27 July 2007.
- ^ Gammeltoft (2010) pp. 8–9
- ^ a b Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 364
- ^ "Orkney Placenames" Orkneyjar. Retrieved 10 October 2007.
- ^ Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 363
- ^ a b Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 354
- ^ Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 386
- ^ Gammeltoft (2010) p. 16
- ^ Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 379
- ^ Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 341
- ^ Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 367
- ^ Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 352
- ^ Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 343
- ^ Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 400
- ^ a b Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 376
- ^ a b Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 397
- ^ Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 383
- ^ Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 392
- ^ Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 370
- ^ Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 394
- ^ Gammeltoft (2010) p. 18
- ^ a b Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 336
- ^ Mac an Tàilleir (2003) p. 109
- ^ Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 465
- General references
- Armit, Ian (2006) Scotland's Hidden History. Stroud. Tempus. ISBN 0-7524-3764-X
- Ballin Smith, B. and Banks, I. (eds) (2002) In the Shadow of the Brochs, the Iron Age in Scotland. Stroud. Tempus. ISBN 0-7524-2517-X
- Clarkson, Tim (2008) The Picts: A History. Stroud. The History Press. ISBN 978-0-7524-4392-8
- Haswell-Smith, Hamish (2004). The Scottish Islands. Edinburgh: Canongate. ISBN 978-1-84195-454-7.
- Gammeltoft, Peder (2010) "Shetland and Orkney Island-Names – A Dynamic Group". Northern Lights, Northern Words. Selected Papers from the FRLSU Conference, Kirkwall 2009, edited by Robert McColl Millar.
- General Register Office for Scotland (28 November 2003) Occasional Paper No 10: Statistics for Inhabited Islands. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
- Gillen, Con (2003) Geology and landscapes of Scotland. Harpenden. Terra Publishing. ISBN 1-903544-09-2
- Keay, J. & Keay, J. (1994) Collins Encyclopaedia of Scotland. London. HarperCollins. ISBN 0-00-255082-2
- Mac an Tàilleir, Iain (2003) Ainmean-àite/Placenames. (pdf) Pàrlamaid na h-Alba. Retrieved 26 August 2012.
- Omand, Donald (ed.) (2003) The Orkney Book. Edinburgh. Birlinn. ISBN 1-84158-254-9
- Nicolson, James R. (1972) Shetland. Newton Abbott. David & Charles.
- Sandnes, Berit (2003) From Starafjall to Starling Hill: An investigation of the formation and development of Old Norse place-names in Orkney. (pdf) Doctoral Dissertation, NTU Trondheim.
- Sandnes, Berit (2010) "Linguistic patterns in the place-names of Norway and the Northern Isles" Northern Lights, Northern Words. Selected Papers from the FRLSU Conference, Kirkwall 2009, edited by Robert McColl Millar.
- Schei, Liv Kjørsvik (2006) The Shetland Isles. Grantown-on-Spey. Colin Baxter Photography. ISBN 978-1-84107-330-9
- Shetland Islands Council (2010) "Shetland in Statistics 2010" (pdf) Economic Development Unit. Lerwick. Retrieved 6 March 2011
- Thomson, William P. L. (2008) The New History of Orkney Edinburgh. Birlinn. ISBN 978-1-84158-696-0
- Turner, Val (1998) Ancient Shetland. London. B. T. Batsford/Historic Scotland. ISBN 0-7134-8000-9
- Wickham-Jones, Caroline (2007) Orkney: A Historical Guide. Edinburgh. Birlinn. ISBN 1-84158-596-3
- ISBN 1-84158-323-5. First published 1926.