Originally known as Hrossey meaning Horse Island,
Orkney's principal island is now referred to as the Mainland.
Nothing will prepare you for the majesty of the 70 islands of Orkney, with villages, burial chambers and standing stones built before the Great Pyramids of Egypt.
With a great wealth of prehistoric remains the most remarkable are the Neolithic settlement Skara Brae, the outstanding 5000 year old tomb of Maes Howe, the Bronze Age stone circle of Brodgar, the Iron Age brochs of Birsay and Gurness and the Pictish earth houses.
Later attractions like the Italian chapel, which as the name suggests, was built by the Italians held prisoner in Orkney during the Second World War.
The isles of Orkney have experienced Neolithic, Pictish, Celtic, Norse, Scottish and European influence, which provides a variety of histories that you can experience. The first settlers were believed to be here as early as 4000 BC.
Northlink Orkney and Shetland Ferries – NorthLink Ferries – car ferry service to the Orkney,
Shetland Islands and
Aberdeen.
Scotland (AA Road Map Britain S.)
From the experts at the AA this updated road map is all you need for motoring around Scotland. The maps combine clear design and more road detail with an easy to read scale to ensure that you never lose your way. There are also fifteen town plans on the reverse of each map plus an easy to read place-name index. The maps are folded to a handy slim line format and are contained in a durable encapsulated card cover, offering great value for this price.
