Viking Scotland Part Three - The Earls of Orkney In late 1263 the Norwegian king, Haakon Haakonarsson, and his storm-damaged fleet limped into the sheltered waters of the Orkney Islands: the old man was ailing, and with him the dreams of a Viking empire. Vikings of the Hebridean Islands Earlier in the year Haakon had left Norway and crossed the ocean to stamp his authority over the Hebridean Islands, west of Scotland; which had been assailed and claimed by the Scottish king, Alexander III in 1262. For decades, the Scots had tried to buy the islands from the Norwegians, and time and … [Read more...] about Viking Scotland – The Earls of Orkney
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Viking Scotland – The Hebrides
Viking Scotland - Part Two: The King of the Isles It was the summer of 1158, and two rival navies faced each other across the Sea of the Hebrides; one led by Godred, King of Man, the other by his brother-in-law the upstart Somerled, Lord of Argyll. It was yet another clash between warlords in this most contentious of arenas where Gaelic Scotland met Viking empire; but the outcome of this battle would alter the balance irrevocably. For nearly 400 years Norwegian Vikings had first raided and then settled the Irish Sea, Hebrides and the Northern Isles, establishing a substantial territorial … [Read more...] about Viking Scotland – The Hebrides
Orkney and Shetland Islands, Scotland
Orkney Stretching out into the North Sea among strong winds and rough seas, Orkney and Shetland are Scotland’s most northern isles. The most southerly of them and a short distance from the northern Scottish mainland is Orkney, also referred to as Orkney Isles, rising modestly from the sea, this cluster of more than seventy islands is a sparsely populated but very fertile land ideal for farming. During the long summer days the land is awash with wild flowers covering the meadows with enormous bright skies, with the sound of millions of sea birds along its stunning coastline. Shetland … [Read more...] about Orkney and Shetland Islands, Scotland
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