THE isles belonging to Scotland have commonly been divided into three classes : the western, scattered in the Deucaledonian Ocean, on the west, the Orkney and Zetlandick, both lying to the North of ScoUand. As to the Western Isles, though in number far exceeding both the isles of Orkney and Zetland, yet I take no notice thereof in the subsequent description : our commission not being deputed thither, so only the latter shall I give some brief account of, not intending to advance any thing, but what I have either found to be true from my own observation, or had by good information from sensible and grave persons, worthy of credit : and shall begin with Orkney, as order requireth, we first landing there.
Orkney lies to the north of Scotland, bounded on the west by the Deucaledonian ocean ; on the east, by the German ; on the north, by the sea which divides Orkney from Zetland ; and on the south, by Pightland-Firth, twelve miles broad, from Dungisbie-Head or John Groat's house, the northern-most house in Scotland, to Berwick in South Ronalsha, the southernmost point of Orkney. It is commonly said to be about the fifty-ninth degree of latitude at Kirkwall, which lies within the country ; though the southernmost point of South Ronaldsha is distant from the northernmost of North Ronaldsha near a degree.
That Orkney or Orcades is the name of these isles is agreed in by ancient and modern writers, but of the etymology, and whence the name is derived, none I suppose will be found to give a satisfying account. Some alledging it to come from Orcas, which Ptolomy reckons to be a promontory of Caithness, opposite to Orkney ; others from the Greek word coerceo, these isles breaking and restraining the force of the raging waves ; or from Hurricano, because of the boisterous winds and hurricanes which often blow in this country : or from Erick or Orkenwald, or some other Pictish prince famous there at its first plantation. Which derivations, some of them at least, cannot but appear far-fetcht to the thinking reader : and indeed many, in giving the reasons of names, do rather please their own curiosity than render a true account of their original ; seeing the reasons generally of the ancient names of countries are buried in oblivion, through the want of writers, and neglect of the first inhabitants, especially in these parts of the world, wherein learning more slowly advanced.
The first planters and possessors of the country seem to have been the Picts, there being several old houses, both here and in Zetland, which to this day are called Picts or Pight Houses, and the Firth between Orkney and Caithness is still called Pightland-Firth ; whereupon some of our historians, as Boethius, writing of the isles of Orkney, doth observe, design Orkney the most ancient kingdom of the Picts ; Orchades insulse, antiquissimum Pictorum regnum a quibusdam nostrarum rerum scriptoribus vocitatae. And we find mention made of the kings of Orkney, as Buchanan tells us of one Belus, who, having invaded Scotland, was defeated and put to flight by Ewen II. king of Scots, killing most of his army, upon which Belus, being much discouraged and broken in spirit, despairing of life, put hand in himself, and became his own executioner. Boethius calis him Balus ; Balus autem Orchadum rex fractus animo, desperatâ salute, ne in hoctium potestatem veniret, manuem sibi intusit. And in the church of Birsa, at the west end of the mainland in Orkney, there is a long stone yet standing erect, with the nanne Belus inscribed thereon in ancient characters ; probably this was the place of his interment. Also the minister of Sandwick's Manse is said to have been the residence of one of the kings of Picts, and therefore to this day is called Konnisgar, or the King's House ; and that part of the manse, which they say served for the palace of a king, is so little, though now kept in some repair, that it could not accommodate a family of an ordinary rank ; the figure thereof and contrivance of its two rooms or Chambers, one above and an-other below, of narrow dimensions, are antique, and the building hath been but coarse. Boethius likewise tells of another king called Banus, whom Claudious Caesar having subdued anno Christo 43, he carried him with his wife and children captive to Rome, and were led by him in triumph : Buchanan questions the truth of this history, Tacitus affirmiing that part of Britain then to bave been altogether unknown to the Romans, nee temere tarnen crediderim quod nostri tradunt scriptores &c. quod Tacitus affirmet ante Julii Agricola advcntum, earn Britanni partem Romanis omnio incognitam fuisse. But if Boethius his relation be true, the vanquishing of Orkney hath been reputed something considerable, seeing not to every conqueror was allowed by the Roman Senate the glory of a triumph.
It is also probable the government of these isles continued with the Pictish Prince till the days of Kenneth II. King of Scots, a warlike prince, who having prevailed with his nobles contrary to their own inclination, by a notable piece of craft, to engage in a war against the Picts, with an undaunted valour and courage routed the Pictish army, and wasted their country with fire and sword, pursuing them to the Orkney Isles, which he then annexed to the crown of Scotland, reigning from Orkney to Adrian's Wall, Anno Dom. 854. Thence Orkney continued in the possession of the Scots till the days of Donald Bane, about the year 1099, who, that he might secure the kingdom to himself, promised the isles to Magnus, king of Norway, if he would assist him with a necessary force; which offer Magnus accepting, the Norwegians became masters of the isles, till Alexander III. about the year 1263, recovered them, by expelling the Norwegians ; which ever since were possessed and disposed of by our kings. To be brief, at length William Douglas, earl of Mortoun, got a wadset of Orkney and Zetland from king Charles L which wadset, with all the rights, contracts, insestments, &c. thereunto appertaining, was reduced by a decreet of the lords of Session, obtained at the instance of his majesty's Advocate against William Douglass, also earl of Mortoun, grand-child to the aforesaid earl, February 1669, which decreet was ratified and confirmed by act of parliament the December following, erecting the earldom of Orkney and lordship of Zetland into a stewarty, to be called in all time coming the Stewarty of Orkney and Zetland. The reason commonly given, why the earl of Mortoun lost the wadset, was, because some chests of gold were seized by the earl's Deputs in Zetland, got out of a rich ship, called the Carmelan of Amsterdam, cast away there anno 1664 ; none of this gold coming to the king's treasury, though some of it, as was alledged, came to the earl's hands.
From our history we may know, that Orkney and Zetland have been reckoned so great and considerable a part of his majesty's ancient kingdom, that for divers ages they occasioned much expence of blood and treasure, for the maintaining thereof against the invasion of foreigners, and recovering the same out of their hands by arms and treaties. The title likewise of these isles hath still been reputed honourable ; hence it hath pleased our present king to confer this title of earl of Orkney upon lord George Hamilton, brother to his grace the duke of Hamilton, for good services done by him to his majesty's person and government.
I proceed to consider the present state of the country. The people here are personable and comely, and many of them, as I observed, are of a ruddy complexion, which may be by reason of the sea air and their frequent fish diet, such a colour and countenance as our mariners use to have and retain for some days after they are come from sea : they are generally hospitable and civil, giving kind and humane entertainment to strangers, which we found to our experience. Both men and women are fashionable in their clothes, no men here use plaids, as they do in our highlands, in the North Isles of Sanda, Westra, &c. Many of the country people wear a piece of a skin, as of a seal, commonly called a selch, calf, or the like, for shoes, which they fasten to their feet with strings or thongs of leather. Their houses are in good order, and well furnished, according to their qualities.
They generally speak English, neither do I think they have so much of the northern accent as in many places of the north of Scotland, yet several of the isles have some words and phrases peculiar to themselves. There are also some who speak Norse, especially in the main land, as in the parish of Hara there are a few yet living, who can speak no other thing, this language not being quite extinct among them since the Norwegians, whose language it is, had this country in possession. And though Caithness be near to Orkney, yet none in Orkney can speak Irish, though the greatest part in Caithness can ; nor can any in Caithness speak Norse, though some in Orkney yet can do it.
The air, as it is piercing and cold, so it is free and healthy ; hence many arrive at a good old age : one in Evie brought forth a child in the sixty-third year of her age, as the minister, who had inquired thereunto, declared : a man in the parish of Holm, who died not many years since, lived with his wife in a conjugal state above eighty years, as the present minister of the place informed me : a gentleman in Stronza, who died about two years since, was begotten of his father when one hundred years old, this was attested by the ministers, who knew the truth thereof: one William Muir in Westra lived one hundred and forty years, and died about sixteen years ago, by a decay of nature's heat and vigour, incident to such au infirm, decrepit age, without any ordinary sickness, as a gentleman in these bounds, well acquainted with him, told me. The disease they are most obnoxious unto is the scurvy, occasioned, as is judged, by the sea air, fishes, salt-meats, &c. It is observed likewise that it is colder in the summer time, than it is with us in the south, but warmer in the winter, the snow not using to lay long ; for (beside other things that might be said on this head, which also respect other countries) in the summer cold breezes come off the sea, which tempers the heat ; and in the winter season the same breezes may qualify the extreme cold and frost, which useth to be greatest when the air is most quiescent, and least disturbed with winds ; the great motion also of the rapid tides may contribute not a little thereunto.
Their ordinary grain are oats and barley, and though other grains should be sown, the product would not be great, if any at all, they not taking with such a weak and cold soil, and the many brinish blasts these isles lay exposed unto. As for wheat bread, it is rare and scarce to be had, if not at Kirkwall and some gentlemens' houses, who bring the flour from Murray, or the south of Scotland. As for their oats and barley, the grain is less and blacker than it is with us : yea, though they should bring good and fair seed from other countries, within a few years it would degenerate and become like their own ; which is the reason why their meal and bread are of such a black colour. Yet in some places the meal is whiter, and said to be better than in others. Their not being so diligent in winnowing their corns, not having such good mills for grinding as we have, may be partly the cause thereof. In some places also they use not to shear their corn, but pluck it up by the roots, as we do the lint, because of the scarcity of fodder to their beasts, which corns, if not taken pains upon, will abound with sand and dust. Nevertheless, for aught I hear or know, their bread and ale are wholesome, and the natives take well with them. I thought first when we landed in Orkney, their oat bread and fleshes also had some fish taste, but when we had tarried some days there, we were not so sensible of it.
Their arable ground is better and more fertile than at first to strangers appeareth, whence I heard some gentlemen declare, it was wonderful to think how great the product of these isles is, considering the many barren mountains and much waste ground that are in them. They dung their land for the most part with sea-ware, which having gathered they suffer to rot, either on the coasts, or by carrying it up to the land upon horses, or on their backs ; they lay it in heaps till the time of labouring approach ; which is the reason why the skirts of the isles are more ordinarily cultivated, and do more abound with corns, than places at a greater distance from the sea, where they have not such gooding at hand. Their ploughs are little and light, having only one stilt, and but little iron in them ; hence, when at the end of the ridge, he who holds it lifts it up and carries it to the other side of the ridge, and if he please may carry it home on his shoulders : the reason they give of this is, that although some of their ground be strong, yet their beasts are weak, and unable to go through with a plough of any considerable weight.
Their horses, kine, sheep, lambs, &c. are of a lesser size than with us, and are to be bought at an easier rate, for a good cow will be had for five pounds Scots, or four pounds sixteen shillings, at which price they are obliged to sell her at Kirkwall about Martinmass. A good wedder for twenty shillings Scots. A hen for two shillings or two shillings and six-pence, &c. The sheep here are generally wild, therefore, when they would have them taken, they ordinarily do it by dogs trained for the purpose, the owner of the sheep giving to the master of the dog two shillings Scots for each one that is taken, and if they be not so wild but one shilling. Some husbandmen told us, they would rather labour their land over again, than take their sheep when they would have them washed and shorn ; I saw a young man come from the hills wet and weary, having a long time pursued one, to kill for our use. Their kine are of divers colours, some white, others of a pied, some red, others red and white, &c. So that I think there are as many of these colours as are of a black. They have no rivers, no place of the land being above two or three miles distant from the sea, therefore they draw water out of wells for their cattle, or drive them to lochs or lakes, some whereof they have, or to some small brooks which run from these lochs : which lochs likewise cause their mills to go.
They have abundance of cattle in many places, whereby is afforded them plenty of milk, which yieldeth much butter, some whereof is very good, yellow and sweet, but that which is called Orkney butter at Edinburgh is only their farm-butter, which they are obliged to pay to the taxmen or masters, whereof a quantity, according to compact and agreement, being gathered, they are at little or no trouble to make and keep it clean. Their sheep also are very fruitful, many of them having two, and some three, at abirth, which as Mr. Wallace lately, so Boethius of old, did observe, oves illic pene omnes geminos, immo trigeminos pleraeque partus edunt
Fishes of divers sorts are taken in great plenty, yet not so numerous as formerly, for now before they catch their great fishes, as keeling, ling, &c. they must put far out into the sea with their little boats, and thereby undergo great danger, which in former times they used to get nearer the coasts : however, such a number is taken, that, beside what for their own supply, many are sent abroad to other countries for sale. Particularly there are grey fishes, called silluks, scarce half so big as a herring generally, which swim and are taken in great numbers upon the coasts, so that sometimes they soon sell one thousand of them for six or seven shillings Scots. This fish is pleasant to the taste, and also they say very wholesome, which seems to be confirmed by this, that in the late years of great scarcity the poorer people lived upon them, almost as their food, they often not enjoying a crumb of bread for many weeks. So our good God, on the shutting of one door, opened another in his holy and wise providence for the relief of the poor.
Herrings do swim here in abundance, which formerly occasioned several ships frequenting these isles, but since the battle of Kilsyth, they say that trade hath failed, many of the Enster men, who were ordinary fishers upon these coasts, being killed there. When I was in Papa Westra, they pointed out to me a holm upon the east side of the isle, where I saw the ruins of some huts or little houses, whereunto these Enster men sometimes resorted, during the herring-fishing. A gentleman living in this isle told me that the former year, 1699, there was a great quantity of herring sperm or spawn driven upon the shore, and lay there for some time in heaps : which evidenceth that herrings in their season are yet on these coasts : though means be not used to take them.
Beside the many other excellent fishes, as keeling, ling, scate, turbot, and sometimes they say sturgeon, &c. there are also many shell fishes taken ; as lobsters, sold for an half-penny or four pence Scots ; oysters, much bigger than with us, for four shillings Scots per hundred; partens and muscles ; and cockles in so great plenty, that they make much good lime of their shells, besides which they have no other lime in Orkney, save what they bring from the south.
They have plenty both of land and sea fowls : as eagles, hawks, ember-goose, claik-goose, dunter-goose, solant goose, swans, lyres, scarffs, kettiwaiks, plover, muir-fowl, duck and drake, &c. The king's falconer useth to go every year to the isles, taking the young hawks and falcons to breed, and every house in the country is obliged to give him a hen or a dog, except such as are exempted. The eagles do much hurt to the young store, falling down upon their lambs and hens, and taking them away with them to their nests, killing and pulling out the eyes and hearts of their sheep ; hence there is an act standing in the steward's books, that whoever shall kill an eagle, shall have a hen out of every house of the parish where he is killed; yet, notwithstanding of this encouragement, I bear but of few killed, they fleeing high, and dispatching their prey so quickly : I saw a young one in the palace of Birsa, almost twice the bigness of a goose, though not a month old, it is a ravenous fowl, and would have run upon us, if we had not kept it off with our staves ; as to its colour, it is for the most part black, and some-thing of a yellow or golden colour about the head and in some parts ©f the wings. It is to be observed of the eagle, that he doth more destruction in places at some distance from his nest than in those that are nearer it. Eagles, hawks, and such like fowls, have their nests ordinarily on some high ragged rock, washed by the sea beneath, some of which we saw as we had occasion to sail by them.
The ember-goose, though not altogether so big as our land goose, yet it useth to weigh a stone weight. It hath short wings, not able to bear up the body for fleeing, hence it is never seen to fly, neither sit on any rock in the sea, as other fowls do, but hath its nest, wherein it hatcheth its eggs, one or two at once, under the water, at the foot of a rock, as they informed me hath been found. It is of a darkish grey colour, and white about the neck, of broad feet like our land goose, and a long beak, and though ever in the water, yet hath not, I think, such a strong fish taste as the Solan goose. It is more difficult to get them shot than other sea fowls, they being very quick-sighted, and on the first apprehension of danger get beneath the water : yea by reason of their many feathers, they will receive a shot on their breast, and it not penetrate : where-fore who would be at them design for their heads, or to shoot them against the feathers. The lyre is a rare and delicious sea-fowl, so very fat, that you would take it to be wholly fat ; it is somewhat less than a duck.
The sea fowls are so numerous, that a gentleman in Westra told his minister, that some years ago he for his own part killed so many, as afforded him fifty, sixty, and some years one hundred stone weight of feathers (whereby accrues to the owners more gain than by the flesh of the fowls) though for some seasons past he had taken but few ; for it is observed, that these fowls follow the small fishes, which are their ordinary food ; hence the more fishes, the more fowls, and when the fishes forsake this and the other place, the fowls likewise do so within a short time. Because of this abundance of fowls, therefore, it is, that the gentleman and some others have the rocks in several places divided among them, as they have their land. Which fowls they either kill by small shot out of boats at the foot of the frequented rocks, or else men are let down by ropes from the top of the rocks, who search for the nests, taking the eggs and what fowls they can apprehend. Many kinds of the sea-fowls are of a pied colour, some of which are not to be found with us in the south.
There are here no partridges, but plenty of muir-fowls, hence in some isles they will take twenty, thirty, or forty pair in one day, the hills covered with heather being by nature fitted for their living and accommodation. Conies also do abound in most of the isles, but no hares are to be seen; so that if any be brought into the country, as they say hath been tried, they will not live and propagate as in other places. I hear of few, if any, venomous creatures in these isles, as Boethius of oÃd did observe: Serpentes aut aliud animal venenosum nullum, id quod de Hiberniá quoque verum est No bees either are here, there being no provision proper for them, beside they would not take well with this cold climate.
No trees there are in this country, nor bushes, save a few in the bishop's garden at Kirkwal, which are esteemed as a rarity, for when planted and taken care of, they sometimes grow up the height of their garden wall, but afterwards they gradually go back and decay. This several gentlemen very desirous of having trees to grow declared, which then must be imputed to the nature of the soil, and sharpness of the sea air, and not to the sloth of the inhabitants, as our historian asserts : Nulla usquam arbor ac ne fru-tex quidem praeter ericam, nec id tam cceli aut soli vitio quam incolarum ignavia, quod facile ostenditur ex arborum radicibus, quae pluribus in locis eruuntur. For though indeed it be true that roots, and sometimes bodies of trees, are found in mosses, yet this is rare, and only to be had in some places; whereas gentlemen say, they bring in exotic or foreign plants, they sow seed for nurseries, which useth to arrive at some greater growth than what is planted, yet after all their pains and expence in using such proper means, so conducive for obtaining their end, no perfection or bearing of fruit can be attained : and that trees, which yet are but small, and look dry and withered, do grow in the bit shop's garden, may be because of its inclosure, having the church on one side, the town of Kirkwal on the other, and the bishop's house on a third ; which kind of fences máy keep off the cold breezes that come from the sea, and destroy the growth of trees in other places.
Though there are no trees, and so no fruits for the table, yet there is no lack of good roots for the kitchen, as cabbage, carrots, parsnips, turnips, crummocks, artichokes, &c.; all which useth to be bigger here than with us ordinarily, especially their artichokes excel; hence some gentlemen do barrel and send them out of the country for a present to their friends : besides these, they have likewise variety of herbs in the field, very beneficial to such as understand their virtue and use.
Peats and turf are the ordinary fuel they use, which they have very good and in great plenty through the country, except in some places, which do not so abound therewith, as in Sanda they are obliged to bring peats from the adjacent isles, they not having in their own isle to suffice them ; and the usual manner of agreement with the proprietor of the moss is for so much a day for so many peats as a man can cast: and in such places where there is scarcity of fuel, the poorer sort make use of dried kine's dung, or tangles, which in summer's heat they prepare for the winter's cold. They have a few salt-pans in some places, where plenty of peats, which are very useful to the country : at some times much timber, the wrecks of ships cast away at sea, or broken on their isles, is driven ashore, which the inhabitants seizing keep for burnwood, and if good and fresh (as sometimes ships from Norway suffer shipwreck upon or nigh to these isles,) they make other uses of it: I saw several chimney-pieces thereof. The more ignorant people construct this as a favourable providence to them, therefore they call these wrecks God's send, though not so favourable to the poor mariners and others who suffer thereby.
Although the sea seemeth to favour them, by bringing such timber, and sometimes casks and hogsheads of wine, brandy, &c. to their doors, yet this turbulent swelling sea and strong current of a tide pays them home sore, for frequently thereby their small passage or fisher boats are cast away, sometimes all in them perishing, at other times some saved with difficulty. And at all times it is highly dangerous for any not experienced with these seas to pass through between the isles, though with small boats, because of the many blind rocks lying there, upon which sometimes the inhabitants themselves do split, what through some mistake, inadvertencv, darkness of the night, or otherwise.
The ministers inform us they are often in great danger in going to their churches from isle to isle, visiting their parishes, going to the presbytery, &c. Sometimes pale death, with its grim countenance, presenting itself, and staring them in the face, as one drawn out by the hair of the head ; another escaping on the keel of the overwhelmed boat ; sometimes they are arrested by a storm in the isles, and kept from their own families for some weeks, even when the passage will be scarce a mile or half a mile over. They tell us, in the isle of Westra there was a marriage not long since, where about an hundred persons were convened from other isles, and were detained for six or seven weeks together, so that the many of them daily saw their own houses, yet they durst not adventure to pass over, till the falling wind and sea took off their confinement.
In every isle there is a Wart or Ward-hill, the highest hill in the isle, on the top whereof they used to kindle a fire when they saw an enemy approaching, or discerned any danger, that so they might alarm the neighbourhood, that the dispersed inhabitants of the country having thereby notice given them might convene for their succour, or be upon their own defence, which beacons on the tops of mountains the scripture makes mention of, as Isa. xxx. 17. And a late learned author asserteth, " That great flame with smoke rising up out of the city, which was appointed as a sign between the men of Israel and the lyers in wait, Judg. xx. 38, 40, seems to be meant by this."
There are several gentlemen in Orkney who have considerable estates, but the King is the great proprietor, having about the one half of the rents of the whole country ; which rents are let out to tax-men for so much per annum, as is agreed upon at the public roup, who by their deputes gather in the revenues of the crown, and being the King's stewards, they are the principal judges of the country. The rents, when collected, whether paid in money, meal, oats, barley, or butter, are ordinarily sent south; which causeth a great grudge among the people, some of them thereby being redacted to great straits, not getting meal, barley, or the like, sometimes to buy, as in the late dearth, though then the produce of these isles, comparatively, were beyond that of many other places in the kingdom. The bishop's rents, amounting to tight or nine thousand merks per annum, and so more considerable than the rents of several other bishopricks in the kingdom, now, since the abolition of prelacy, coming in to the king's treasury, and at his disposal, are also sent south, and not consumed within the isles, as they used formerly to be, when the bishops resided here, at which the people are likewise dissatisfied, and thereby, as some better acquainted with their humours and inclinations do inform me, the presbyterian government is made the less acceptable to many of them.
The people greatly cry out of the oppression they groan under, by reason of the frequent, change of stewards, their masters, who being tax-men, and so only to continue for such a definite time, each endeavours to gather in his rents, and that as soon as may be, which many of the poor people cannot get so quickly given, whereupon several of them are put to doors, and all taken from them, which hath occasioned much of the king's land now to be lying waste and lee ; whereas, if they always had one master, their circumstances might be much better, for sometimes it so falleth out that the husbandman will gain as much in one year as will compensate the loss of another ; the master likewise would be more encouraging to them, and concerned in their welfare, and they, having leases set them, would more endeavour the improving of their ground, which now they do not, they not knowing but the next year they may have a new master, whose little finger may be thicker than his predecessor's loins. Yet let not my reader judge that I hereby intend the impeachment of any particular person or persons, who have been tax-men there, or now are ; but my design is to shew that this is the common complaint of the country, both in Orkney and Zetland.
The gentlemen tell us they have another kind of holding here than is in other places, and the best right they have to their lands is that which they call Udall right ; a possession which the natives successively have, without either charter or seisin, all their lands being either such Udall lands, or king's lands, or feued lands. This Udall right is said to be called from one Ulaus, king of Norway, who, when he possessed the country, gave to the inhabitants a right to so much land, he always retaining to himself the third part, and enjoying the increase thereof.
Their measure is not the same with ours, they not using peck and firlot, but, instead thereof, weigh their corns on pismires or pundlers. The least quantity is called a merk, which is eighteen ounces ; twenty-four merks make a leis pound or setten, which, with the Danes, is that which we call a stone ; six settens a miel, which is their boll ; and eighteen meils make a chalder. Neither do they use pocks or sacks, as we do ; but carry and keep their corns and meal in a sort of vessel made of straw, bound about with ropes of the same, called Cassics.
‹ ›