Orkney

An archipelago rich in history

The Orkneys, although neighbouring the Scottish Highlands, have not always been part of Scotland. Their history dates back to more than 8500 years BC, during the Mesolithic period. There are many Neolithic remains there, including underground dwellings, tombstones, tools, tumuli and cairns and circles of megaliths. Orkney is particularly famous for the four monuments that make up the "Neolithic Heart of Orkney", a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Formerly Pictish (under the control of Celtic tribes), the archipelago also passed into the hands of the Vikings and Norway and then ended up being definitively attached to Scotland in 1471, when the islands were ceded as a dowry to the King. James III of Scotland.

Legendary distilleries

The Orkney archipelago has more than 70 islands, of which only 17 are inhabited. The largest island, Mainland, is also the most populated: you'll find the towns of Stromness and Kirkwall, where the famous Highland Park distillery is established. It is one of the few distilleries to malt its barley on site and by hand, and to use its own peat that it obtains only a few kilometres away. The island is also home to the Scapa distillery, one of the most traditional in Scotland, which uses a unique artisanal production method.