1. Local crafts
  2. Scotland
  3. Northern Isles
  4. Orkney Islands
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Arts and crafts in Orkney Islands

is in Scotland. It has a population of around 21,000 and covers approximately 99,000 hectares. Here is a list of nearby or neighbouring counties: Highland, Shetland Islands

County flag of Orkney IslandsThe Orkney Islands (called Arcaibh in Scottish Gaelic) are off the northern coast of Scotland and there is evidence of people living on them dating back over eight thousand years. Neolithic sites on Orkney have been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and the local culture has been shaped by Picts, Celts and Norse settlers. There are ferry and air services connecting the islands to mainland Scotland and the economy is dominated by farming, fishing and tourism. Wildlife on and around the islands includes sea birds, seals and dolphins. The largest of the Orkney Islands is called the Mainland, which is home to most of the population and many of the visitor attractions such as The Orkney Museum, Pier Arts Centre, Skara Brae, Broch of Gurness, Maeshowe, Standing Stones of Stenness, Skaill House, Saint Magnus Cathedral, The Viking Centre and the ruins of The Earls Palace. Other places of interest in the Orkney Islands include Orkney Fossil and Heritage Centre, Scapa Flow, Hackness Martello Tower and The Old Man of Hoy.

Influential and inspirational people from Orkney Islands
People worth learning a little more about


Edwin Muir

(Born 1887 in Deerness in Orkney Islands), Fiction, Poetry

Edwin Muir was a poet, novelist and translator. He published seven volumes of poetry and wrote three novels and is remembered for his intensely felt and realistic poetry.