Historic Orkney

12/08/2026

How much is fuel up here?

It’s not something people usually think about when they picture Orkney, but I thought our American friends might enjoy this one.

I recently had a fantastic group from Galveston, Texas, who told me fuel was around $3.50 a US gallon back home.

Here, diesel is currently around £1.82 a litre, which works out at roughly $9.30 per US gallon.

Bargain! 😂

It might explain why V8s are about as common here as unicorns.

Or Trows.

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historicorkney.com

11/08/2026

A cool shot from this morning. Orkney doing what Orkney does best. ⛰️🌊

Just wanted to share it with you.

04/08/2026

Some places are made to be explored.

A grand day out at Yesnaby with a great group from Germany. The Atlantic was putting on a show, and Yesnaby Castle never disappoints. It probably looks even better in photos taken by someone else... but it's even better in real life.

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https://www.historicorkney.com

03/08/2026

She'd been asking to see a digger for weeks, so today she finally got her chance.

The funny part is that the same operator once lifted me into the previous generation of this very machine when I was about her age. Some things don't change in Orkney.

JCB is one of Britain's best-known engineering companies, founded in 1945 and still family-owned today. Their machines are used across the world, including by the British Armed Forces, where reliability matters most.

Just a peedie island moment that made me smile.

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https://www.historicorkney.com

30/07/2026

A familiar sight this morning as MV Hamnavoe and my clients arrive in Orkney.

I've lost count of the number of crossings I've made on Hamnavoe, and before her, the old St Ola. There are plenty of stories attached to this route.

I still remember the excitement when Hamnavoe first arrived. I was aboard during one of the public open days before she entered service, and she's been part of Orkney life ever since. She was built in 2002 and entered service on the Scrabster–Stromness route in April 2003.

I still like the big blue Viking on the side. Around here, it seems quite at home.

It's the winter crossings that are often the most exciting. Big seas, changing skies, and that feeling you're travelling somewhere a little different.

https://www.historicorkney.com

14/07/2026

12/07/2026

Live archaeology in progress at the world-famous Ness of Brodgar this month.

Watching archaeology unfold in real time is always something special. I grew up watching Time Team on TV, so seeing a programme being filmed here at the same time was a nice moment.

If you're visiting Orkney this month, it's a rare chance to experience one of Europe's most remarkable archaeological sites while excavation is still underway.

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https://www.historicorkney.com

28/06/2026

One of the things I love most about archaeology in Orkney is that it's never just something to look at from behind a fence.

Getting hands-on with objects that haven't seen daylight for thousands of years never gets old.

Every year, there are more live excavations taking place across the islands, each adding another piece to Orkney's remarkable story.

The exciting part? We still don't know what discoveries are waiting just beneath the surface.

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https://www.historicorkney.com