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Category: Mimir’s Well
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Exploring 18th Century Orkney: Lynn Campbell’s in-depth study of resilient communities
Lynn Campbell, Lecturer and Programme lead for the BA (Hons) in Culture and Heritage at the UHI Institute for Northern Studies, is diving deep into 18th-century Orkney for her PhD research. By examining kirk session minutes from four different parishes, including Rousay and Egilsay between 1733 and 1747, she’s uncovering…
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UHI Institute for Northern Studies Welcomes Study Visit from Washington & Lee University USA to Orkney
In April and May 2026, the UHI Institute for Northern Studies (INS) warmly welcomed students and staff from Washington and Lee University (W&L), Virginia, for an inspiring two-week study trip to Orkney. Together, the group explored entrepreneurial best practices and creative writing, with the stunning island scenery serving as a…
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Glimpsing your true love on Hallowe’en
Spring is most often considered the romantic season but perhaps it would be more accurate to say from an Orcadian viewpoint that Hallowe’en marks the start of the real season of love. We are a romantic lot here at Scott’s House so this week’s column will be looking at some…
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SEAGULLS AND STANDING STONES, BISHOPS AND BUTTER, BAGPIPES AND BULLETS: THE NORSE IN CAITHNESS MEMORY
This blog post was written by UHI Institute for Northern Studies MLitt Viking Studies student, Stephen Barnaby. I grew up in Thurso, surrounded by streets named after luminaries from the days of the northern Norse jarldoms: Sigurd, Thorfinn, Sweyn, Harold, Magnus. I’d like to claim these dated from the eleventh…
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INS PhD Student Published in North Ronaldsay Booklet
University of the Highlands and Islands Institute for Northern Studies PhD researcher Niamh Mackenzie discusses how the continued maintenance of the unique North Ronaldsay drystane dyke can be seen as intangible cultural heritage in the booklet, ‘Making Sense of the North Ronaldsay Sheep Dyke’. The booklet is edited and written…
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Ragna’s Islands: Researching Names and Places in Orkneyinga Saga, Papay, North Ronaldsay and Fair Lisle
Professor Judith Jesch, Dr Matthew Blake, Judith Jesch and Corinna Rayner of the University of Nottingham talk to us about their latest research in this guest blog post. Ragna’s Islands is an Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funded research project built around a new translation of The Saga of…
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Viking burials in Orkney: Where are they and how to visit them?
Orkney is blessed with a vast array of archaeological sites from various time periods, including numerous examples from the Viking Age. A site-type which often gets a lot of publicity but rarely has visitors are Viking burials. Many of these sites are publicly accessible, providing a nice focus for a…
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Orkney’s Forgotten War: The Royalist Occupation, 1649-1650
In 1976, George Mackay Brown wrote one of his lesser-known short stories, ‘Soldier From The Wars Returning’. The tale follows the journey of an Orcadian soldier who had enlisted in the marquis of Montrose’s Royalist army in 1649. The unnamed soldier awakes in the aftermath of the fateful Battle of…
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The Island of Faray Orkney’s lesser known North Isle
The island of Faray – abandoned in 1947 – is something of an enigma, having been almost forgotten in the course of less than 100 years. Debates rage over the pronunciation, the impending works on a new slipway or the proposed OIC windfarm. Finally, Faray is back in people’s minds. …
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‘Views in Orkney and on the North Eastern Coast of Scotland’ by Countess Duchess of Sutherland (Elizabeth Leveson-Gower, 1765-1839)
Many people will be familiar with the significant part Countess Duchess of Sutherland, the Marchioness of Stafford, had to play in the Highland Clearances. It is not so widely known that she was a visual artist of some skill.