Orkney Norway Friendship Association aims to hold at least one event every month of the year, with a variety of talks, social evenings along with 17th May and  winter Tree Lighting events.

A large turnout of ONFA Members, friends and traditional small boat enthusiasts met at the Stromness Navigational School Lecture Theatre on Friday 3 rd March.

Ron Bulmer, from Hoy, gave an informative illustrated talk on his visit to a traditional clinker built boats festival in Southern Norway, last summer.

The talk was of interest to many people in Orkney who own or use traditional built yoles. On a cold Orkney winter evening, it was good to see, and enjoy pictures in summer sunshine, of many traditional Norwegian clinker built boats from all around southern Norway.

On Monday 27 th March, ONFA Members and Friends met in the Supper Room of St Magnus Centre, Kirkwall. 

Well known local wildlife photographer, Graham Campbell gave a fascinating illustrated talk on a visit to Skaervoy, an island north of Tromso, in the far North of Norway with a number of friends.

Days are short at 70 o N in Norway, in mid November. However during thhe long dark nights there were fantastic displays of the Northern Lights filling the skies.

Graham also had some amazing, close up photos of many whales in the fiords and channels, feeding off abundant numbers of herring. 

Graham also described his trip from Aberdeen to Bergen and on to Tromso by air, followed by a 2 hour Hurtigrute ferry trip to Skaervoy.

Upcoming events

During the weekend of Friday 21 st to Monday 24 th April. ONFA will welcome around 20 guests from CoSCAN, the Confederation of Scandinavian Associations of Britain and Ireland.

This will be the third time over the past 30 years that ONFA has welcomed CoSCAN Guests to Orkney.

Following an informal welcome to Orkney on the Friday evening the main weekend events take place.

The CoSCAN visitors will be joined by ONFA Committee Members & Friends at their AGM and general Meeting, on the Saturday morning of 22nd May, in St Magnus Centre at 10.00.

Following lunch, a historical Kirkwall Walk through 1000 years of hisroty will follow, from the Peedie Sea, Kirkwall’s old Viking Haven,along the Harbour front, past the site of the original Norwegian Christian church on St Olaf’s Wynd to finish at St Magnus Cathedral, dating from 1137. ONFA Members are welcome to join this guided walk.

A short trip to the Italian Chapel, at Lambholm, across Barrier No 1 is also planned.

A dinner will take place in the Kirkwall Hotel, in the evening attended by visiting CoSCAN Delegates and ONFA Committee Members and Friends.

Following morning Service, at St Magnus Cathedral on the Sunday, visitors will be treated to a tour of Scapa Flow shores, Skara Brae, Skaill House and the two West Mainland Stone Circles.

ONFA Secretary John Mowat and Vice Chairman Lorna Brown are both Orkney Tourist Guides. They can also give further information to ONFA Members.

John Mowat, ONFA Secretary, Orkney Norway Friendship Association

Link: Facebook Page Orkney Norway Friendship Association