The Ornkeys

In junior high school I read a lot of history books, and much of that history was World Wars I and II. Since my grandfather Jackson was a captain in the U. S. Navy, I was particularly interested in things naval. I was intrigued by this place called Scapa Flow where the British based their Grand Fleet in WWI, and where they based major naval units during WWII. As I’ve grown older I’ve found that my metrics for understanding history have improved. For instance, if A. P. Hill’s Confederate division marched 17 miles in one day from Harper’s Ferry to Antietam Creek (arriving on the field of battle just in time to save Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia from destruction) during the Civil War, how far does that “feel”? After Jane and my 7½ mile pilgrimage around Iona [without the burden of serious backpacks, weapons, etc.], I have a better sense of the gravity of that feat.

So I have enjoyed exploring the Orkney Islands where Scapa Flow is, getting a sense of how big the place is. I have also gotten a sense of proximity. You can see the northern Scottish mainland from Orkney. Walking around Stromness took us back to the 1600’s, 1700’s, 1800’s when the town bustled from a variety of riches from the sea. Curiously, Stromness was the source of 2/3’s of the Hudson’s Bay Company employees in Canada, and was a major shipping point for the company as well.

Yesterday Jane and I went to see the standing stones of Stennis and the Brogdar stone circle. Four and a half to five thousand years ago what we term Neolithic peoples stood these stone slabs on end. It is stunning to see, walk amongst, touch these ancient monuments to human connection with creation.

We visited an archeological dig being done by Orkney College. Hearing the head researcher speak there gave us further insight into the Neolithic culture.

In Kirkwall we visited St. Magnus Cathedral, an Earl’s Renaissance palace, and the Bishop’s House. For such a small collection of islands, the Orkneys just ooze history.