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Wow! Wasbister 1402
This is our earliest document, it is a disposition by Magnus Andro and Jonet Magnus of ½ penny land in Wasbister in Holm to John Mason and it was written in the year 1402. Document reference...
View ArticleCoronation Charles!
We don't know about you readers, but we have already cellophaned our platters of coronation chicken sandwiches and coronation quiche, organised our Pimms jugs and festooned the archive with bunting...
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Hoorah for Volunteers!
It is volunteers week and this gives us a chance to celebrate our wonderful band of helpers without whom, the archives would be so much poorer.The Orkney Archive is heaving at the seams with...
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Sketch Map of Stromness Harbour
Well. This is just extremely pleasing... (click to enlarge)Orkney Archive Reference D2/7/3 - Undated sketch chart for soundings at Stromness Harbour
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Update to Sketch Map!
Orkney Archive Reference D2/7/3 - Undated sketch chart for soundings at Stromness Harbour UPDATE:We've had some thoughts about the above map sent in by an instagram follower:Compare it to Murdoch...
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Royal Visits to Orkney
For the Orkney Vintage Rally this year, I was asked to create an exhibition of Archive photographs of Royal Visits to Orkney. The photos I chose to show are just a tiny proportion of the images we have...
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Doors Open 2023
Bessie Grieve, AKA 'Countrywoman' We have been working hard at digitising our wonderful sound archive to make it more accessible and to back up our vast collection of tapes and reel to reels.As part of...
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Accreditation Joy!!
You may remember us tooting upon our own trumpets a few years ago dear readers when we were first given accredited archive status? Well please excuse us as we parp upon the brass again as we have...
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Snowy Pictures and Sweaty Men
What is more Christmassy than a snowy picture? We have many lovely examples in the photographic archive, some of which can be seen below. If you fancy making an Orcadian themed Christmas greeting or...
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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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 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...
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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,...
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'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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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 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...
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