See that post coming up from the island on the far left?
It's called "The Old Man of Hoy, which looks like this up close (picture from Wikipedia):
Once we arrived in Kirkwall we noticed these large yellow contraptions in the harbor. They are wave/tidal power machines that convert the sea's energy into electricity, and Orkney is one of the global leaders in developing these devices:
From the advanced to the ancient, we visited the Ring of Brodgar, built 2500 - 2000 BC, which was before Stonehenge and the Great Pyramids of Egypt. When originally created, this ring had stones at 60 points, each 6 degrees apart, and formed into a perfect circle:
Lindsay, of course:
Here's the entrance...claustrophobia anyone? Only Jill was brave enough to go inside!
What I would have seen had I crawled through that tunnel and been allowed to take pictures inside (thanks Google Images!):
The scenery was breathtaking:
Back to Kirkwall for a little souvenir hunting. While the Orkney Islands are Scottish, the place was really settled by Norwegians. Here's St. Magnus Cathedral:
Here's Jill discovering there isn't much--besides wave turbines--to buy on Mainland Island:
Departing Kirkwall we were serenaded with Scottish music:
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