Islands Orcadas, the great archipelago of Scotland

The Islands Orcadas form an archipelago of an average of 70 islands (only 20 inhabited). Where they are located? Therefore set against the north coast of Scotland. Among all the Islands Orcadas, the largest one is Mainland. What signifies in Spanish? Main”“land, ¿you Know why carries this name? Therefore is the sixth larger island of Scotland.

We speak a little on the history of the place…In their starts, the Islands Orcadas were found inhabited by Neolithic tribes and then by the Picts, until before of the conquest of Norway. It is interesting to know that in this place, in the 18th century, the language norn (scandinavian) was substituted by the one that is spoken at present: the Scot.

Due to the overpopulation that there was in Norway to ends of the century VIII, the Norwegians began to populate the Islands Orcadas and Shetland. It is as well as they displace the Picts and to their tongue substituting it for the old northerner.

You knew that in the year 875, the Islands Orcadas were the general headquarters of the Vikings? Yes, and it was Ragnvald Eysteinsson who received the Islands Orcadas and Shetland in the shape of repair by the death of its son, in a battle in Scotland. Subsequently, Erik Bloody Axe fled Norway and lived in the Islands Orcadas to its death in the battle of Satainmooor in Scotland (954). In that time, was found Haakon the Good one in the government and the children of Eirk Bloody Axe tried to challenge it in many opportunities.

With the arrival of Olaf to the islands, in the year 988, the Christianity was expanded not only in the Islands Orcadas and Shetland, but in all the British islands.

With the commitment of the daughter of the king Cristián I of Denmark and Jacobo III of Scotland, the Islands Orcadas and Shetland passed by hand of the Scottish Crown, in 1472.

You want to know more on this destiny? Genial, we continue…The largest island of the Islands Orcadas as already we told is you Mainland, where the 2 main cities are found: Kirkwall and Stromness. Its importance itself due to that come to be the most important point of the system of transportation, since counts on air connections and in ferry. Curiously, the name of the island was an error since initially should be a word of the old northerner: Meginland.

The islands of Mainland are divided into 2 groups: north and south of Mainland. Nevertheless, an island exists that can be grouped in none of these two and is Sule Skerry, is to 60 km. Of the archipelago but is officially of the Islands Orcadas.

The north is the most extensive territory and counts on a large quantity of united islands to Mainland through a trasbordador. Many of the islands known as “Holms” are of smaller size. Among the uninhabited islands they are: Auskerry, Eday, Egilsay, Gairsaty, Ronaldsay north, Pope Stronsay, Pope Westray, Rousay and Shapinsay.

In the south, the islands are found surrounding Scapa Flow, the largest island of the Islands Orcadas. Among the islands belonging to this group they are: Burray, Flotta, Graemsay, Lamb Holm and Ronaldsay Southern.

Although there is not direct flights from Spain, is easy to achieve some flights cheap larger European from cities as Paris (to See hotels in Paris) or London (to See cheap hotels in London).