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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• Rendall Doocot
• Whisky – the spirits from Orkney
• Blast is Champion Beer
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SAGA Ruby visiting Kirkwall in 2009

In modern times the safe harbours offered by Orkney were the last stopping point for ships heading out across the Atlantic to the New World and beyond.

Today this tradition continues with cruise liners frequently stopping in the waters just off Kirkwall and Stromness.

Orkney is now Scotland’s favourite cruise destination and third most popular in the United Kingdom.

According to a survey conducted in 2008 cruise ships boost Orkney’s economy by more than £2.8 million a year.

These ships deliver more than 30,000 passengers and 10,000 crew in to the local shops, restaurants and historic sites.

This accounts for around 25% of Orkney’s total annual visitors.

The average spend per passenger on shore was £49,  with 94% of total passenger numbers coming ashore either to tour or shop.

Popular destination

Around 70 ships visit the islands every year.

The survey was commissioned by the Orkney Islands Council’s Director of Harbours, following a generic report by the same agency on European Cruise Ship ports and their economic comparative data.

Already scheduled for arrival in Orkney during 2010 are some well known cruise liners including:-

• Statsraad Lehmkuhl – a three-masted barque rigged sail training vessel owned and operated by the Statsraad Lehmkuhl Foundation.
• Ocean Countess – Operated by Cruise & Maritime Voyages
• Oriana – Operated by P&O Cruises
• SAGA Ruby – Operated by SAGA holidays
• ms Eurodam – Operated by Holland America Line

Tall ships

Statsraad Lehmkuhl in Kirkwall

Orkney is one of 12 harbours around Scotland to be selected as a guest harbour to play host to Tall Ships during The Tall Ships Races in July 2011.

Both Greenock and Lerwick are official host ports within the race series, and plans are taking shape to encourage Tall Ships to visit to Scottish Guest Harbours during the cruise in company leg between Greenock and Lerwick from July 12-21.

Shetland is taking the lead to develop the nine day sail between these ports, a non-competitive leg of the Races series.

For further information about The Tall Ships Races-Lerwick, please visit www.tallshipsraceslerwick.com

Further information

Cruise Scotland website – Breathtaking scenery, stunning cities, haunting history, UNESCO World Heritage sites, and a variety of ports large and small make Scotland the perfect cruise destination.

Orkney Marine Services – Marine Services provides all pilot launch and pilotage services directly as well as Vessel Traffic Services for Scapa Flow and approaches and the Kirkwall Harbour area.Similar Posts:

• The Churchill Barriers
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Many people travel to Orkney via ferry, bringing their own motor home with them, However, we would point out that the roads in Orkney are not designed for large vehicles and heavy traffic, many are indeed single track road with passing places, which could make some of the large, modern mobile homes a little cumbersome.

An enterprising couple on the mainland are offering tourists the freedom to travel light and hire a self drive camper van when they get there….and yes, they are genuine VW camper vans, lovingly named;

Poppy the Orkney VW camper van

Poppy, who is a 1986 Leisuredrive conversion and Mr Bumble, a 1982 Westfalia High Top

The vans are equipped with everything you need to start your holiday, all you need to do is chose what to do first.

Hiring a VW camper gives you the freedom to choose where you go and how long you stay there as well as being compact and easy to drive around Orkney’s roads.

“It’s not just your wheels and your bed, it’s a way of life”.

Wild Camping
As well as campsites, Orkney (and the rest of Scotland) is one of the few places in the UK that you can still wild camp.

Plenty of beaches have public toilets with drinkable water and sinks.

Mr Bumble, the Westflaia High Top

People are asked to be aware of their impact on the natural habitat when wild camping, so there are a few simple rules to ensure your stay leaves the beautiful beaches as you found them and the facilities clean and tidy. This will ensure that this privilege lives on long after we have all gone.

A Hire Car with a Difference
Why not think about hiring a camper van as an alternative to a conventional hire car? It is much cheaper than a hire car and a hotel, plus you get to live the dream and you can vary whether you sleep in the van, stay with friends or at a B & B or Hotel, the choice is yours.

Have you seen Poppy or Mr Bumble?
Maybe you have seen one of these characterful camper vans on your tour of the islands or perhaps you have even hired one…If you have some happy camping stories and pictures to share, then just send them to us via the comments link at the end of the article.

More about camping in Orkney

Orkneycampers.com – Genuine VW camper van hire

Wild camping in Scotland

Orkney camping, caravan & hostels - A full list of camping and caravan sites on the Orkney mainland and islands

Be a responsible camper – Scottish outdoor access codeSimilar Posts:

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Delicate ice crystals cling to winter seed heads

The Orkney Isles can have warmer winters than on the mainland but 2009/2010 must be an exception.

For all Orcadians reading this article, your ex-natives would love to know what orkney looks like this winter.

Please send us your pictures, stories and even video which we can feature on this site.

If you are a professional photographer on the island, why not send us some images and promote your business at the same time.

Have any of you been lucky enough to see the Aurora Borealis this winter?

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Athletics

Badminton

Orkney Badminton Association – The badminton season runs from September to April each year.

Climbing

Darts

Kirkwall & District Darts League. KDDL was formed in 1967. The darts season runs from September until April, with A league matches generally taking place on Monday nights and B league games played on Tuesday nights.

Diving

Orkney Sub Aqua Club – Based in Hatston Industrial Estate, Kirkwall. The club facilities comprise of large garage for a 5.8m RIB max. 8 divers, lecture room, kitchen, shower room, toilet and spa facilities with a jacuzzi and sauna

Fishing

Orkney Trout Fishing Association – The OTFA is a non-profit making voluntary body dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of game fishing throughout the Orkney Islands.

Orkney Islands Sea Angling Association – Cod, pollack, whiting, haddock, ling, mackerel, plaice and flounders can all be caught in the sea surround Orkney.

Football

Holm Football Club – The history of football in Holm dates back to World War 1 when soldiers based at the Holm Breckan Battery formed a team.

Stromness Athletic Football Club – The club has been around for over 100 years

Golf

Orkney Golf Club – Grainbank, Kirkwall, Orkney W15 1RD. Telephone 01856 872457
E Mail – orkneygolfclub@yahoo.com

Stromness Golf Club -Stromness Golf Club, Ness Road, Stromness. Orkney KW16 3DL  Telephone : 01856 850772

Karate

Orkney Karate -

Kayak and canoe

Orkney Sea Kayaking Association – Although many members have their own kayaks, OSKA has some kayaks and equipment for general use by members. OSKA is affiliated to the Scottish Canoe Association (SCA).

Motorcross

Orkney Motorcross Club

Motor Club

Orkney Motor Club – The Orkney Motor Club, founded in 1986 is the most northerly RAC Motor Club in the UK.

Ramblers

Orkney Ramblers Club – Formed in 1992 to promote walking within Orkney. Walks take place every second Sunday, averaging 5 to 10 Miles and include Coastal strolls, hill-walking, and hiking over heather and peat track

Rugby

Orkney Rugby Football Club - The Present club was founded as the result of an advert placed in the “Orcadian”  on Thursday 8th September 1966. Pickaquoy, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1RR  Telephone: 01856 872163

Sailing

Orkney Sailing Club – The Club is conveniently located on the harbour front in a listed building known as “The Girnel” in Harbour Street.  Address: Orkney Sailing Club, The Girnel, Harbour Street, Kirkwal,l Orkney, KW15 1LE Telephone : 07933 445 620

Stromness Sailing Club – based at the Ness Point end of Stromness harbour, close to Stromness Golf Club.

Holm Sailing Club – based in the village of St. Mary’s.

Westray Sailing Club – Sailing nights are Tuesday and Thursday, meeting at the harbour at 6:30pm with sailing starting at 7:00pm prompt.

Orkney Yole Association – The association has 60+ members comprising a small nucleus of owners and active sailors and supporters who want to preserve this once vital part of the economic and social life of the islands.

Triathlon

Orkney Triathlon Club - Orkney is home to the most northerly triathlon in the UK.

—————————————-

Pastime and hobby associations

Orkney Field Club - The Field Club was founded in 1959 to encourage the study and conservation of the natural heritage of Orkney. It is a recognised charity, No. SC 012459, and all members are volunteers. Address : Orkney Field Club, C/O Kirkwall Library, 44 Junction Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1AG

East Mainland Gardeners – The club was formed in 2003 “to promote the interest of gardening among individuals resident in Orkney” and we have 70 members.

Orkney Amateur Radio Club – Radio telecommunications has always had an important role to play in this remote group of islands. As a consequence, there have been radio amateurs here since the early days of the hobby.

Orkney Vintage Club –  The Club was formed in 1982 and caters for all types of enthusiast – those owning or interested in cars, tractors, stationary engines, motor cycles, farm implements and machinery, household items etc – in fact the list is endless.

If you have a sports club in the Orkney Isles and would like to feature on this page, then just let us know via the “contact us” page.
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Fuchsia Magellanica Riccartonii is a naturalised alien, thought to be  introduced from South America, where it’s native home is Chile.  It is one of the hardiest Fuchsias, forming patches of dense scrub along paths, tracks and waterways. It is fast growing and can often be found reaching 3 metres or more in some areas.

This Fuchsia generally dies back with the first sign of frost, but as the Orkney Isles are warmed by the Gulf Stream, it is obvious that it can thrive unhindered for mots of the year, especially in the Western regions.

Leaves are dark green, serrated and are arranged opposite each other on the stem.

The four red sepals which form the outer part of the flower, turn hedgerows crimson in the summer and autumn but the inner deep purple petals are quite short, unlike their showy commercial cousins. Eight long red protruding stamens bear purple anthers allowing easy pollination by local bees and insects.

It is widely used as a hedging plant, because of its vigorous and dense growth and can be found bounding many of  the gardens in Kirkwall and Stromness.

Related topics;
BBC Gardening – How to grow hardy Fuchsia
The British Fuchsia Society – Everything you need to know about Fuchsia.

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Guest houses and bed and breakfast accommodation is plentiful and a hearty welcome awaits visitors to the islands.

Kirkwall harbour, Orkney

Self caterers can be assured of an incredible range of high quality places to stay.

You can choose from refurbished mills to town centre apartments.

Camp sites and hostels are well equipped to service those bringing their own caravan or motor home.

Many sites have static caravans providing stunning views of the islands.

For a details of places to stay on the mainland and islands, go to www.visitorkney.com

Wherever you choose to stay, you are assured of warm Orcadian hospitality

Similar Posts:

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• Camping and Hostels in Orkney
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