Twelve standing stones originally formed the stone circle at Stennes but only four remain today, the tallest of which is over 5.5 metres high.

The Stennes stone circle was surrounded by a ditch 6 m wide and 2.3m deep and outside of this, a similar bank. Archaeologists refer to this type of structure as a “henge“.  The ditches and banks have been eroded by ploughing activity and are no longer visible.

During excavations, features discovered in the centre of the ring suggested that a wooden post was situated centrally, later followed by a 2m square setting of stone slabs with 2 larger stones set to the north.

The three large slab structure to the north, has been rebuilt twice over the years and is comparable to structures in other great stone circles.  All of the features lie on a line due north from the centre.

In 1906AD, a fallen stone was re-erected taking only 8 men and a timber framework ramp, leading to calculations that it took over 5000 man days to build Stennes, with most of this time spent digging the ditches and building the bank.  50 men could have built the henge over a single summer or 10 – 20 men over a few seasons.

Archaeologists discovered “grooved ware” pottery, bones of animals and one human finger along with evidence of a fire in the small central setting.  Signs of much later iron age activity was also noted, showing that the henge stayed in use for many years following it’s build.

Further information

Orkneyjar – The heritage of the Orkney islands; Standing Stones o’ Stennes article

Stonehenge – Probably the best known prehistoric stone circle.

Stone Circles .org – List of British Prehistoric sites and stone circles.Similar Posts:

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The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), has announced that Orkney Blast produced at the Highland brewery of Birsay,  has been crowned ‘Champion Beer of Scotland’ for 2010 at the Scottish Real Ale Festival.

Orkney Blast, a 6% ABV strong bitter, is described in CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide as ‘having a mushroom and woody aroma that blossoms into a well-balanced smack of malt and hop in the taste.’

Highland brewery’s success at the Festival is the culmination of months of CAMRA branch recommendations and tasting sessions in the quest to find the best beer in Scotland!

Runner up in this year’s competition was the Black Isle brewery’s (of Munlochy, Ross-shire) Hibernator Oatmeal Stout, while third place went to the Cairngorm brewery’s (of Aviemore, Highlands) Black Gold.

Judging the final entrants this year were a panel of CAMRA members, brewers and beer writers.

A delighted Rob Hill, Highland brewery owner, on hearing the results, said:

“Life a blast! It’s about as good as it gets. It’s the third time we’ve won this award, and it’s a great achievement. You don’t often get a beer of this type winning such awards, therefore we are so happy to win. We’ve just expanded our brewing unit here – I’m chasing quality, and looking forward to winning more awards!”

Bob Wallace, CAMRA’s Scottish Real Ale Festival organiser, praised the quality of this year’s finalists and said “the growth of the real ale market in Scotland makes this competition harder to judge by the year. There were some fantastic examples of all different beer styles on show in this competition today, and we can’t wait for the thirsty punters in the Festival hall to give them or any of the other 140 real ales a try at the Assembly Rooms this week”

Further information:

Scottish Real Ale Festival CAMRA Scottish Real Ale festival website
CAMRA – Campaigning for Real Ale, Pubs and Drinkers’ rights since 1971
Highland Brewing Co World class real ales brewed in the Orkney Islands
Black Isle Brewery, Save the planet, drink organic.
Cairngorm Brewery Co, Good things brewing in the Highlands.Similar Posts:

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Grazing on a summer evening

Cattle in this region need to be quite robust as Orkney summers are short, with temperatures often peaking around 18 or 19 degrees and from October, light is lost from around 3.00pm with sunrise at about 8.30am.  Strong winds and driving rain are a feature of the fairly mild winters.

The Aberdeen Angus breed lends itself well to this region, maturing quickly to give a good proportion of fat to lean, with very little bone.

Although you will come across a quantity of pure Aberdeen Angus beef, the breed itself is quite small in stature and herds are often cross bred with Belgain Blue, Charolais, Limousin, Simmental and  Beef Shorthorn in order to obtain a larger animal.

The Orkney Islands are also free from BSE and Foot and Mouth disease and the farmers pride themselves in the welfare of their cattle.  The agricultural shows are a focus for the islands farming communities, culminating in the prestigious County Show which is held in Kirkwall during August.

Orkney beef cattle will be turned out to graze from May to October, then brought in for the winter, where they are fed on home produced silage.

Smoked Beef

Orcadians have smoked their meat and fish for many centuries and beef is no exception.  There are local butchers who still produce their own Oak smoked beef.

More information

Orkney Livestock Assoc – a farmer led health scheme for Orkney farmers.

The Aberdeen Angus Cattle Society

Orkney agricultural shows – What’s on diary

Orcadian butchers – Orkney Food Trail.comSimilar Posts:

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Standing around 1m high and kept under lock and key the scientific equipment is an unusual sight to see amongst all the other street furniture.

Stromness barometer

The barometer is to be found on the boundary wall of Stromness Parish Church

Incorporated into the boundary wall of Stromness Parish Church in Orkney the thermometer and barometer seem to be mounted on a wooden frame.

Little seems to be published on the internet about this equipment. However, peering through the cobwebs and dusty glass you can just make out some writing hidden in the gloom which reads;

‘Royal National Lifeboat Institution. Supported by voluntary contributions’ and a date  which is hard to make out  and could possibly be  ’y 98′.

Hidden in dust and cobwebs is some text

A clearer label is also attached between the barometer at the top and the thermometer which reads;

‘This Barometer reads correctly with Greenwich Standard FRS’

Red box

Positioned to the left of the barometer cabinet is a smaller cabinet, currently empty, that possibly held another device or maybe an explanation on the usage of the adjacent equipment.

Your help

Can you add to the history of this scientific equipment?

Please let us know via the contact us form or the comments section below.Similar Posts:

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The first 30+ years have seen long and arduous rescues carried out to leisure craft, fishing vessels and larger commercial vessels.

On alert - the Kirkwall RNLI Lifeboat

In 1988 The Arun class lifeboat, Mickie Salvesen was placed on service.

A new mooring berth was dredged during 1989 as the old berth, used by the Clyde lifeboat, was unsuitable for the Arun class lifeboat because of the lack of depth.

The new Severn class lifeboat Margaret Foster ON 1231 (17-13) was placed in service on 26 March 1998.

The Margaret Foster is moored afloat

It carries a Y Class inflatable boat, which can be deployed by an on-board crane for use in shallow water.

Three bronze medals have been awarded to the Kirkwall Lifeboat Station.

The Kirkwall station is one of three serving the waters around Orkney. Longhope and Stromness are the other two.

Specification

Kirkwall lifeboat is an RNLI Severn Class vessel

Length – 17m
Range  - 250 nautical miles
Speed  - 25 knots
Weight  - 41 tonnes
Crew  - 6
5,500 litre (1,200 imperial gallons) fuel capacity
Construction  - Fibre reinforced composite
Cost to replace – £2m
Class introduced in 1995

Volunteers

The RNLI is an independent charity, and does not receive any funding from the UK government.

Since its foundation in 1824 the RNLI has saved more than 139,000 lives

Founded as the National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck after an appeal made by Sir William Hillary, the name was changed to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution in 1854.Similar Posts:

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Set as a focal point to the well manicured lawns and tended flower beds, the cone shaped roof on a square box like room appears to have been here for many years. However, the story behind this building involves pirates, a large fire and restoration.

Pirates

The history behind this building starts in 1724 when John Gow, a pirate, acquired the vessel, known as the Caroline, somewhere off Santa Cruz.

Set in the grounds of Kirkwall Museum is the Groattie Hoose

Renamed ‘Revenge’, it carried out a number of attacks before arriving at Stromness, now called the called the ‘George’ in early 1725.

It was only a matter of time before the true identity of Gow, the vessel and the crew were revealed.

Rather than give themselves up to the authorities, Gow and his men decided to set out to successfully attack the Hall of Clestrain, the birthplace of the explorer John Rae.

Carrick house on Eday was to be the next target, however they ran aground and were arrested.

John Gow was taken to London were he was hung, twice, on the 11th of August, 1729

Ballast

Contained within the hull of the Revenge was a large amount of volcanic stones used as keel ballast.

These stones were used to build a summerhouse for an Edinburgh lawyer and merchant James Traill who had retired to Orkney. His house, called the Gallery, was on Bridge Street.

James Traill became Provost of Kirkwall from 1730-33.

The Groattie Hoose, Kirkwall

Seashells, known as European Cowries or locally as groatie buckies,  were used to decorate the spire.  This is where the name Groatie Hoose comes from.

Fire

Although James Traill had nine children, none of them survived childhood and the Gallery passed to his nephew John Traill of Westness upon his death in 1733.

Extensive renovation and building works were carried out on the property and garden.

The house remained in the family for over 100 years before being turned in to an hotel.

Gutted by fire in 1938, the main building was demolished and built over.

The Groatie Hoose remained until 2005 when it was moved brick by brick from Bridge Street to its present location.

Further information

Groatie House Warming

Pirate Gow - Orkney Boat MuseumSimilar Posts:

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Cliffs at Marwick Head

Exposed to the Atlantic Ocean, the clifftops are home to the largest cliff nesting seabird colony on the Orkney mainland.

Some of the star species you are likely to encounter in this seabird city include; Fulmars, Razorbills, Kittiwakes and Guillemots and Puffins.

You may also be lucky enough to see Hen harriers, Artic skuas and Red-throated divers.  In a good season, over 25,ooo nesting birds use the sandstone cliff ledges of Mariwck Head.

The beach of Marwick Bay attracts a wide range of wading birds and ducks, the reserve also extends to some of the wet meadows immediately behind the footpath where Short eared owls (Catty faces) are often seen sitting on fence posts in the afternoon sun.

Early summer in May and June is the best time to see these birds and the carpets of pink Thrift.

The Marwick Head circular walk along the cliff path, will lead to the Kitchener Memorial and gives stunning views over to the island of Hoy.

More information

RSPB – Marwick Head

Welcome to Scotland – Marwick Head

Kitchener Memorial – Spirit of OrkneySimilar Posts:

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Seals are locally known as Selkies and legends which originated in the Orkney Isles will tell of seals which can transform themselves to humans.

Orkney Seal Rescue
Seals face many dangers, often as a result of human activities. Many suffer injury due to discarded fishing nets & rubbish,  illness due to polluted seas

Seal trapped in fishing net, from the Orkney Seal Rescue gallery

and starvation due to over-fishing.

Orkney Seal Rescue is based on the Island of South Ronaldsay.  They provide a valuable service protecting  seals, rescuing and caring for sick, injured and abandoned animals.

They are a registered charity which were founded in 1988 to cope with a virus which killed over 18,000 common seals.Fighting to save seals and raise awareness to their plight, Orkney Seal Rescue rely on public support and business sponsorship.

About Seals
Seals are intelligent, warm-blooded creatures that spend most of their lives at sea, coming ashore only to bask, breed and moult. Seals may look slow and clumsy on land but in the vast ocean, they are swift and graceful swimmers. Their streamlined bodies slice through the water with ease as they catch fish, whilst a thick layer of fat (blubber) and a covering of dense fur ensures they keep warm in the cold sea.

Seals are well adapted to life at sea and their flippers are perfectly shaped to propel and steer. When you see a seal ‘flying’ through the water, it becomes clear why the group of animals to which the seal belongs are known as ‘pinnipeds’, which means winged feet.

Grey seal with pup from the Orkney Seal Rescue Gallery

Seals breathe air, but can dive for up to an hour, reaching depths of up to 500m. They carry three times as much oxygen in their blood as a similarly sized land mammal.

As formidable hunters, their large eyes ensure superb vision under water, even in poor light. Acute hearing allows them to pinpoint prey and their ears have adapted to allow them to hear well under water.

Sensitive whiskers detect vibrations of moving prey in the water, so that even blind seals have been known to survive in the wild. When diving, a seal shuts its nostrils, and strong throat muscles prevent water from entering their wind pipe, this allows them to feed underwater.

Among seals’ favourite foods are sand eels, cod and smiths. Both grey and common seals eat a variety of prey including shellfish, squid and octopus. Their diet is determined by the availability of prey species in any given area. During mating and pepping seasons, grey seal bulls and cows do not feed, losing up to 25% of their body weight.

What to do if you think you find a Seal in trouble
Keep a safe distance and don’t touch. Seals have sharp teeth and may bite if they feel threatened.

Try to ensure the seal is safe.

• Is it thin?
• Is it alert?
• Is its mother in the sea nearby?

Try & place a marker to help rescuers locate the seal, then ring Orkney Seal Rescue (number below) and report your encounter. They will treat each call as a matter of urgency.

Orkney Seal Rescue
Dyke End, South Ronaldsay, Orkney
KW17 2TJ
Tel: 01856 831463

Support Orkney Seal Rescue.
Orkney Seal Rescue rely heavily on charity donations and support from local businesses.

Visit the Orkney Seal Rescue website to find out how your donation could make a real difference and to download the brochure or donation form.

Every supporter of Orkney Seal Rescue receives a seal window sticker and a copy of Orkney Seal Rescue News.Similar Posts:

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Apart from the raising of beef cattle, the only arable crops likely to be grown in Orkney are Oats, Barley and Wheat.

Traditional Orkney Chair

Ancient crops of Bere barley and black oats were grown in Orkney up to the start of the 20th century.

A cereal crop high in protein, these were mainly grown for animal feed.  The durable straw was and still is used for making the backs of traditional Orkney chairs.

Black Oats (Avena strigosa)
The Scots name for oat is ‘ait’ or ‘ate’.  Black Oats are also known as the Bristle Oats and are particularly hardy plants, ripening from August to October.

Black Oats can be grown in acidic, heavy clay and nutritionally poor soils and once harvested can be stored for several years.

The straw has a wide range of uses including bio-mass, fibre, mulch, paper-making and thatching.

Bere Barley
Pronounced “bear,” this six-row barley, cultivated mainly in Orkney, Scotland, is thought to be the oldest cereal in continuous commercial cultivation in the British Isles.

Grains of such barleys dating back to about 3000 BC have been found at Unstan in Orkney and are thought to have been brought to the British Isles by Vikings. In earlier days it was also called “bygge” or “big,” probably originating from bygg, the Old Norse term for barley.

Bere is adapted to growing on acidic soils. Often referred to as to 90 day Barley, it can be sown in the spring and due to the long hours of summer daylight in the Northern Hemisphere, can be harvested in the summer.

Records from the 16th to 18th century, indicate that Lairds required a large portion of their tenants rent to be paid in Bere Barley.

Field of wheat in Orkney

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, bere provided grain for milling and malting and straw for thatching and animal bedding. It was also exported from Orkney and other ports in Scotland to Northern Europe.

The Agronomy Institute at Orkney College UHI in Scotland started a research program on bere in 2002. Aimed at developing new markets for the crop and  best practices for it’s cultivation.  The crop is also grown on the island of Islay, for whisky production.

Wheat (Triticum aestivum)
Wheat has only recently started to be grown in Orkney.

A collaboration with Barony Mill and JF Groundwater, Baker & Grocer and European TRACE project is researching the potential of growing various wheat varietes with a view to producing a local flour for baking.

More information

Orkney Wine Company – Wine made from local produce

Agronomy Institute at Orkney College UHI

European TRACE project - Tracing the origin of foodSimilar Posts:

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Kitchener memorial

The grand, square stone tower was erected by the people of Orkney after the First World War, to commemorate Lord Kitchener and the crew of HMS Hampshire, sunk on June 5th 1916, leaving only 12 survivors.  It is thought that the cruise liner struck a mine laid by the German submarine U75,

Kitchener, the then British Minister of War was on his way to confer with the Czar’s government in Russia.

Some of the atefects were recently lifted by a salvage ship and after a great deal of dispute, ended up at the Lyness Museum.

A small gun, recovered from the wreckage is mounted at the start of the footpath below Marwick head.

Gun salvaged from HMS Hampshire

The imposing stone memorial was unveiled by General Lord Horne in June 1926 with a salute by HMS Royal Sovereign.

The inscription on the plaque reads;

“This tower was raised by the people of Orkney in memory of Field Marshall Earl Kitchener of Khartoum on that corner of his country which he had served so faithfully nearest to the place where he died on duty.  He and his staff perished along with the officers and nearly all the men of HMS Hampshire on 5th June 1916.”

More information

Herbert Kitchener – 1st Earl Kitchener – Wikipedia

Military picture taken c1925 at the Kitchener memorial – Orkney Communities.

Lyness Interpretation CentreSimilar Posts:

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