My Dad's side of the family originated in the Orkneys Islands which make up the Northern Isles of Scotland. In 1867, my great great great grandpa, a lighthouse keeper, and his wife immigrated to Australia. His surname, Leslie, is preserved in my middle name.
The trip to Orkney is not easy; it took longer to bus & ferry from London to Kirkwall than it did to to fly & train from Melbourne to Málaga! The NorthLink ferry from Aberdeen was very turbulent, but someone recommended I sit on the bottom deck in the middle of the ship to reduce nausea.
I stayed with my charming Orcardian family members who were extremely welcoming and made me feel at home. (Thank you so much for having me, I wish I could have stayed longer.)
I learnt a lot about the history of Orkney which includes neolithic people, Norwegian rule, whisky production, and WWII.
Orkney is an archipelago of about 70 islands. Winston Churchill, Prime Minister at the time ordered the several hundred Italian POWs to build causeways between the islands to prevent German submarines from crossing. To make the Churchill Barriers, the POWs purposely sunk decommissioned ships in the shallow Scapa Flow, namely, blockships, which allowed them to build barriers using concrete downstream. Not only was this advantageous during the war, but it has since connected many of the islands, allowing them better access to services. While I was there, we had a few rainy days which caused flooding (see the surprise lake that appeared in someone's field). The Churchill Barriers were closed. At least people only had to wait for a few hours. Whereas beforehand, the only option would have been to go by boat (or plane if lucky).
Next to one of the barriers is the famous Italian Chapel built by the POWs as a place to worship. The beautiful while chapel with red trimming stands out against the bleak landscape. The beautiful frescos inside are definitely worth a look.
I went on a tour of the Highland Park Distillery. Whisky is very popular in the Northern and Western Isles of Scotland due to the large amounts of peat in the area. Founded in 1798, Highland Park is a well-known single malt whisky that uses sherry-seasoned Andalucían casks and is matured for at least ten years. While is may not be my drink-of-choice, it was fun learn about the traditional distilling process and its connection with the south of Spain.
The main focal point in Kirkwall is the red sandstone St Magnus Cathedral which began construction in 1137 during the Norwegian period and took 300 years to build! Opposite, are the ruins of the Bishop's and Earl's Palaces which were closed over the Winter.
Moving further back in time are the standing stones which make up the Ring of Brodgar, a neolithic henge on an isthmus. Erected in 2500BCE, this ritual landscape gives us an insight into the ceremonies of the neolithic people.
I also explored Skara Brae, an incredibly well-preserved neolithic site from 3100BCE. Excavation occurred from 1850 to 1926 and there was a subsequent clean up in the 70s. The couple I was staying with remembered having played hide-and-seek in the tunnels of the site, although now, there is an official visitor centre and a marked path. I was blown away by how intact everything was. The average temperature in the Orkneys varies only slightly, from 5-15°C, so roads, standing stones, and neolithic communities remain amazingly intact. You can see their bed spaces, central fireplace, and even the mantelpieces in each room! It was once home to a community of 50-100 people that settled about five thousand year ago and stayed until 2500BCE. This predates Stonehenge by about one thousand years! Historians are unsure as to why the Skara Brae community left after 600 years, however, there are a couple theories that there could have been a plague or something social that split the community up into individual farmsteads...
Aside from the fascinating history, the nature of Orkney is beautiful with luscious green fields (not a single tree due to the relentless wind), stunning beaches, and sunsets followed by starry skies. The neighbours had a Shetland pony which I enjoyed photographing.
Growing up, I never used to like my middle name, Leslie, insisting it was a boy's name. But after spending time with family members and learning about the culture and location of where I'm from, I've learnt to appreciate and be proud of my name and its history.
Notes:
- The sense of community and camaraderie is extremely strong and welcoming in Orkney. If it wasn't for the cold, I would happily settle there.
- Some interesting Scottish events that are worth reading about include the Ba' Game and Blackening.
- As a Linguistics student, I found the Orkney dialect very interesting. There were many place names that had been borrowed from Norwegian. A phrase that was repeated to me many times was: "Whit's fur ye'll ne go past ye!". I feel like this can be said of my Gap Year as I've had so many serendipitous experiences. Some other terms which I heard were:
"do you mind when..." ('remember')
"I ken that" ('know' (kent for 'knew'))
"a peedie glass" ('small')
"baked tatties" ('potatoes')
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