Join Orkney wildlife guide Megan Taylor of Wild Orkney Walks on a day trip to the island of Flotta. We will explore the naval cinema and plantation, before enjoying a leisurely walk around the island taking in the wartime heritage, beautiful scenery, a variety of wildlife and of course, the Flotta Penguins!
Our whole society depends on measurements, billions of them every day. The system is maintained by metrology – the science of measurement – which also aims to improve measurement accuracy over time, as Prof. Richard Brown, the Head of Metrology at the National Physical Laboratory, explains.
Join Daniel Kenning over tea/coffee/biscuits to hear more about the concept of Transition Engineering and the fresh approaches it offers for shaping paths to the future. Today he looks at how systems work, and how from history we can see how they respond to external change. Numbers limited: booking essential
Len Wilson, former boatbuilder, tells the story of ships and men. Naval architect Dennis Davidson of Murray Cormack Associates describes how the ships were strengthened to withstand the pressure of the ice and brings the story up to date with his own design of the aluminium motorboat Polar Bound.
Local historian Patricia Long tells the story of the shipwreck on the Muckle Green Holm - and its skipper's longstanding links with Orkney. Polar historian Dr Maria Pia Casarini describes a previous voyage he made: a rescue mission with Shackleton, six men in an open boat, through blizzard, hurricane and mountainous seas.
It's a fine Orkney tradition – to take a break from the day’s activities to enjoy tea or coffee and fresh local produce, and the opportunity to meet up with friends or catch up on events of the day. There’s a 10-minute story as well at around 3.30 pm, and today John Goodlad tells of Shetland smuggling and Faroe brandy.
In a lifetime’s career in marine salvage, Alec Crawford has explored wrecks from remains of the Spanish Armada to the SS Politician, the vessel made famous in the film Whisky Galore – and also the White Star Liner Oceanic, which, when built in 1899, was the biggest and most luxurious ship in the world.
Excavations at the Bu in Orphir suggest a possible location of an earl’s hall. A clue comes from a horizontal mill, with remains of cooked food: choice cuts of meat suggest a place of feasting nearby. Dr Colleen Batey and Prof. Ingrid Mainland describe the Orkneyinga Saga story and the modern finds.
Take the 6 pm ferry from Stromness for a journey to the old Nor’ Wast. Curator Janette Park of Stromness Museum tells the story of Orkney's long links with the Hudson’s Bay Company and the local people. Polar historian Dr Maria Pia Casarini tells the story of the company itself. It's free but remember to book the ferry.
Arrive by sea in this audiovisual presentation of archive photographs and take in the impressive view of the hills of Hoy. Meet the ferryman and land at the pier. Visit the Norse farm at the Bu, pass the medieval Kirk and hear about the Hoy Express. Narrated by John Budge with voices from the Hoy Heritage project, Tales o Hoy.
How the salt fish trade connected Shetland with the rest of Europe for more than two hundred years. John Goodlad, who has worked in the seafood industry all his life, describes how salt fish from Shetland became one of the staple foods of Europe and powered the economy of the islands.
There’s a second part to the great Shetland salt fish trade story – the inspiration it's given to many artists, novelists, poets, film makers and musicians, as John Goodlad explains to Spencer Rosie. Three in a Bar play Shetland and Orkney tunes, and there's a taste of Shetland salt cod and pale ale as well to launch his new book.
Join Eric Walker for an hour of information about what to look for and how to recognise it. There will be pictures, star maps, and the opportunity to ask questions about stars and planets, and using a telescope. Eric will show images taken from his own back-garden observatory and from the Orkney sky this week.
A science festival has a radical role in developing a creative climate for a region. Here is the story of how it began, and how Orkney was involved from an early stage in the concept.
