Clik here to view.
Early women doctors in Orkney
We know much about Beatrice Garvie, who was doctor on North Ronaldsay in the 1930’s and 40's. See In Search of Beatrice Garvie to find out more. But did you know there were at least fifty women doctors...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Kirkwall Map Discovery
Our team of volunteers have been hard at work sifting through the bundles of documents in the Balfour of Balfour & Trenaby papers. They have been finding lots of interesting documents and we are...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Pigtail Tobacco, Brandy, and Other Necessities
New post by Guest Blogger: Joan BarrettPart One:When I read on Facebook an invitation to volunteer for work on the LIFTE project from the University of the Highlands and Islands, I immediately...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Charles Millot / World Traveller / Orkney Visitor
Four Photos from the Tom Kent Collection sent me on a journey of discovery to find out more about this man, Charles Millot. In July 2021 we posted a couple of the photos on Twitter (now X) and they...
View ArticleMemories of VE Day
Today marks 80 years since VE day - the end of WWII hostilities in Europe. Listen below to weel kent* Orcadian Brigadier S P Robertson as he talks about his experiences of VE Day whilst stationed in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
May Day Holiday
Please do not come to the library on Monday the 5th as we will be closed. We are pretending it is because of the public holiday. We are actually planning a high stakes poker game with some tricksy...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Ploughing On
Photo L9670/1 388.342, by Ian Tulloch, from our Copy CollectionL9477/2 551.645It’s been a beautiful morning in Orkney, the sky is blue, the sun is shining, and the birds have been singing their peedie...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Happy Valentine's Day
To celebrate we share with you some heartfelt words of love written in a letter in 1808.The letter is written by Mary, Mrs William Balfour, 1788-1820, Captain William Balfour's first wife (and first...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Saturday Closure
Many apologies dear researchers, the archive search room and Orkney room will be CLOSED tomorrow -Saturday 1st of February.We shall be open again on Monday the 3rd.Please accept this image of a man...
View ArticleClik here to view.
'Isolation and Desolation'
No, it’s not a description of how we are all feeling as we plough on through the seventy third day of January, but a headline from the front page of the Orkney Herald of 18th January 1955.It’s a wild...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Falling on Hard Times in the Early 19th Century
Another day, another fascinating document... Today we found this 1801 parish assistance form pictured below: Return by Persons unable by their own Industry to Maintain themselves and Families,...
View ArticleDoors Open Orkney 2024
It is that time of year when buildings, organisations, artists and many other interesting people throw open their doors and bid a hearty welcome to the public. This year, the theme is Routes, Networks...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Hardy Island Voters in 1835 Election
Written by The Balfour Blogger #3Thomas Balfour was elected as Conservative MP for Orkney and Shetland in 1835, thanks to a hard-fought campaign paid for by his father, Captain William Balfour RN of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
May Day Closure
Much as we love your faces, please do not come into the archive on Monday 6th of May as we are CLOSED. We plan to spend the entire day like these peat-cutters from Stenness during their well earned...
View ArticleClik here to view.
19th Century Kirkwall
We often put up a post when we come across an item which has not seen the light of day for a long time and we think deserves a bit of attention. Whilst leafing through the sketchbook of Kirkwall born...
View ArticleClik here to view.
RIP Billy Jolly and Dave Gray
February was a very sad month for Orcadians as they lost two very well kent folk. Billy Jolly was a folk festival stalwart and Dave Gray was the voice of Radio Orkney. Both will be greatly missed by...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Did Captain Scarlett come from Orkney?
The Orkney Archive Palaeography Group have recently transcribed this beautiful document which is a disposition written for Magnus Baikie transferring ownership of a property in Kirkwall to his son...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Her Orcadian Voice? Sounds of the Noughties... the seventeen noughties.
I just love this letter which I found in the Balfour Papers recently. The phonetic spelling of the words give a glimpse of the sound of this Orcadian woman's voice from way back in 1704. Here is a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Let this bear our Christmas Greetings!
Aah Christmas. That time of year where we lowly archive workers dust off our tinsel, string up some lights and overindulge in all things mince-pie related. Our history-addled brains naturally turn to...
View ArticleThe Sound of Christmas
All organised for Christmas readers? Neither are we! Fear not for we have the perfect present for that hard to buy for relative or acquaintance: the dulcet tones of Orcadians reminiscing about the...
View Article
