THE HIGH ISLAND - 'The sense of place is strong and the plot is as intriguing as ever – in The High Island Lin Anderson has worked her particular magic once more' — Alexander McCall Smith
https://bit.ly/4pzBB4H #TheHighIsland #LinAnderson #Orkney

"Black Beauty"

Black Swan (Cygnus atratus) on the Loch of Harray, #Orkney, last weekend.

For today's #BirdOfTheDay theme of #Elegant; any elegant looking bird.

#OrkneyBirding #BirdingScotland #UKBirds #UKBirding #Birds #birdsoftheworld #ornithology #Swan 🪶

A #NorthRonaldsay stile (L) for @lakesstiles.bsky.social & @judithjesch.bsky.social near Roofed Geo, formerly Sodlis Geo from ON söðull m. 'saddle' with gjá 'coastal gully, inlet', both apt #PlaceNames! #Orkney

This afternoon I am issuing an updated web page (blog) covering the subject of #prehistoric #Orkney with the latter being one of #Scotland's Northern Isles:https://www.nigelsphotoblog.co.uk/2018/12/prehistoric-orkney-scotland.html

And THAT is the reason why we all go ARRR! (etc) on #TalkLikeAPirateDay. Because of film, that was based on a book, inspired by an earlier book, inspired by the real life #Orkney pirate John Gow. 🏴‍☠️

ARRR! 🦜

Sir Walter Scott heard the story of John Gow when he visited #Orkney in 1814, and later used Gow as the basis of the character Captain Cleveland in his 1822 novel THE PIRATE. In turn this novel influenced Robert Louis Stevenson when he wrote TREASURE ISLAND in the 1880s. 🏴‍☠️

Gow was executed for piracy at Execution Dock in 1725 and an account of his piratical career was written by famous author and journalist Daniel Defoe. It has since been reprinted but in the #Orkney Archives we have one of only five known surviving copies of the 1725 edition. 🏴‍☠️

This salty looking seadog is an 18th century pirate called John Gow, who came from Stromness in #Orkney. In 1725 after a short career in piracy off the Iberian Peninsula, Gow and his ship returned to Orkney but was captured and taken to London for trial.

Tomorrow (19th September) is #TalkLikeAPirateDay and your annual reminder that when we talk the way we talk when we're talking like a pirate, it's because of a film that was based on a book, inspired by an earlier book, inspired by a real life pirate from #Orkney!

ARRR! 🏴‍☠️👇

One for our friends in #Orkney.

We're hosting a free in person event in Kirkwall that will teach you everything you to know about starting a social enterprise.

30th Sep from 11am at the St Magnus Centre.
Please share with your Orcadian connections.

THE HIGH ISLAND - 'The High Island is spell-binding. Atmospheric, compulsive and utterly gripping, Anderson is on fire' — Helen Fields, international bestselling author of the DCI Callanach series
https://bit.ly/4pzBB4H #TheHighIsland #LinAnderson #Orkney #CrimeFiction

THE HIGH ISLAND - 'The sense of place is strong and the plot is as intriguing as ever – in The High Island Lin Anderson has worked her particular magic once more' — Alexander McCall Smith
https://bit.ly/4pzBB4H #TheHighIsland #LinAnderson #Orkney

"🎵 My Girl Lollipop 🎵"

female Eurasian Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) picking berries at Grimbister, #Orkney, on Wednesday.

#OrkneyBirding #BirdingScotland #BirdsOfBluesky #BirdsSeenIn2026 #birdsoftheworld #ornithology #Blackcap 🪶

Old Tour #Scotland #Ancestry Travel Visit #Genealogy #Scottish Family #History Blog #photography of Earl Jellicoe outside a house by #Scapa #Flow, #Orkney #Islands. Admiral of the Fleet John Jellicoe born 5 December 1859 was a Royal Navy officer tour-scotland-photographs.blogspot.com/2015/11/old-...

Orkney to join the national electricity grid for the first time via £1bn transmission link

#GoodNews #UK #Orkney