The massive red sandstone St Magnus Cathedral looms over Kirkwall, the capital of the Orkney Islands. Inside lie the bones of Magnus Erlendsson, the Viking Earl of Orkney who, in the early 12th Century, was murdered on the island of Egilsay on the orders of his cousin, a rival chieftain named Haakon.
It's a reminder of the drama and power struggles of these islands' Viking history. Not that you'd need one: Orkney's Norse story, though long in the past, has a habit of resonating through the ages, resurfacing in contemporary popular culture, like the 2022 film The Northman and in modern politics.
Orkney made headlines worldwide this week with news that the archipelago wants to leave both Scotland and the UK in order to join, or rather rejoin, Norway. The details of this modern saga are, however, a little more nuanced than many of those headlines suggested. Orkney Islands Council leader, James Stockan, argued that Orkney receives insufficient funding and attention from both the UK and Scottish governments, and proposed that the islands look at options offering greater autonomy, such as changing their status in the UK and becoming a crown dependency like Jersey and Guernsey; or becoming a self-governing territory of Norway, similar to the Faroe Islands, which is a self-governing Danish territory. On Tuesday, councillors voted 15 to 6 in favour of exploring such alternative methods of governance, potentially opening the doors to a new future for the islands.
The idea of Orkney becoming a self-governing Norwegian territory may be, in the words of councillor David Dawson, mere "fantasy", but the story has focused attention on the rich Norse heritage of the islands, which, along with the Shetland Islands, were under Norwegian and Danish control until the mid-15th Century. In 1468, Princess Margaret of Denmark married James III of Scotland, but Margaret's father, Christian I, couldn't afford a dowry, so he mortgaged Orkney and then Shetland. By 1472, the debt was still unpaid so the islands came under Scottish control.
"We were part of the Norse kingdom for much longer than we were part of the United Kingdom," Stockan told BBC News (Scotland joined England in 1707 in a union that later became the United Kingdom). "On the street in Orkney, people come up and say to me when are we going to pay back the dowry, when are we going back to Norway? There is a huge affinity and a huge deep cultural relationship there."
Orkney, an archipelago of 70 islands off the northern tip of mainland Scotland, is believed to have been inhabited for around 8,500 years. Visitors can sense that long, deep history at some of the oldest and best-preserved Neolithic sites in Europe, including the stone circle Ring of Brodgar, the
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On Monday 14 August, when the tide is right, an antique sailing ship will manoeuvre through the lock of Plymouth’s historic Sutton harbour and point herself south-west towards the Canary Islands. It will be the start of a two-year voyage around the world taking in 32 ports and involving thousands of people in a groundbreaking geographical project, Darwin200, which aims, among other things, to inspire the environmental leaders and scientists of the future.
Looking for a new museum to add to your travel to-do list? TripAdvisor (SmarterTravel’s parent company) has released the Travelers’ Choice Top 25 Museums of 2018, including the top 10 worldwide and the top 10 in the United States, with some surprising frontrunners. The findings also highlight bookable ways to see each winner—think VIP tours and scavenger hunts—with some offering the added perk of allowing you to skip the lines to get in.
Summer, also known as high season for travel, is almost here. And according to AAA just about everyone is poised to hit the road. The organization predicts two-thirds of what it categorizes as “leisure travelers” plan to take vacations this summer, meaning millions of Americans will be hitting the road.
I don’t suppose that most travelers choose their trip destinations based on a country’s happiness index. On the other hand, if they knew that Country A scored near the top of the happiness index and Country B scored near the bottom, it seems probable they’d be inclined to book their flights to Country A. Who wants to spend their vacation among unhappy people?
With rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft taking over, you might be wondering where in the world it’s still possible to take a cheap taxi. Cabs aren’t dead, yet: These countries still heavily rely on them.
In this time of isolation, businesses and individuals around the world are sending out messages of hope. Discover, in photos, how we’re keeping our spirits up during the COVID-19 pandemic.
For the sixth year in a row, Finland has claimed the top spot in the World Happiness Report. The annual report, compiled by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, surveys residents in over 150 countries to determine which nations are the happiest.
Holland America Line will launch a 42-day cruise across the Atlantic Ocean and around Europe and the Middle East from Florida next year, inspired by a journey the cruise line took nearly 100 years ago.
In Willemstad, the capital city on the island of Curaçao, the waterfront is dotted with buildings the color of tropical fruit: mango orange, banana yellow, kiwi green. Paired with the bright blue water in nearby bays, it’s almost a full kaleidoscope of color. Originally, the structures were limestone white, but an 1817 law forbade white facades on buildings to protect islanders’ eyesight from the bright reflections of the Caribbean sun – but locals joke that it was a money-making bid on behalf of the island’s only paint supplier.
Endless miles of scenic highways that wind coast to coast and meander around breathtaking natural wonders and ever-changing landscapes make hitting the open road second nature in the US. When it comes to the Midwest there’s often a misconception that it’s all about flyover states and repetitive countryside. But away from the big cities, industrial centers, and sprawling farmland, you can stumble upon some of the most European cities in America.
It may be hard to believe, but there’s a place in England where the sand is fine and white, the sea is turquoise blue, and the sun shines more than just about anywhere else in the country. In this dream-like place, you can surf, you can sunbathe (and even get a tan), you can hike coastal paths, valleys, and moors, and you can stuff you face with cream teas and pasties. You guess it, Cornwall, England, is a must-see when in Britain. Lucky for you, it’s only a direct train ride away from London.
The rugged landscapes of the Outer Hebrides, off Scotland’s west coast, may be sparsely populated, but there’s a deep human history here, from ancient stone circles to traditional Gaelic culture. These interconnected islands have shaped a distinct way of life, not just in the Harris Tweed and whisky distilleries that travellers encounter, but also in the daily routines of remote fishing communities. Spanning over 150 miles, this island chain is stitched together by causeway, bridge, road and boat, meaning visitors can pick their own method — car, bike, bus or ferry — to make the most of this extraordinary destination.