September 2008: Notes from a Ferrylouper
White. When I close my eyes and think of Orkney, I see white, white houses, white boats and white clouds racing across the skies. When the sun does shine on Orkney, it does so with brilliance unmatched anywhere. Lying at the confluence of currents between the North Atlantic and the North Sea, weather moves quickly across its face. When the sun breaks through and illuminates the white buildings, it is often in contrast to the dark skies beyond.
Orkney is an archipelago containing nearly seventy islands, twenty of which are settled. The inhabitants see themselves as part of and yet separate from the citizens of Scotland. Case in point: They call the biggest of the Orkney Islands “Mainland.” Orkney has remained a singularly unique place because of its inaccessibility and its climate. The Pentland Firth, separating northern Scotland from the islands by ten miles, is one of the most difficult bodies of water to navigate. The climate, although relatively mild, is buffeted by winds and storms that push across the islands in minutes or hours rather than days. At this latitude, the moisture-filled air gives the light a most unusual quality. Objects seem to glow and glisten.
The islands of Orkney are dotted with megalithic standing stones. Two of the world’s great surviving circles of stones, the Ring of Brodgar and Standing Stones of Stenness, are preserved in Mainland Orkney in the area around Stenness. The locals have almost universally considered the stones worthy of protection, as do most of today’s visitors to the islands. However, the carved graffiti from eighteenth- and nineteenth-century visitors is a reminder of the lasting effects of a moment’s decision. The destruction of the Odin Stone in 1814 at the hands of a ferrylouper (someone from “away,” visiting or living in the islands) leaves us today with only a single rare sketch of the stone and a story of mythical proportions.
Located about one hundred fifty yards north of the Standing Stones of Stenness, the stone was about eight feet tall and a foot thick. A hole near its bottom was said to be big enough to pass an infant through. Local custom dictated the stone’s use to pledge marriage, make oaths, seal business deals and ensure the good health of newborns. Captain W. Mackay, tired of locals trampling his fields to get to the Odin Stone, knocked it down on a cold December day. Neighbors were outraged and as he set to work destroying stones in the ring at Stenness obtained a local court order to stop him. In addition, some of these same neighbors made several attempts to burn his house down. Though Mackay was said to apologize for his actions, the apology didn’t come before he had toppled one stone and destroyed another in the ring. Fortunately, in 1906 the Stones of Stenness came under state care and the toppled stone was raised.
Today, Orkney has a modern thriving community surrounded by the signs and symbols of its long history and traditions. Spanning the ages from Neolithic man’s first attempt to map the heavens to the Picts, Romans, Vikings and Scots, the Orcadians have absorbed these varying influences into their unique and distinct culture. The Stones of Stenness were upright and provided inspiration a thousand years before Stonehenge was built. They are, reportedly, the oldest standing stones in the world. The Odin Stone was a symbol of power for Orcadians. It was unchanged for over four thousand years, and destroyed in a day by one who didn’t understand its power or importance.
Symbols of power change and evolve over time. Often the object remains a symbol but the significance changes as the community evolves. Over the six years I have been photographing Orkney, I have seen changes — new buildings rising, old ones renovated or torn down and discoveries leading to new theories about events of the past. Orkney is more than just a Neolithic Disneyland. Like all communities, it will continue to change, holding some traditions dear, like the Boys’ Plowing Contest and the annual agricultural fairs. Less than a hundred years ago, fishing and farming were the mainstays of life. Today, many Orcadians are fishermen with farms and farmers with boats. A revival of the traditional arts has helped to create a new economy, which in turn, is keeping young families on the island, as does the proximity of the offshore oil industry.
I was first drawn to Orkney by the standing stones. Who put them up and why? As I spent more time on the islands, my fascination expanded to include not only Neolithic stones, but also the Norse remains, the medieval cathedral and the towns and people of the islands today. To define or label Orkney solely by my photographs limits this wonderful place. These images are simply an attempt to capture the ever-present spirit that is Orkney. It is both ancient and modern. It is isolated yet cosmopolitan. You do not end up in Kirkwall, the capital of Orkney, by accident. To travel there is still a journey and an adventure. It is not on the list of most visited places but I think it should be. When people discover that someone has been to Orkney, it creates an instant kinship. Not just about “Did you see?” or “Did you eat?” but “Did you meet?” Orkney is truly small enough to be comfortable and large enough to be interesting. It is filled with magic, the magic of silence and loneliness, and the deep marvelous rhythms of sea and land, darkness and light. And white.
Tillman Crane