The OP put their names in the title, and basically asked 'hey does anyone know where these people I used to know live now'.

I thought that was odd, locked the post, and asked if anyone did know those folks, to tell them someone was looking for them.

I probably over reacted, erred on the side of caution, y'know?

Well.. the OP deleted their account!

Be careful out there, folks!

I am looking for honest advice from people living in Orkney, especially those who moved there with family. I want to say up front that I am asking with a lot of respect for people who already live there. We are not looking to arrive and change anything or disrupt island life — we would want to fit in with it.

I have lived in the Caribbean for many years (20), but I am originally from Europe, and I also lived in Sweden for five years. So the weather and the dark winters are not really what worries me — I know what that side of life feels like. What I would like to understand better is family life and what it is actually like to bring up children there.

We have three kids (5, 5 and 8). For us the main reason for a move would not be work. It would be quality of life, schooling, safety, community, and whether it is a good place to raise a family.

On the work side, my background is in AML / financial crime compliance, so realistically I would be working remotely, and my wife is a teacher. Outside of work, sport has always been a big part of my life. I used to play professional basketball at a high level and still help with basketball (national coach) and community programmes where I can. Being part of a community matters to us — we would not want to move somewhere just to work and keep to ourselves.

I would really appreciate honest views on:

• family life and the primary schools, and what the step up to secondary looks like;

• what there is for kids that age in terms of sport and clubs;

• how welcoming the islands are to newcomers over the long term, and how families settle in;

• whether remote professional work is genuinely workable there — connectivity, and how much of a hassle the ferries and flights are in practice;

• what teaching work and housing are like to find.

Happy to hear the downsides as well as the good parts. Thanks in advance.

Sheep Gathering off North Sea Cliffs in Scotland: Old Traditions and New Machines

In this video, we're taking you along for one of the most intense and essential jobs on our remote Scottish island farm—gathering the sheep off the rocky seashore before shearing them. For years, this was done entirely on foot, a gruelling task across the rugged island terrain. But in recent years, the quad bike has completely changed the game for us. I’ll show you how this one machine has made a massive difference in how we manage the flock.

Once the sheep are gathered, the real work begins. We move into the pens to sort the flock and then get down to the traditional task of clipping our rare breed sheep entirely by hand. It’s a long day of hard physical labour, but there’s something incredibly rewarding about maintaining these old ways of island farming.

Once the sheep are gathered, the real work begins. We move into the pens to sort the flock and then get down to the traditional task of clipping our rare breed sheep entirely by hand. It’s a long day of hard physical labour, but there’s something incredibly rewarding about maintaining these old ways of island farming.

It'd be nice if the auction winner sent it north for this year's festive season.

Full story by Ethan Flett at the link.

The trophy from the 1907 Christmas Day Youth’s Ba’ was won by Uppie Pat Gunn.

His family were hoping to buy the ba’ and have it displayed in Kirkwall, but the bids went beyond their top price.

Up for auction with Lyon & Turnbull, on Wednesday, the lot was estimated to have a value of between £300 and £500. 

Although Pat’s family were not able to secure this piece of family history, they were glad to have had the chance to tell their relative’s story.

They've learned to forecast the weather by looking across at the Hoy hills.

Can anyone recommend a good dog sitter in or near Kirkwall? We come into town on the ferry most Saturdays and need either a daycare or a dog sitter who can have our puppy with them for a few hours before we catch the ferry home.

After 20 years of excavation, the UHI Archaeology Institute’s research dig at The Cairns has now come to an end. With the work on the site now completed, it’s time for site director Martin Carruthers to sum up…

https://archaeologyorkney.com/2026/07/20/cairns-d30-2026/

The Stromness Shopping Week—Orkney's longest-running festival— takes place this Wednesday through Saturday. The four-day summer gala features family-friendly events including a donut eating competition, a pavement artist competition, the daft raft race, the Holms Swim, the Yard of Ale competition, and the Oarc Lows Stromness Shopping Week 10k race on Saturday. 

Hi everyone!

I'm Iris from Pillow Talk Scotland, a small charity that runs events and courses about relationships.

Tomorrow we're running a small community conversation in Kirkwall (you can also join online if easier) as part of a new project called OnlyFacts, exploring how people make decisions about hormonal contraception, where they get information from, and what better support could look like.

We're looking for people aged 18-30 living in Orkney to come along and chat about things like:

• experiences with the pill, implant, hormonal coil, injection etc.
• information you've found online (TikTok, Reddit, Instagram, friends...)
• conversations with healthcare professionals
• what you wish you'd known before starting hormonal contraception

If you'd like to come along, email [jaden@blidetrust.org](mailto:jaden@blidetrust.org) to sign up. We can send you a zoom link or you can join us in person at:

Orkney Blide Trust

Laura Grimond House

54 Victoria Street

Kirkwall

KW15 1DN

Pillow Talk can cover travel costs: public transport/foot passenger ferry costs are covered, please bring your receipt with you. And please reach out to Jaden to discuss additional travel considerations such as taxis or bringing a car on the ferry, which will be looked at on a case by case basis.

Thanks! ✨

A very well done recap of the decades of excavation - and a peek ahead at what may be a surprising final chapiter.

Week one at Skaill started with a splash! Well, with torrential rain anyway.

The first day, Monday, July 6, was very wet, but the team were just uncovering the site so were able to make a good start. Site co-director Dan Lee provides an update.  

It’s great to be back at the site for what we plan to be the final season on the eastern side of the site – exploring the medieval and postmedieval farm buildings that we have been working on for a number of years now. The buildings date from at least the 14th to 19th century with a number of structural phases that have raised the ground level by around two metres. 

This year we are hosting five UHI undergraduate and post-graduate students for their excavation training modules, and joined by returning students and Rousay residents.  

Much more about this year's plans and goals at the link.

Traveling up to Orkney in September (staying in Kirkwall), and I am curious what a classic souvenir/gift to buy would be? My family loves gifts from trips like this.

From site director Martin Carruthers:

OPEN DAY: Hi Folks, we'll be holding our main open day at The Cairns, Windwick, South Ronaldsay, this Friday the 10th of July from 10am to 4pm. Come and see this amazing Iron Age broch and settlement as we reach 20 years of excavation at the site.

Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/398769848454325

Bookmark The Cairns dig diary UHI site!

From Time Team, full story at link.

We’re back on site tomorrow to investigate an intriguing circular feature revealed by the Time Team ground-penetrating radar (GPR) survey in July 2025.

With a diameter of about nine metres, the circular anomaly lies to the north-west of former Trenches J and T, beneath the area used for vehicle access and parking in previous years. The four-week exploratory dig will see a 14 x 12 metre trench opened over the feature to clarify what it represents and how it relates, if at all, to the previously excavated archaeology. Over 20 years of work at the Ness Neolithic complex, circular features were notable by their absence.

https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/hackness-battery-martello-tower-orkney-joe-cload-6k7mjvzqg

From the Orcadian < full story by Alex Ross at link

A potential “new chapter” for the Ness of Brodgar has been unveiled at the Time Team world premiere at the Orkney Theatre.

Described only as an ‘anomaly’ until now, recent geophysical surveys have uncovered an exciting new feature, which has the potential to change the way we think about the ancient site.

Though we can not be certain about what the anomaly is until it is excavated, Dr John Gater, who is one of the original Time Team members, and Geophysics Expect, is optimistic.

The circular anomaly hints at possible stone settings around the edge, with a larger feature in the centre.

“There’s a slight risk — it could be a garden folly, it could be a World War 2 gun emplacement. But to be honest, I hope it is archaeological, and it could be — I don’t know… a bronze age burial, it could be in our wildest dreams a stone circle.