Orkney Islands

Table of Lighthouses - The Orkney Islands

Name	Est	Engineer	Lat, Lon	Character	Range	Admirality	Authority

Auskerry	1866	David Lillie Stevenson Thomas Stevenson	59°01.562' N, 02°34.337' W	Fl W 20s	20 NM ~ 37 km	A3680	Northern Lighthouse Board

Brough of Birsay	1925	David Alan Stevenson	59°08.208' N, 03°20.350' W	Fl(3) W 25s	18 NM ~ 33.3 km	A3700	Northern Lighthouse Board

Cantick Head	1858	David Lillie Stevenson Thomas Stevenson	58°47.225' N, 03°07.882' W	Fl W 20s	18 NM ~ 33.3 km	A3602	Northern Lighthouse Board

Copinsay	1915	David Alan Stevenson	58°53.783' N, 02°40.323' W	Fl(5)W 30s	14 NM ~ 25.9 km	A3696	Northern Lighthouse Board

Helliar Holm	1893	David Alan Stevenson	59°01.138' N, 02°54.058' W	Fl WRG 10s	14 NM ~ 25.9 km	A3684	Orkney Islands Council

Hoy Sound High	1851	Alan Stevenson	58°56.140' N, 03°16.399' W	Oc WR 8s	19 NM ~ 35.1 km	A3644.1	Northern Lighthouse Board

Hoy Sound Low	1851	Alan Stevenson	58°56.424' N, 03°18.604' W	Iso W 3s	12 NM ~ 22.2 km	A3644	Northern Lighthouse Board

North Ronaldsay	1789	Thomas Smith	59°23.381' N, 02°22.882' W	Fl W 10s	24 NM ~ 44.4 km	A3722	Northern Lighthouse Board

Noup Head	1898	David Lillie Stevenson Thomas Stevenson	59°19.860' N, 03°04.210' W	Fl W 30s	20 NM ~ 37 km	A3736	Northern Lighthouse Board

Start Point	1914	Robert Stevenson	59°16.644' N, 02°22.557' W	Fl(2)W 20s	19 NM ~ 35.2 km	A3718	Northern Lighthouse Board

Sule Skerry	1895	David Alan Stevenson Charles Stevenson	59°05.083' N, 04°24.440' W	Fl(4) W 15s	21 NM ~ 38.9 km	A3868	Northern Lighthouse Board

Tor Ness	1980	John Smit Stevenson	58°46.695' N, 03°17.778' W	Fl W 5s	17 NM ~ 31.4 km	A3600	Northern Lighthouse Board

Orkney Islands

The Orkney Islands, /ˈɔːrkni/ (Scottish Gaelic: Arcaibh) also known as Orkney, are a group of islands that are part of Scotland. Orkney is located off the north coast of Great Britain, 16 kilometers north of the coast of Caithness and consists of about 70 islands, 20 of which are inhabited.

The largest island, the Mainland, has an area of 990 square km, making it the sixth largest Scottish island and the tenth largest of the British Isles. The largest settlement and administrative center is Kirkwall. The total population on the island is 22,100 (2017)

Apart from the mainland, the islands can be divided into two groups, the North and South Islands, all of which have an underlying geological base of ancient red sandstone. The climate is mild and the soils are extremely fertile, most of the land being cultivated. Agriculture is the most important sector of the Orkney economy.

A form of the name dates back to pre-Roman times and the islands have been inhabited for at least 8,500 years, originally settled by Mesolithic and Neolithic tribes and then by the Picts. Orkney was invaded and forcibly annexed by Norway in 875 and settled by the Normans.

The Scottish Parliament then reinstated the earldom to the Scottish crown in 1472, following the failed payment of a dowry for James III's bride, Margaret of Denmark.

Orkney contains some of the oldest and best preserved Neolithic sites in Europe, and the "heart of Neolithic Orkney" is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Orkney is one of Scotland's 32 council areas, a Scottish Parliament constituency, a lieutenancy area and a historic county. The local council is Orkney Islands Council, one of only three councils in Scotland with a majority of elected members who are independent.

The significant wind and marine energy resources are growing in importance, and the island generates more than its own total annual electricity demand using renewable energy sources. The locals are known as Orcadians and have a distinctive Orcadian Scottish dialect and a rich heritage of folklore.

There is an abundance of marine and bird life.

References:
Orkney Islands	- Wikipedia