A lunar eclipse on the winter solstice is a rare event that few will witness. The last lunar Solstice eclipse was 372 years ago. The Orcadian newspaper astronomer, John Vetterlein of Rousay, takes … [Read more...]
Orkney in top 10 best places to live
December 27, 2010 By Leave a Comment
In a the annual Bank of Scotland study, Orkney is rated amongst the top 10 best places to live. Among the criteria are; life expectancy, performance of schools, employment and climate. The Orkney … [Read more...]
Dr John Rae, Explorer
November 14, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Orcadian, Dr. John Rae was an intrepid explorer whose important discoveries were met with indifference and even derision. Rae was born at the Hall of Clestrain in the parish of Orphir in Orkney, to … [Read more...]
St. Magnus Cathedral
November 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment
A large part of the imposing and magnificent St. Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall has stood for over 850 years. In 1137, work started on this church built of red and yellow sandstone, to house the … [Read more...]
Banks Tomb Video Diary
November 9, 2010 By 1 Comment
Archaeologists have harnessed the power of YouTube to bring daily reports from the latest dig at Banks Tomb in South Ronaldsay. Join the Orkney Research Centre for Archaeology (ORCA) team, headed … [Read more...]
Stunning Bottle for a Special Malt
October 5, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Orkney's Highland Park distillery has unveiled the oldest ever island single malt whisky. 275 bottles of the 50 year old spirit have been produced and will launch exclusively to Harrods, before … [Read more...]
Neolithic Bodies in Orkney Garden
October 5, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Orkney county archaeologists say that a neolithic tomb discovered in South Ronaldsay is a significant find. A bistro owner in South Ronaldsay decided to tidy his garden and ended up finding a tomb … [Read more...]
Ring of Brodgar
August 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment
The Ring of Brodgar in Orkney is one of the largest neolithic stone circles and henges in Britain. Thought to have been built in the late Neolithic period, around 2500BC (a hundred years after … [Read more...]
Barnhouse Neolithic Settlement
August 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment
The 5000 year old village of Barnhouse in Orkney, is one of the finest examples of neolithic settlement in the UK. Situated on the shore of Loch Harray, archaeological excavations in the 1980's … [Read more...]
Standing stones of Stenness
July 9, 2010 By Leave a Comment
The imposing neolithic standing stones of Stenness in Orkney are thought to have been erected between 3000 and 2500 BC. Twelve standing stones originally formed the stone circle at Stenness but … [Read more...]
