Orkney Islands

To the Orkneys!

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June 14th 2008
Saturday 14th June Today we are to begin a 2½ day tour of the Orkney islands. The Orkney islands are about 7 miles (at the nearest point) off the north coast of Scotland at a latitude of around 59o N. (By comparison, Edinburgh is at 55o N, and is around 400 miles distant). The Orkneys are a group of 70 or so islands, 17 or 18 of which are inhabited. (The residents of one island are in the pr ... read more

Europe » United Kingdom » Scotland » Orkney Islands » Mainland Island

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Great Britain, the dominant industrial and maritime power of the 19th century, played a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy and in advancing literature and science. At its zenith, the British Empire stretched over one-fourth of the ear... ... read more