Knowra Northern Isles Northern Isles The Northern Isles are the Scottish archipelagos of Orkney and Shetland, north of mainland Scotland. Their island communities share Norse heritage and distinct maritime landscapes.
Orkney : An archipelago north of mainland Scotland, including Mainland and numerous smaller islands. Orkney is the southern archipelago within the Northern Isles.
Norsemen : Seafaring peoples from Scandinavia who raided, traded, and settled across Europe during the Viking Age. Norse settlement shaped the islands’ language, place-names, and ancestry.
NorthLink Ferries : A ferry operator providing lifeline passenger and freight services between mainland Scotland, Orkney, and Shetland. Its routes connect island communities with Aberdeen, Scrabster, and the wider mainland.
Skara Brae : A remarkably preserved Neolithic settlement on the west coast of Mainland, Orkney. Its stone houses reveal how islanders lived thousands of years ago.
Pentland Firth : A strait between mainland Scotland and the Orkney archipelago. This dangerous, energetic passage separates Orkney from the Scottish mainland.
Shetland : A Scottish archipelago northeast of Orkney, extending toward the Faroe Islands. Shetland is the northern archipelago within the Northern Isles.
Norn language : A North Germanic language formerly spoken in Orkney and Shetland, descended from Old Norse. Norn preserves the linguistic legacy of Norse-speaking island communities.
Sumburgh Airport : The main commercial airport serving Shetland, on the southern tip of Mainland, Shetland. Air links matter across the long sea distance separating Shetland from Scotland.
Heart of Neolithic Orkney : A UNESCO World Heritage property comprising major Neolithic monuments on Mainland, Orkney. The site group demonstrates Orkney’s exceptional prehistoric archaeological record.
North Sea : A marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean bordered by Great Britain and continental Europe. The North Sea frames the eastern maritime setting of the Northern Isles.
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