Scotland Genealogy: Orkney Census & County
Records
The Orkney Islands. Lying off the northern coast of Scotland,
Orkney consists of a group of almost treeless, gently rolling
islands separated from the mainland by the Pentland Firth.
The islands lie between the North Sea to the east and the
Atlantic Ocean to the west and cover an area of 376 square
miles. There are roughly 70 islands but only 17 are inhabited.
Kirkwall, the county's main town, is on the largest island,
The Mainland. The town is the site of the magnificent 12th
century cathedral of St. Magnus and the ruins of the Bishop's
and Earl's Palaces. The next largest islands are Hoy, Westray,
Sanday, and Stronsay. Warm ocean currents give the islands
the mild climate that makes them one of Scotland's most productive
farming areas, with beef cattle being the main product. Fishing
is also a highly significant industry but recently tourism
has overtaken both it and farming in terms of earnings. The
discovery of oil beneath the North Sea led to the construction
of a pipeline terminal on Flotta, one of the islands that
surround the sheltered harbour of Scapa Flow. A causeway links
the southern islands of Burray and South Ronaldsay to the
Mainland of Orkney. Remains of prehistoric origin are to be
found in abundance. They include burial chambers and rings
of standing stones as well as the Stone Age village of Skara
Brae which has been designated a World Heritage Site. Viking
raiders arrived from Norway 1200 years ago and colonized the
islands but they came under Scottish rule in 1472 when, along
with Shetland, they were ceded to Scotland in lieu of a wedding
dowry.
[Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia, 1996]
Orkney,
Scotland: Parish and Probate Records
A collection of parish and probate records in Scotland, from
the 1500s to the 1800s.
Orkney Islands and Parishes Index