Stromness

Coordinates: 58°58′N 3°18′W / 58.96°N 3.3°W / 58.96; -3.3

Stromness
A view of Stromness
Stromness  Stromness shown within Scotland
Population	2,200 (approx.)
OS grid reference	HY2509
Council area	Orkney Islands
Lieutenancy area	Orkney Islands
Country	Scotland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	STROMNESS
Postcode district	KW16
Dialling code	01856
Police	Northern
Fire	Highlands and Islands
Ambulance	Scottish
EU Parliament	Scotland
UK Parliament	Orkney and Shetland
Scottish Parliament	Orkney
List of places: UK • Scotland •

Stromness /ˈstrɔmnəs/ is the second-largest town in Orkney, Scotland, and is located in the south-west of Mainland in Orkney. It is also a parish, with the town of Stromness as its capital.

Etymology

The name "Stromness" is derived from the Norse language. "Strom" refers to the strong tides that rip past the Point of Ness to the south of the town. "Ness" means "headland", and Stromness is thus literally "strong tide headland".^[1] In Viking times Stromness was called Hamnavoe, meaning "peaceful or safe harbour".

Town

A long-established seaport, it has a population of approximately 2,190 residents. The old town is clustered along the characterful and winding main street, flanked with houses and shops built from local stone, with narrow lanes and alleys branching off it. There is a ferry link from Stromness to Scrabster on the north coast of mainland Scotland.

First recorded as the site of an inn in the 16th century, Stromness became important during the late 17th century, when England was at war with France and shipping was forced to avoid the English Channel. Ships of the Hudson's Bay Company were regular visitors, as were whaling fleets. Large numbers of Orkneymen, notably from Stromness, served as traders, explorers and seamen for both. Stromness Museum reflects these aspects of the town's history (displaying for example important collections of whaling relics, and Inuit artefacts brought back as souvenirs by local men from Greenland and Arctic Canada). An unusual aspect of the town's character is the large number of buildings decorated with displays of whale-bones outside them.

Writer George Mackay Brown was born and lived most of his life in the town.

Stromness is referenced in the title of Sir Peter Maxwell Davies's popular piano piece Farewell to Stromness, a piano interlude from The Yellow Cake Revue, first performed on 21 June 1980 at the Stromness Hotel by the composer as part of the St. Magnus Festival.

Stromness Harbour

Parish

The parish of Stromness comprehends the Isle of Hoy and a tract of about 5 miles by 3¾ on Mainland. The main part is bounded on the west by the Atlantic, on the south and the south-east by Hoy Sound, on the north-east by the Loch of Stenness.

Antiquities include Breckness House, erected in 1633 by the last bishop of Orkney at the west entrance of Hoy Sound; and an ancient cemetery, with ruined church, and remains of a monastery between Breckness House and Stromness town.

Geology

It presents to the Atlantic a range of cliffs from 100-500 ft high, to Hoy Sound a band of fertile lowlands; and it elsewhere consists mainly of bleak, sterile heights. The rocks possess great geological interest, and were made well-known by the publication of Hugh Miller, Asterolepsis of Stromness.

References

• The section on the parish and its geology incorporates text from the following out-of-copyright book: Wilson, Rev. John The Gazetteer of Scotland (Edinburgh, 1882) Published by W. & A.K. Johnstone

1. ^ Iain Mac an Tàilleir. "Placenames" (PDF). Pàrlamaid na h-Alba. http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/vli/language/gaelic/pdfs/placenamesK-O.pdf. Retrieved 2007-07-23. 

External links

• Stromness Harbour webcam
• Stromness Museum
• Ballantine's Midnight Cup at Stromness Golf Club, stv feature, 19 June 2007.
• Stromness Royal British Legion Pipe Band
• Orkney's local paper
• Pier Art Gallery An important collection of British fine art

This Orkney location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v • d • e