The Outer Hebrides
Stornoway
Our first sunrise in Scotland Friday morning was special. We are in the port of Stornoway, the largest town of the Outer Hebrides Islands and capital of the Isle of Lewis and Harris. Its history began with Vikings and continues with conflict over the centuries. Today, the people govern the island through the Stornoway Trust which seems to be an innovative way of managing things (http://stornowaytrust.org.uk/). Fishing and the marine industry are economic drivers. However, initiatives are ongoing to use the nearly constant winds to manufacture and export renewable energy. Not surprisingly, there is a small issue with running a power cable from the island to mainland.
Thanks to the Gulf Stream, winters are mild, surprisingly so for this northern latitude. But the stiff winds insure that trees don’t stand a chance on this island as we will see on our tour to the southernmost tip of Harris.
Isle of Harris
We boarded a bus to ride southward through the Isle of Lewis and squeeze through a narrow isthmus to continue southward through Harris. At the southern tip of the island is the site of St. Clement’s Church, the church of the MacLeod family that once controlled the entire island of Lewis.
St. Clements Church
The church is the best example of medieval architecture in the western isles of Scotland. It fell into disuse after the Reformation in 1560 AD but the clan used the church for burials. To illustrate, the crypt you see above is the resting place of the Alisdair MacLeod, eighth chief of the clan. Symbology carved in the stone capture important Gaelic tenets….religion, patronage, and power. Similarly, the carved stones represent other important clan leaders.
The landscape of the island of Harris is remarkable for it is such a contrasting mix of bare, rocky hillsides and windswept sandy beaches. But this barren-looking place is the origin point of world famous Harris tweed.
Harris Tweed
By law, Harris tweed uses wool taken from sheep raised on the island that is loomed, dyed and manufactured on the island. As a stop on our tour on our way back to Tarbert, we had the opportunity (Surprise! Surprise!) to visit a Harris tweed store. Shown above is an antique loom with roll after roll of tweed cloth. Yes, I did purchase a Harris tweed vest. I love it.
Similar to previous tours, our lunch stop at the Harris Hotel in Tarbert featured a traditional lunch. Yes, chicken breast and gravy, carrots, and mashed potatoes!
From Stornoway, we traveled north and eastward toward Kirkwall in the Orkney Islands that form the cap of Scotland. Notably, we were in for a change here, as we were off to see elements of the bronze age…no churches, no castles, no distilleries! As we sailed away, our singers presented classical music to accompany caviar by the pool.
Prehistoric Kirkwall
Arriving in the port of Kirkwall, we were off the ship early in the morning bound to explore prehistoric times. The Ring of Brodgar is a Neolithic henge and stone circle that stands on a small isthmus between Loch Stenness and Loch Harvey. The stone circle partially shown above measures approximately 104 meters in diameter surrounded by a ditch up to 3 meters deep. The original circle consisted of 60 stones of which 27 remain.
Ring of Brodgar
Best estimates place its construction in 2,500 to 2,000 BC which would have been 1,500 years before the writings of the Old Testament. Other Neolithic sites exist in the vicinity, and research is ongoing to more fully understand them. For historical comparison, these monuments appear to be of the same era as the first and second dynasties of Egypt, the brick temples of Sumeria, the first cities of the Harappa culture in India, and perhaps a century earlier than the Golden Age of China.
The purpose of the ring is subject to mixed and competing theories. Complicating an already difficult picture, Scandinavian invaders entered the scene in the 9th century. They might have imposed their own complex theology upon the existing monuments with carvings on the stones that appear to be of Nordic origin. I suppose no one will ever really know with high assurance what happened here.
Skara Brae
Nearby lies the remains of a prehistoric village. The Skara Brae is a Neolithic settlement located on the Bay of Skaill. The structures in the settlement are stone construction. The settlement is a collection of eight houses of below ground construction. People occupied Skara Brae from roughly 3180 BC to 2500 BC. This is Europe’s most complete village. and due to its excellent preservation, people refer to Skara Brae as Scotland’s Pompeii.
A massive storm in 1850 unearthed the village. However, archaeological research did not begin until 1927 by a University of Edinburgh professor although some plundering occurred prior to this time. Since then, archaeologists have gleaned much information from the site. The rooms and artifacts are quite complete. They reveal hints as to what the occupants ate, how they heated their homes and what activities they performed there. It is open to question why the occupants abandoned the village. However, the leading theory seems to be that a change in climate made life too harsh.
We had the opportunity to visit the Skaill House located next to Skara Brae. A powerful bishop built the house in 1620 over the top of an ancient graveyard. It stands as a fine example of how the well-to-do might have lived in the 17th century. However, more recently, the Queen Mother enjoyed visiting here. Visitors can see her signature in the guestbook.
Skaill House
Kirkwall
Our visit to Kirkwall was a study in contrasts. On one hand we could see pastoral settings of rock walls, sheep, cattle, and ancient buildings. On the other, we could see wind turbines everywhere and wave generators riding in the harbor producing renewable energy. Most unexpectedly for us, look at the gorgeous sunshine and mild temperatures making our late September visit to the Orkney Islands so memorable.
On our return to the ship, we had the opportunity to tour the bridge. It was fascinating (and reassuring) to see the tools the ship’s officers have to safely operate the SB Ovation. For example, we witnessed some unexpected excitement as the winds kicked up white caps and began to push the ship against its moorings. Safety Officer Anna Ejankowska (Sweden) quickly took decisive action with the counter thrusters to combat the force of the wind. Susie is sitting in the captain’s chair, just like at home!
So, we have reached the end of a very busy day. Now, we are leaving the Orkney Islands and will explore the eastern side of Scotland with stops at Dundee, Edinburgh, and Invergordon. When we visit these places, we will be leaping through the centuries from prehistoric to the Middle Ages. And some of what we will see will strike very close to home!
