Life in Rousay, past and present, is the focus of a new podcast launching this week.

Using material from the Orkney Library and Archive, Rousay Remembered and the UHI Archaeology Institute, together with contemporary recordings, Rousay Tales will bring listeners a series of themed episodes, the first of which premieres on Friday, May 3.

The remaining five episodes will follow, a new one posted online every Friday.

Featuring stories from the archives, islanders and archaeologists and woven with discoveries, folklore and places of intrigue, the podcast has been produced by Mark Jenkins and Rebecca Marr, of Kolekto, and Dan Lee of the UHI Archaeology Institute.

Episode 1: Dwelling. May 3, 2024

In this episode the focus is on the houses of the living and the dead. Travel back to Neolithic settlements and meet some of the people involved in excavating Rousay’s many chambered cairns. Forward through time to brochs, disappearing Norse sites and the only large-scale clearance in Orkney. Visit Trumland and a house with indelible blood stains and call in on Rousay’s longest living inhabitant.

Episode 2: Travelling. May 10, 2024

Travelling, on land, and sea. Walk Rousay’s circular road with a well-travelled postman, a well-known artist and the fastest man on the island. Hear about shipwrecks and bounties of tea. Hide from the press gangs and travel the peat tracks before you step aboard the steamer and marvel at the arrival of the ro-ro ferry.

Episode 3: Fishing. May 17, 2024

Discover the diet of Rousay’s Vikings, meet some whalers and follow the herring boats. Some creels will be set, the fish factory visited and the importance of fishing to islanders, past and present, traced.

Episode 4: Farming. May 24, 2024

Hear about Neolithic granaries, Norse animal husbandry and the demise of the egg industry. Join the seaweed gatherers and celebrate the harvest at the agricultural show.

Episode 5: Believing. May 31, 2024

Find out about the superstitions, folklore and religion in Rousay. Hogboons, trows and fairies come alive in this episode to bring luck or misfortune. A standing stone walks and a hidden island appears. And remember to make sure it’s the dead you are burying!

Episode 6: Making. June 6, 2024

Hear about Neolithic Grooved Ware pottery and Bronze Age soapstone carvers. Turn the beautiful Westness brooch-pin over in your hands and discover why Rousay played a part in the opening of the Pier Arts Centre. And be sure to keep rhythm with the music of the island…

Rousay Tales will be available via by searching with your usual podcast app or visit archaeologyorkney.com/rousay-tales to listen to the episodes.

The Rousay Tales project was funded by Orkney Island Council, Rousay Egilsay and Wyre Development Trust (REWDT), Orkney Archaeology Society (OAS) and the North Isles Landscape Partnership Scheme (NILPS).