In the 1950s and 1960s the North Isles of Orkney lacked mains water and electricity and good piers for shipping. Mechanisation was driving agriculture forward, with the main crops still oats, bere and turnips, with a thriving egg industry, and houses were heated by Wellstood stoves and lit by Tilley lamps.

The story of life then in each parish was brought together as part of the compiling of the Third Statistical Account of Scotland with a wealth of descriptive detail. Dr Tom Rendall delves into it with reader Ailsa Seatter and archive photos from the 50s and 60s.

You can watch this free event from here, through the YouTube link below, or if you’d like to join questions and discussion, you can also go to the Science Festival’s YouTube channel