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Heading
down to South Ronaldsay you cross the Churchill Barriers,
a series of causeways linking the smaller islands along
the way. The causeways were built during World War II
to replace the blockships that had turned out to be
so ineffectual at deterring the U-47. The barriers were
built, in part, using Italian prisoners captured in
North Africa in 1942. After Italy's surrender in 1943,
the prisoners were technically free but getting them
home again was a bit of a problem. To brighten up their
surroundings the ‘prisoners’ were encouraged
to brighten their surroundings by building paths, flower
gardens, a theatre and a recreational centre. There
was plenty of concrete and scrap metal to hand. All
that was lacking was a proper chapel and this the prisoners
soon built. Two Nissen huts were joined end-to-end and
the interior was lined with painted plasterboard. The
altar and the alter rail were made of surplus concrete.
The work was supervised by Domenico Chiocchetti, a POW
from Moena, who remained on the island to finish the
chapel even when his fellow prisoners were released
shortly before the end of the war.
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The
Italian Chapel |
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The
Italian Chapel |
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The
Italian Chapel. Statue of Saint George |
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principal town on South Ronaldsay is St. Margaret's
Hope, thought to be named after the Maid of Norway who
died in Orkney on her way to marry Edward, Prince of
Wales, in 1290. However, since that Margaret was never
made a saint, it is more likely that the town was named
after Margaret, the wife of Malcolm Canmore, who was.
By the way ‘Hope’ is from the Old Norse
Hjop (“bay”). |
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Saint
Margaret's Hope |
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Saint
Margaret's Hope |
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Saint
Margaret's Hope |
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of the most important archaeological sites in Orkney
is the Tomb of the Eagles at Isbister on South Ronaldsay.
The remains of well over three hundred individuals were
interred here (and probably many more than that). The
tomb gets its name from the fact that the remains of
eight white-tailed eagles were also placed in the grave—
undoubtedly the totem animal of the community that used
the cairn. |
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Isbister.
Tomb of the Eagles |
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Isbister.
Interio of the Tomb of the Eagles |
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are the remains of a type of site known as a “burnt
mound,” which consists of a large water tank made
of stone slabs and a large quantity of fire-cracked
and blackened rock. The usual interpretation is that
the installation was used to cook large pieces of meat
but something akin to the sweat lodge of the Iroquois
and other North American tribes is quite possible too. |
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Isbister.
Burnt Mound |
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Saint
Margaret's Hope. Boats |
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departed from the Hope early on a Saturday morning and
steamed back across the Pentland Firth. One last look
around and then below for a bacon roll and a cup of
tea. |
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Saint
Margaret's Hope |
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Needle
Point from the ferry |
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Farewell
Orkney |
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