‘On the 12th of July the St Magnus carried us northward to the Shetland Islands. We had a moderately placid sea, but as immoderately tumbling boat; nevertheless it was a passage keenly enjoyed.’
“I realised it would be a Herculean task to climb those huge cliffs, my body numbed and drained of energy. ” 228580 Leading Seaman William Cashman,
Constitution Day (In Danish this day is pronounced as Grundlovsdag) and it is observed in Denmark on 5 June each year. So today Danes honour the Constitution of Denmark, as both the country’s first constitution of 1849 and the current constitution of 1953 were signed on this date of their respective years.
Without the remarkable actions of Thora, the mother of Magnus, the cult of St Magnus, the mighty cathedral and even the St Magnus International Festival would not exist. David McNeish’s new play brings Thora to the fore , a name mentioned in the sagas but about whom little is known.
Stronsay’s Massive Weekend is taking place on the 18th, 19th and 20th of August
“The Cathedral of St Magnus is the chief object of interest, architecturally considered, in the whole northern archipelago.”
“That your Land & Tennements, Cattle of all Kinds and Livestocks of all Sorts are forfeited to the Crown with all other your effects Savings your money and Household Goods, and you yourselves to be removed from this Province.” On June 4th 1760 planters from New England arrived in Nova Scotia to claim land from the cleared Acadians
On the left is Rev Claude Brownlie, his wife Louisa and three of their five children: William, Margaret and Claude. William joined the army with the Royal Scots and was killed in Gallipoli in 1915. On the right is Rev Brownlie in his later years
“Mr Cursiter showed me, in his collections, two large burial urns of steatite, one quite perfect, the other complete in form but reduced almost to a shell. These had been taken from Mounds in the islands. “
‘My meditations near the Ring of Brogar were momentarily interrupted by an Orcadian peasant. “Can you point out to me,” I asked ” The ring of Bukan?”
