The Lieutenancy of Orkney
Orkney. The Place we Call Home
The Coat of Arms of the county adopted in the 1970s reflects the mixed history of the islands and bears the motto, "Boreas Domus, Mare Amicus" . Translated this means, "the north our home, the sea our friend" and is very much the story of our islands.
We who live here may be biased , but, Orkney is a truly beautiful and beguiling place.
The islands, over 70 in total, many uninhabited, have been settled for at least 8,500 years. Originally occupied by Mesolithic and Neolithic tribes and then by the Picts, Orkney was colonised and later annexed by Norway in 875 and settled by the Norse. Scotland then absorbed the earldom into the Scottish Crown in 1472, following the failed payment of a dowry for King James III's ill-fated bride Princess Margaret of Denmark.
With so much history, such a wealth of cultural events, businesses large and small and the beautiful landscapes, it would be a dis-service to our home to try to summarise all that Orkney has to give on this one small page. To learn so very much more about the place we call home, please click the button below.
