Orkney Islands, Scotland
Early morning saw the National Geographic Endeavour anchor off the south coast of Mainland, Orkney. Following breakfast we boarded the Zodiacs and landed in the small Orcadian town of Stromness. It was here in 1885 that Sir John Franklin took on extra supplies before sailing on his ill-fated expedition to find the elusive North West Passage. Our morning was spent exploring some of the internationally famed prehistoric sites. The island is extremely rich in archaeological monuments. Mesolithic hunter-gatherers first settled these shores circa 7,000 B.C. As passive exploiters of their environment they did not leave an impact on the landscape, leaving only their humble shell middens as testimony of their presence. The general topography is one of low, undulating hills.
In the company of local guides we first visited the Ring of Brodgar. Constructed somewhere between 2,500 - 2,000 B.C., this stone circle originally consisted of 60 tall orthostats and belongs to the Bronze Age when metal was first fashioned into tools and weapons. Only 27 of the original stones remain and on a number of these, nineteenth century graffiti is clearly visible. Measuring 104 meters across, this is a most impressive site. The stone circle is enclosed by a bank on the outside of which is a ditch. It is estimated that the circular ditch took the equivalent of 10,000 ‘man’ days to complete.
From here we continued on to the Neolithic village of Skara Brae. This site was discovered in 1850 when a storm removed the top section of a sand dune complex and exposed the ancient stone-built houses. This is one of the most important archaeological sites in Europe from which a glimpse into the everyday life of the first farming communities in Scotland has been gained. The village was built in and around 3,000 B.C. and consists of nine houses and a workshop structure. The houses were subterranean and accessed via passageways. The local sandstone flags were used in their construction. The walls and interior features were found virtually intact. Each house had a stone dresser, which was located directly opposite the main door, box beds, a central fireplace and storage areas. Excavation revealed a wide range of everyday items including polished stone axes, flint projectile heads and jewelry made from animal bones and teeth. The roofs of these structures were probably sods of earth supported on a series of timbers.
The final archaeological visit was to Maes Howe, an elaborate passage tomb dating from roughly the same time period as Skara Brae. The entrance to the main burial chamber is a low stone-lined corridor. Originally the chamber was roofed using the corbelling system of oversailing courses of flagstones, but this was destroyed by a group of Vikings who broke into the structure in the ninth century looking for treasure. The present roof is a Victorian period replacement. On returning to Kirkwall we visited the famous Cathedral of St. Magnus. A blend of both Romanesque and Gothic styles, this is an inspiring building almost 800 years old.
The afternoon was spent on the small island of Shopinsay where we took part in guided walks of the gardens around Balfour castle as well as tea and pastries in the castle itself. To top off this most enjoyable day a couple of young local musicians came on board and played a selection of traditional tunes.
Early morning saw the National Geographic Endeavour anchor off the south coast of Mainland, Orkney. Following breakfast we boarded the Zodiacs and landed in the small Orcadian town of Stromness. It was here in 1885 that Sir John Franklin took on extra supplies before sailing on his ill-fated expedition to find the elusive North West Passage. Our morning was spent exploring some of the internationally famed prehistoric sites. The island is extremely rich in archaeological monuments. Mesolithic hunter-gatherers first settled these shores circa 7,000 B.C. As passive exploiters of their environment they did not leave an impact on the landscape, leaving only their humble shell middens as testimony of their presence. The general topography is one of low, undulating hills.
In the company of local guides we first visited the Ring of Brodgar. Constructed somewhere between 2,500 - 2,000 B.C., this stone circle originally consisted of 60 tall orthostats and belongs to the Bronze Age when metal was first fashioned into tools and weapons. Only 27 of the original stones remain and on a number of these, nineteenth century graffiti is clearly visible. Measuring 104 meters across, this is a most impressive site. The stone circle is enclosed by a bank on the outside of which is a ditch. It is estimated that the circular ditch took the equivalent of 10,000 ‘man’ days to complete.
From here we continued on to the Neolithic village of Skara Brae. This site was discovered in 1850 when a storm removed the top section of a sand dune complex and exposed the ancient stone-built houses. This is one of the most important archaeological sites in Europe from which a glimpse into the everyday life of the first farming communities in Scotland has been gained. The village was built in and around 3,000 B.C. and consists of nine houses and a workshop structure. The houses were subterranean and accessed via passageways. The local sandstone flags were used in their construction. The walls and interior features were found virtually intact. Each house had a stone dresser, which was located directly opposite the main door, box beds, a central fireplace and storage areas. Excavation revealed a wide range of everyday items including polished stone axes, flint projectile heads and jewelry made from animal bones and teeth. The roofs of these structures were probably sods of earth supported on a series of timbers.
The final archaeological visit was to Maes Howe, an elaborate passage tomb dating from roughly the same time period as Skara Brae. The entrance to the main burial chamber is a low stone-lined corridor. Originally the chamber was roofed using the corbelling system of oversailing courses of flagstones, but this was destroyed by a group of Vikings who broke into the structure in the ninth century looking for treasure. The present roof is a Victorian period replacement. On returning to Kirkwall we visited the famous Cathedral of St. Magnus. A blend of both Romanesque and Gothic styles, this is an inspiring building almost 800 years old.
The afternoon was spent on the small island of Shopinsay where we took part in guided walks of the gardens around Balfour castle as well as tea and pastries in the castle itself. To top off this most enjoyable day a couple of young local musicians came on board and played a selection of traditional tunes.
