Day 10

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September 9, 2019

ORKNEY ISLANDS (KIRKWALL) - At latitude 59 degrees Kirkwall is situated north of mainland Scotland and with a climate similar to Victoria's (latitude 48 degrees), winters here are mild and normally snowless thanks to the Gulf Stream, although winter winds tend to be fierce and relentless. Total population of the Orkneys is 22,000 and Kirkwall's, the capital, is around 9,000. Also like Victoria, the Orkneys are the best place to live in the British Isles, at least according to our tour guide whose family, by the way, has lived here for 900 years.

The main heritage of this area, which goes back 5,000 years, is Norse and almost all place names on these islands are of Norse derivation. The Ring of Bognar originally comprised of sixty 12 foot monoliths is dated at 4,000 years old, slightly younger than Stonehenge.

Related image

The above photo was sourced from the internet as we saw it in the pouring rain and could not get near the site due to a 10 metre ditch and a fence prohibiting entrance. Tourists not really welcome, it seems.

Highland Park Whisky (no e) is produced here. Its single malt whiskey is aged 12 years and currently holds an inventory of 34,000 casks with a retail value of $1.5 billion pounds.

Tonight the ship's entertainment was a performance about puns. It was a play on words. 

Time to write this blog.   

Comments

  1. UnknownSeptember 10, 2019 at 9:04 AM

    I hope that you had a chance to try haggis and deep-fried Mars bars before you left Scotland! I am enjoying your blog.

    Martin B

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ian McSeptember 10, 2019 at 2:26 PM

    The Orkneys have such an amazing history- but the wind'l dry ye oout.!!

    Ian Mc

    ReplyDelete

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