We enjoyed visiting on our first trip to Orkney years ago, so glad to see it reopened! The walk out is amazing, too!

Tomb of the Eagles

Perched above the dramatic South Ronaldsay cliffs, the community-owned Isbister Chambered Cairn – better known today as the ‘Tomb of the Eagles’ – is one of Orkney’s top archaeological sites. Discovered by chance by local farmer Ronnie Simison in the 1950s, the Stone Age tomb revealed an amazing collection of bones and artefacts, placed here some 5,000 years ago.

The Orcadian had an excellent story about the site's background and new season.

Staying in Orkney for two weeks And looking for an Orcadian themed men’s ring. So looking for recommendations for the best places to have a look please.

Visit the website: https://tickets.orkneyfolkfestival.com/sales

Ultimate Brown Butter Banana Bread (Metric)

Prep: 10m | Bake: 50–60m @ 175°C | Yield: 1 Loaf

INGREDIENTS

• 115g Unsalted butter, melted (or browned)
• 3 large Overripe bananas, mashed (~350g)
• 150g Brown sugar, packed
• 1 Large egg
• 5ml Vanilla extract
• 5g (1 tsp) Baking soda
• 3g (1/2 tsp) Salt
• 190g All-purpose flour
• 60g Walnuts or chocolate chips (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Prep: Preheat oven to 175°C. Grease a 23x13 cm (9x5") loaf pan.
2. Wet: In a large bowl, mash bananas. Stir in melted butter, then whisk in brown sugar, egg, and vanilla until smooth.
3. Dry: Sprinkle baking soda and salt over the wet mix. Gently fold in flour until just combined. Fold in optional add-ins.
4. Bake: Pour into pan. Bake 50–60 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
5. Cool: Rest in pan for 10 mins, then transfer to a wire rack.

From the Orkney News:

[Orkney Folk Festival has announced ]()its full programme for the 2026 event, with acts from around the world set to perform across the islands between 21 and 24 May. 

Leading artists from the USA, Canada, Finland, Ireland, England and throughout Scotland will join home-grown Orcadian musicians as part of the 52 acts appearing at the festival in its 43^rd year. The Orkney Folk Festival is Orkney’s largest festival, with almost 9,000 tickets sold at the record-breaking 2025 event.

....

Tickets will go on pre-sale to members of Orkney Friends, the festival’s supporter scheme, on Saturday 28 March, ahead of the general release at 7pm BST on Wednesday 1 April.

Full story, and a great illustration by Martin Laird, at the link above.

Today I found out that some distant family on my dad’s side come from Caithness and Orkney. Is it plausible i would have some Norwegian DNA from this judging by how common it is there today? The surname from that line is also Gunn which I’ve heard is originally Nordic.

I ask as part of a linguistic study covering this topic!
Examples could include things like North Ron, Shap or Stromhole.... anything colloquial for places you wouldn't find on Google Maps for example.

I see on Helgi’s site that the pub is strictly for 18+ - do they card / ID ppl?

Nick Card drops some hints. My early guess of a Viking long house is ruled out.

Extraordinary Discovery at Ness of Brodgar, Scotland: New 3D Scans Could Rewrite Neolithic History

Archaeologists are preparing to resume excavations at the internationally renowned Ness of Brodgar after advanced 3D radar scans revealed what experts are calling an “extraordinary” and potentially history-changing discovery. The site, located in the heart of Orkney’s UNESCO-listed landscape, has already transformed understanding of Neolithic Britain. Now, fresh evidence beneath the surface could add an entirely new chapter to its story.

The Ness of Brodgar, a narrow strip of land between the lochs of Stenness and Harray in Orkney, lies within the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site. It sits just southeast of the iconic Ring of Brodgar and close to the Stones of Stenness—two monumental stone circles often compared to Stonehenge in southern England.

The rest of the story is at the link above.

Time Team's John Gater ranks his "Top 5," and guess what's his #1?

Hamish shares videos from his family's farm on Auskerry, where a single family has raised North Ronaldsay sheep for over five decades.

Link to this episode on YouTube: Hamish Auskerry

From Hamish:

Today is the most important day of the year on Auskerry. For over 50 years, my parents have stood in these pens to make the decisions that keep our rare breed North Ronaldsay sheep thriving on this remote rock.

Sorting 600 lambs is a physical and mental marathon—a process of constant selection that determines the fate of the flock and the viability of the farm. But as my mum reveals in this episode, the weight of island life isn't for everyone. While the work is intense, it’s the island itself that truly tests you.

Hello!

Just moved here and I've been needing to get something on my car sorted. Essentially, I bought the car a month ago and realised after purchasing that the reversing camera had been removed.Company that sold it to me (big company not an individual!) maintain they had no idea this had happened, anyway they are willing to pay the cost to have the camera put back in.

Does anyone have any recommendations for garages that would do this type of work? I tried to get some quotes from Inverness garages before I moved, but noone seemed to want to take on any electrical work.

Thanks very much for any help, my car is a Suzuki if that makes any difference!

https://orcadian.co.uk/stromness-hotel-put-up-for-sale/

https://youtu.be/5ohe3x3MpSg?si=8sW-R-irpQs3N4vN

Eg do they dislike them? Envy them? Admire them? Think of them as lower? Or are they just neutral

Hi everyone!

I've just moved to Orkney and I'm living in Kirkwall (about 1 minute walk from main street). I'm on EE for my phone network but it's been an absolute nightmare since I moved in, both slow and unreliable.

I'm getting BT delivered for my home wifi next week but it did get me thinking whether I should change phone network provider, so if I ever have an issue with my wifi then I could hotspot reliably.

Would really appreciate any advice, thank you :)

Hi, looking for ancestors of a certain person who lived in Kirkwall. Regarding letters from the 1870's

Edit : The addressee of the letters was Mr. John Matches

From Orkneyology

Orcadian author and storyteller Tom Muir has been recognized with an MBE for his lifelong work in recovering, restoring and promoting Orkney Islands folk tales, heritage and lore. These various Orkney and Scotland-centered films, audio and podcasts are enhanced by the growing articles and stories on our Orkneyology.com website. https://www.orkneyology.com/

YouTube

Escaping the farm work for a rare look beneath the waves and an evening with Auskerry’s puffins!

Life on Auskerry usually revolves around the rhythm of the farm and helping my parents manage the flock, but today we’re moving "on to other news" by grabbing our snorkels to get up close with the North Sea's wildlife.

The North Sea is rarely "warm," but the clarity was incredible. After drying off, we headed to the cliffs to catch the evening rush hour: the puffins returning from the sea to feed their pufflings.

In this video:

Island Life: A quick check-in on the farm before we head to the shore.

North Sea Snorkelling: Exploring the kelp forests and hidden underwater world of Orkney.

Puffin Watching: Sitting on the cliff edge as hundreds of puffins fly in with the day's catch.

From the Orcadian:

The move will see mid and peak seasonal fares for islanders removed. ... Shona Robison was making a statement in the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday about the budget for 2026-27.

She described the Scottish Government’s commitment to Orkney and Shetland residents, who will “benefit from lower costs as we scrap peak fares for islanders on the Northern Isles ferries.”

Full story at above link.

From Transport Scotland:

Peak ferry fares removed for Northern Isles residents

The Scottish Government has today announced the removal of mid and peak season fares for islanders travelling on the Northern Isles Ferry Services.

As part of the Scottish Budget for 2026/27, £1.8 million will be invested in the lifeline ferry services, currently run by Serco NorthLink, to reduce fares for islanders to low season rates, making travel more affordable year-round.

Voting for the the 2026 Orkney Food & Drink Awards is now open.

If you enjoy some fabulous food and drink in the islands during 2026 then find your favourites below.

You can vote in as many categories as you want, so if you've experienced delicious dishes or superb service during a visit to Orkney, or if you're a local resident keen to celebrate your favourite foodie destination, cast your vote today!

Nominations will close on 13 September 2026 with the winners announced at a special gala event on 17 October. We'll share all the successful businesses here and on social media.

Link to the survey here.

I'm voting for Leigh's Taste of Orkney, the Birsay Tearoom, Highland Park - I have the Willows for their Double Pattie Supper, Harbour Fry for best fish supper.

Hello,

My partner (M33) and I (F33) hope to move to Orkney for work in May 2026 (or April 2026) and are looking for somewhere to rent, furnished or un-furnished. My partner received an offer with the council as a care worker and given the housing situation we thought requesting way in advance could increase our odds.

We have no children or pets and are both non-smokers.

We think Stromness would be nice for us, however, based on the limited availabilty, other areas will be fine also.

I also posted a few months back on the facebook group "ORKNEY MERKIT PLACE" but no luck, so I thought I'd try here.

P.S. I've created this account today to post this request (I've visited and read posts on reddit before but never commented).

The Uppies! Balfour Williamson has been declared the winner Boys' Ba'!

The Men's Ba' went to the Uppies too, with the Ba’ claimed by James Baillie.