In the Orkney Islands, an archipelago off the northeastern coast of Scotland

 Perched just off the northernmost point of Scotland is one of the most beautiful archipelagos in the United Kingdom: Orkney. These islands have had a long and rich Viking history since they were settled by Norsemen in the early 9th century CE.

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(in an archipelago in the Northern Isles of Scotland, off the north coast of the island of Great Britain) Of some 70 islands in the archipelago, 20 are inhabited. Most folk, however, live on the largest island, Mainland Orkney. Its capital is the Royal Burgh of Kirkwall. The island’s mainy town, Kirkwall is a gateway of people and goods. Though separated from the Scottish mainland by just 10 miles (16 km) across the Pentland Firth, Orkney, a harbor town, is one destination that feels a world away.From the 9th to 15th centuries, when the northern island group lay in the hands of the Norse king, a thralldom held by earls. (Ceded to Scotland in 1468, the islands’ Viking roots still echo in Kirkwall.)

+ The Orkney Islands were the Orcades of ancient classical literature. There remains much evidence of prehistoric occupation at various periods: underground houses, circles, standing stones, and earth houses. Skara Brae, an underground village on the west coast of the island of Mainland, is one of the most complete European relics of the late Neolithic Period; this location and several others on the island were collectively designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999. Norse raiders arrived in the late 8th century and colonized the islands in the 9th century; thereafter the islands were ruled by Norway and Denmark. Celtic missionaries had arrived in the 7th century, but the Norsemen were not converted until much later. Kirkwall’s cathedral, dedicated to St. Magnus, was mainly built by Norsemen during the 12th century. Orkney (and Shetland) passed into Scottish rule in 1472.

+ The Orkney Islands were fashioned by glacial erosion of the underlying sandstone, limestone, and igneous rocks into low, undulating hills, covered extensively by glacial deposits. Westerly winds and gales account for the general scarcity of trees. The largest of the islands is Mainland which is divided into East Mainland and West Mainland; they are connected by a narrow strip of land about 2 miles (3 km) wide between Kirkwall and Scapa Flow. The small islands of Burray and South Ronaldsay, to the south of East Mainland, are now joined to it by causeways constructed during World War II.

+ Orkney is a prosperous farming area despite its fragmentation. Its farms are small and owner-occupied, averaging about 35 acres (14 hectares) and using modern mechanical methods to achieve high productivity. The main agricultural products are beef cattle and eggs, although the raising of pigs and the production of milk have both greatly increased. Some fodder crops are grown, but much is imported. Because of the importance of agriculture, the fishing industry has not been developed to the same extent as in the neighbouring Shetland Islands.