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The Scuttling of the German Fleet: 2019 Summer Exhibition at the Orkney Museum. Panel 3, Part 1. John Tulloch’s Account SMS Kaiser in Scapa Flow. Orkney Library & Archive. The battlecruiser SMS Hindenburg in Scapa Flow. John Tulloch’s Eyewitness Account John Tulloch was a small boy living on the island of Cava in Scapa Flow […]

Between Islands Project: Latest Updates Alex MacDonald, coordinator of the Between Islands Project writes: There are lots of bits and pieces to report on Between Islands at the moment including the release of our latest film, made by Zoe Paterson Macinnes and featuring an interview with writer Kevin MacNeil.  Current restrictions are somewhat curbing our ambitions with

GMB 100: The Centenary of the Birth of George Mackay Brown 1921-2021 George Mackay Brown at Ness Road, Stromness. On the 17th October 1921, in a small house in Stromness, a baby boy was born. The youngest of six children born to John Brown, a tailor and postman, and Mhairi Mackay. She was a Gaelic

Images: ‘Echoes of Orkney’ paintings by Tom Nugent, The Orkney Museum, 9th February-26th March 2021 I have been asked if it was possible to photograph the current exhibition of paintings by Tom Nugent. Unfortunately the photos are not of high quality and have a glare from the lights, but are the best that we could

Between Islands: Recent Posts Alex Macdonald has sent us these recent posts relating to the Between Islands project, which I thought I’d share with you. A blog written by former Orkney Museum Curator, Rachel Boak, here. Shetland curator Dr Ian Tait was interviewed by Cathy Macdonald for Radio Scotland about the Fair Game exhibition which

Support the Museums and St Magnus Cathedral with Online Donations The wonderful grave goods from the Viking Age boat burial at Scar, Sanday, remain in Orkney because of the Orkney Museum. Viking Gallery, Orkney Museum. Covid-19 has hit everyone hard, museums and galleries as well as businesses. There is now a way that you can

A Cruisie Mould A stone mould for making a cruisie lamp. The courtyard of Tankerness House, which houses the Orkney Museum, has a number of interesting artefacts displayed around the walls. Among the knocking stones and querns there is a piece of red sandstone with strange carvings cut into it. You can be forgiven for

The Big Tree, Tree of the Year Award Winner 2017 The ‘Big Tree’ in Albert Street, Kirkwall. Dr Tom Rendall, Orkney Museum Where is the Big Tree? What is the history of the Big Tree? Why is it important? What does it mean to folk? How did it receive nationwide recognition in the last few years?

Knocking Stones Knocking Stones in the Orkney Museum’s courtyard. Tom Muir, Engagement and Exhibitions Officer. Photographs by Gail Drinkall, Curator of Archaeology. When you enter the courtyard at the Orkney Museum you will see many large stone vessels, like mortars. These are ‘knocking stones’, which were used in the preparation of food for a family.

Barbara Yule’s Ba’, 75th Anniversary of the Women’s Ba’, 1945/6-2020/1 Barbara Yule’s Ba’, right. The Men’s Ba’, Christmas Day 1925, the year that Barbara Yule was born. (Tom Kent Collection, Orkney Library & Archive) The Ba’, as it is simply known (meaning ‘ball’) is not being played this year due to Covid-19. Christmas Day 2020