Review of Cruise to Scotland, Ireland, Northern Europe - May 2019

[GeorgeCharlie]

A closing comment regarding the cairns.

 

It is without a doubt that these sites are significant representations of prehistoric times and people should not slight that significance. These cairns indicate complex design, with precision construction of astronomical alignment, along with physical evidence of long use of the site as being ritually significant.                                                                                                                                                             

But, as in many cases, some people have to come up with alternative theories.

 

The controversy here is the interpretation of the site by visitors who often conclude, skeptically, that the cairns are simply mounds of stones farmers cleared from their field and piled in heaps.

 

And this does cause me a lighthearted moment - as I look out of our kitchen window at a similar pile of stones cleared from our fields.😀 

[cat shepard]

Wow! Thank you for returning & continuing to share your trip experiences and pictures. I have learned so much from you posts!

[*Miss G*]

I agree with Cat!  I really enjoyed your informative posts and pictures.  Thank you!

[DeeniEncinitas]

You have a calling!!!!! You are so informative and very descriptive and eloquent  In your writings. RICK STEVES

needs to move on and I’d love you to have a show👍 Thank you!

Denise😊

[GeorgeCharlie]

Thank you all for your words of encouragement - they are much appreciated.

 

But I must admit there is a very self-fulfilling reason I do these reviews. For as I find myself growing older, I now wish I had done better recordings of past travels.

 

As the saying goes: "One of the best things saved for old age is pleasant memories." – now if I could just remember more of them.🙂🙂😉

[GeorgeCharlie]

 

When we arrived back at the port there was a very nice pipe band playing tunes for our departure.

 

 

They continued playing in the ongoing drizzle while the crew dismantled the onshore equipment.

 

 

 

They kept playing until well after the all aboard time and you can see the reason for the delay in this video!!

 

 

 

As you noticed - they acted more as pier walkers, then runners.🤬

 

 

 

 

Edited November 27, 2019 by GeorgeCharlie

[DeeniEncinitas]

16 minutes ago, GeorgeCharlie said:

 

When we arrived back at the port there was a very nice pipe band playing tunes for our departure.

 

 

They continued playing in the ongoing drizzle while the crew dismantled the onshore equipment.

 

 

 

They kept playing until well after the all aboard time and you can see the reason for the delay in this video!!

 

 

 

As you noticed - they acted more as pier walkers, then runners.🤬

 

 

 

 

I am able to enjoy your videos on my IPAD as I do a lot of prepping here where I live in San Diego California for our Thanksgiving 

tomorrow. Expecting a huge storm here starting later this evening through Saturday. Have a wonderful day!

Denise😊

[GeorgeCharlie]

1 hour ago, DeeniEncinitas said:

I am able to enjoy your videos on my IPAD as I do a lot of prepping here where I live in San Diego California for our Thanksgiving 

tomorrow. Expecting a huge storm here starting later this evening through Saturday. Have a wonderful day!

Denise😊

 

Sounds like the weather to stay inside an enjoy a great meal with family and friends.

 

Here's wishing all our Americans friends a fantastic Thanksgiving.

 

🦃Gobble Gobble🦃

[GeorgeCharlie]

 

While departing from Invergordon we passed by a number of deep sea drilling rigs.

 

Apparently most of these rigs are in the process of being dismantled.

[GeorgeCharlie]

 

The following morning we arrived at Kirkwall in Orkney. Orkney is also known as the Orkney Islands, is about as far north as you can go in Scotland.

 

 

It was here where we encountered one of the problems which can crop up when you are late booking a private tour. By the time we decided to try and arrange a tour, the better known tour operators were already booked - so we ended up having to use a less established tour operator. We did locate someone who said he had a small mini van which could take 5 people. So, along with another couple from the Cruise Critic roll call, we decided to book him.  Unfortunately when we arrived, we found he was using a small electric car - as apparently they had another five people who booked a tour and the van was now being used by his partner for that group.

 

The car was suitable for the driver and one adult in the front, along with room for a couple of kids in the rear seats. So trying to squeeze three adults in the rear seats didn't work out all that well. Sitting back there was like sitting on a foam cushion on the floor and with the front seats also sitting right on the floor, there was no room for your legs to fit anywhere. As a result you ended up having to endure the ride with your knees crunched up into your chest. In addition, with the vehicle sitting very low to the ground, along with small rear doors, getting in and out of the rear seats was a challenge.

 

Even though the times travelling in the car were reasonably short (half hour on average), my old knees and back found the experience to be painfully uncomfortable - which significantly degraded to overall tour experience for me.  

 

So, going on the basis of accepting what you're given and trying to having as good of experience possible - we managed to get around and see most of the sights. We found the driver/guide (David) to be very pleasant and knowledgeable.

Edited November 28, 2019 by GeorgeCharlie

[DeeniEncinitas]

1 hour ago, GeorgeCharlie said:

 

The following morning we arrived at Kirkwall in Orkney. Orkney is also known as the Orkney Islands, is about as far north as you can go in Scotland.

 

 

It was here where we encountered one of the problems which can crop up when you are late booking a private tour. By the time we decided to try and arrange a tour, the better known tour operators were already booked - so we ended up having to use a less established tour operator. We did locate someone who said he had a small mini van which could take 5 people. So, along with another couple from the Cruise Critic roll call, we decided to book him.  Unfortunately when we arrived, we found he was using a small electric car - as apparently they had another five people who booked a tour and the van was now being used by his partner for that group.

 

The car was suitable for the driver and one adult in the front, along with room for a couple of kids in the rear seats. So trying to squeeze three adults in the rear seats didn't work out all that well. Sitting back there was like sitting on a foam cushion on the floor and with the front seats also sitting right on the floor, there was no room for your legs to fit anywhere. As a result you ended up having to endure the ride with your knees crunched up into your chest. In addition, with the vehicle sitting very low to the ground, along with small rear doors, getting in and out of the rear seats was a challenge.

 

Even though the times travelling in the car were reasonably short (half hour on average), my old knees and back found the experience to be painfully uncomfortable - which significantly degraded to overall tour experience for me.  

 

So, going on the basis of accepting what you're given and trying to having as good of experience possible - we managed to get around and see most of the sights. We found the driver/guide (David) to be very pleasant and knowledgeable.

OMGOSH 😱 That reminds me of a sardine can crunched in coach!!!!!!!!

I’m glad your driver David was nice and 

knowledgeable too! We have had experiences like that and well you accept and make the best of it👍
Denise😊

[GeorgeCharlie]

Orkney is an interesting place to visit, especially if you enjoy visiting historical sites. The islands have been inhabited for at least 8,500 years and time has left its marks - with Bronze Age man, Iron Age man, Vikings and World Wars having all left their runes.

 

From the oldest houses in Europe, the Knap of Howa, situated on Papa Westray, to the Neolithic village of Skara Brae.

 

From standing stones and circles, an enigma left by the people of the bronze age throughout the islands.

 

To iron age brochs; ancient fortresses designed to safely house their people from attack. We didn’t visit any of these sites, but here is some internet information on the Broch of Gurness.

The remains of the Broch of Gurness are found on an north-eastern shore of the Orkney Mainland, at a place known as Aikerness, in the parish of Evie. 
Overlooking the body of water known as Eynhallow Sound, the site offers spectacular views across to the uninhabited island of Eynhallow and the larger, hilly, island of Rousay. Given the defensive nature of the broch, a visitor can immediately understand the strategic positioning of the structure.

 

From Viking runes left in the tomb of Maeshowe and the Viking-built St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall.

 

To the Churchill Barriers; massive walls/bridges built between islands to prevent submarine attack in the Second World War.

 

We didn't get any good pictures, so here's one from the internet.

 

I'll be expanding on our visit to some of these sites shortly.

[GeorgeCharlie]

Hi Folk’s

 

Well, with our planned cruise for last fall disappearing like everybody else’s and with no upcoming cruises to plan for - I guess all that’s left is to reminisce about past cruises. And with this B2B cruise being the last one we were on; I’ve decided to continue on with this review.

 

Hopefully, it also brings back some pleasant memories to those of you who have also visited some of these locations, and/or in turn - tweak the interest of those who may be thinking about doing a similar cruise.

 

Bill

[GeorgeCharlie]

The first site we visited was the Standing Stones of Stenness. Standing at a maximum height of six metres (around 19 feet), the sheer scale of the megaliths mean they are visible for miles around.

 

Located on the shore of Loch of Stenness, only four of the ring’s stones remain, but they are considerably larger than those found in the nearby Ring of Brodgar. Carbon dating show the site dates from at least 3100 BC, making the Standing Stones complex one of the earliest stone circles in Britain.

 

 

 

Until the beginning of the 19^th century, the complex contained at least one other significant monolith – the Odin Stone. For even in the 18^th century the site was still associated with various traditions and rituals. The “Odin Stone” was pierced with a circular hole and was used by local couples for plighting engagements by holding hands through the gap. It was also associated with other ceremonies, including a reported tradition of making all kinds of oaths or promises with one’s hand in the Odin Stone; this know as taking the “Vow of Odin”.

 

 

An 18th century engraving of the Odin Stone.

 

In December 1814 Captain W. Mackay, a recent immigrant to Orkney who owned farmland in the vicinity of the stones, decided to remove them on the grounds that the local people were trespassing and disturbing his land by using the stones in rituals. He started by smashing the Odin Stone. This caused outrage and he was stopped after destroying one other stone and toppling another. The toppled stone was re-erected in 1906.

 

 

 

 

 

[GeorgeCharlie]

Nearby the Standing Stones of Stenness, is the Ring of Brodgar.

 

 

The Ring of Brodgar is 104 metres (341 ft) in diameter and is the third largest in the British Isles. The ring originally composed of 60 stones, of which only 27 remained standing at the end of the 20^th century. The stones are set inside a circular ditch up to 3 metres (9.8 ft) deep, 9 metres (30 ft) wide and 380 metres (1,250 ft) in circumference that was carved out of solid sandstone bedrock by the ancient residents.

 

 

Whereas, at the Standing Stones of Stenness you could walk among the stones, at the Ring of Brodgar you could only walk around the outside of the circle.

[GeorgeCharlie]

Located in the same valley with the Stones of Stenness and the Ring of Brodgar is another significant Neolithic site called Maeshowe.

 

Although the Maeshowe site is only a short distance from the other two sites, we opted to skip it as the other couple on the tour with us really wanted to see Scapa Flow, so we decided to go there instead.

 

I had included Maeshowe in my research of Orkney and, as it looks like it would be quite interesting to see, I have decided to add in some information on it. The pictures/drawing I have included come from the Internet.

 

Maeshowe is a Neolithic chambered cairn and passage grave and. The mound encasing the tomb is 35 metres (115 ft) in diameter and rises to a height of 7.3 metres (24 ft). The grass mound hides a complex of passages and chambers built of carefully crafted slabs of flagstone weighing up to 30 tons. I guess one could think of the layout and purpose being similar to the Egyptian pyramids. With an estimated date of construction being around 2800 BC, it also dates to about the time the earliest pyramids were being built.

 

 

 

It is aligned so that the rear wall of the central chamber is illuminated on the winter solstice. The entrance passage is 11 metres (36 ft) long and with being less then 3 metres (3 ft) high, visitors must stoop or crawl into the central chamber.

 

These three sites, along with Skara Brae (which I’ll cover a little later in my review), were given World Heritage status by UNESCO in 1999, and are referred to as the “Heart of Neolithic Orkney”. Each of the four Heart of Neolithic Orkney sites is a masterpiece of Neolithic design and construction and gives us incredible insights into the society, skills, and spiritual beliefs of the people who built them.

 

Edited February 7, 2021 by GeorgeCharlie

[GeorgeCharlie]

The Maeshowe also has some more recent (then 5,000 years ago) history.

 

When the tomb was entered in the more “modern” times (1861) they discovered the tomb had been previously broken into by the Vikings and that the Norsemen had left behind some unusual evidence of their visit – the walls were covered by runic “graffiti”!!

 

The graffiti found on the inner walls confirmed the Orkneyinga Saga account that several groups of Norsemen had entered the tomb – know to them as “Orkahaugr” – in the middle of the 12^th century and had recorded their presence on the ancient stone. The more then thirty runic inscriptions on the walls of the chamber represent the largest single collection of such carvings in the world.

 

The runic alphabet was used to write various Germanic languages before the adoption of the Latin alphabet.

[GeorgesGal]

I'm so enjoying reading your review, Bill!  And Linda's photos as well, that I feel like I've travelled along with the two of you!  Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience with all of us!

Donna

[GeorgeCharlie]

1 hour ago, GeorgesGal said:

I'm so enjoying reading your review, Bill!  And Linda's photos as well, that I feel like I've travelled along with the two of you!  Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience with all of us!

Donna

Thank you for your comments, they are much appreciated.

 

I enjoy recalling the memories and it definitely gives me something to do on these cold winter days.

 

We're in the middle of a record cold snap and this was the temperature we woke up to this morning.

 

 

To make things even worse, our power went out in the middle of the night and didn't come back on for nearly 5 hours.🥶🥶🥶

[GeorgeCharlie]

Further down the road is Skara Brae, the fourth of the “Heart of Neolithic Orkney” sites.

 

Skara Brae is a cluster of eight houses and is the best preserved Neolithic village in Northern Europe and was occupied for about 600 years. The remains of this 5,000 year-old settlement have been well preserved, after being buried under sand dunes for several thousand years. Older than Stonehenge and the Great Pyramids, it has been called the “Scottish Pompeii” because of its excellent preservation.

 

In the winter of 1850, a severe storm hit Scotland causing widespread damage and over 200 deaths.

 

There was nothing particularly unusual about that, but on this occasion, the combination of wind and extremely high tides stripped the grass from a large irregular knoll known as “Skara Brae”. When the storm cleared the local villagers found the outline of a village consisting of several small houses without roofs.

 

 

William Watt of Skaill, the local Laird, began an amateur excavation of the site, but after four houses were uncovered the work was abandoned in 1868. The site remained undisturbed until 1913, when during a single weekend the site was plundered by a party who took away an unknown quantity of artifacts. In 1924 another storm swept away part of one of the houses, and it was decided the site should be secured and properly investigated.

 

Today the site is managed by Historic Environment Scotland and has been developed into a well-preserved attraction. The visitor centre provides touch-screen presentations and an opportunity to see artifacts discovered during the archaeological excavations of the 1970s. There is a café and a gift shop selling locally-made souvenirs and crafts.

[kazu]

Really enjoying your review and appreciate it as a lot of your ports are on our itinerary for next year.

 

Thank you so much for doing this and please don’t stop.

[GeorgeCharlie]

All the houses are well-built of closely fitting flat stone slabs. They were set into large mounds of midden (household refuse) and linked by covered passages. Each house comprised a single room with a floor space of roughly 40sq m. The ‘fitted’ stone furniture within each room comprised a dresser, where prized objects were probably stored and displayed, two box-beds, a hearth centrally placed and small tanks set into the floor, perhaps for preparing fish bait.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[GeorgeCharlie]

A rich array of artefacts and ecofacts has been discovered during the various archaeological excavations. They include gaming dice, hand tools, pottery and jewellery (necklaces, beads, pendants and pins). Most remarkable are the richly carved stone objects, perhaps used in religious rituals. The villagers were farmers, hunters, and fishermen, capable of producing items of beauty and sophistication with rudimentary technology. No weapons have been found and the settlement was not in a readily defended location, suggesting a peaceful life.

 

 

Most of the artifacts are on view in the visitor centre.

 

[GeorgeCharlie]

There is a replica house which allows visitors to see what these houses would have looked like.

 

 

David giving a talk on the living conditions in these houses.

 

 

[GeorgeCharlie]

Sitting on a hill overlooking Skara Brae is the Skaill House, which we did a tour of after leaving Skara Brae. The house was first constructed in 1620 and was home to 12 successive lairds, all related. It is considered the most complete 17^th century country mansion in Orkney.

 

This picture was taken from Skara Brae and shows the Skaill House is a modest walk away.

 

 

It is a typical Victorian house with a grand staircase, opulent furnishing and everything a landowner in the 1850’s required to represent their wealth and status. From ornate bedspreads and a library full of books, to guns and shooting trophies – this landowner had it all.