Gaan Nort

Not so long ago a summer trip day might bring North Isles voices to the streets of Kirkwall. This new book provides a similar experience. It brings together interviews from inner and outer isles, recorded in a North Isles Landscape Partnership Scheme project. The work was led by Tom Rendall, originally from Sanday, and Liam McArthur’s foreword highlights the presence of the many voices.

Those I know personally came alive to me on the page to the point where I could almost close my eyes and imagine the words coming out of their mouths, and some of the facial expressions that would almost certainly have accompanied the occasional recollection or story.”

When Tom visited Jean Leslie in Shapinsay in summer 2021, she had just reached the age of 100 and showed him her telegram from the Queen. She looked back to farm work in her young days in Westray.

I singled neeps. Just with a hoe. We had a hoe and singled them out about 12 inches between them, with a hoe. Dig all the weeds out, and then just lay off the one neep, you see, and the twelve inches atween them. And coaled hay, milking kye, and all that kind of work.”

In Stronsay Irvine Miller recalled the arrival of their first tractor at Briarlea in 1948.

A grey Ferguson and I still hiv it. It was the biggest boon that ever was in farming when the tractor cam in and hid made life so much easier. It also allowed folk tae keep more cattle wae no hivin the horses tae feed. It actually made the farm more profitable as you wad say.”

‘Put a light at both end of the runway’

The impact of the plane service is described by Jimmy Lennie, who worked at the Sanday airfield for 50 years and tells of the very first ambulance flight, before the air ambulance  service was in place.

… and the pilot phoned me at night and said he would be out in half an hour, and to put a light at both ends of the runway. And he set the phone down before I got him told that we had no tractor or nothing with lights. So, I hurdled the dykes to Hammerbrake and stole a tractor and put it one end of the runway. And he came in and it was snowing and blowing. And he landed, and it was just unbelievable, saved her life.”

‘I think that wad save the island’

We read of the impact of the ro-ro ferries and the opportunities for travel and shipping cattle. There is praise for their reliability, but concern about the cost and the reduction in contact between islands. Sinclair Scott in North Ronaldsay argues for a fundamental rethink of the balance between ships and planes.

… what I think is really needed is boats that are cargo boats that go around the islands, doing cargo, and separate boats or planes, whichever, that do the passengers. But combining boats and cargo and people together like what’s being done is no efficient and doesna work and costs far too much money as well.”

Hamish Thomson in Eday makes the case for fresh thinking for the longer term.

And the biggy is, just tae throw in … is the causeway atween here and Westray, it’s spoken aboot noo and again and I wad quite like tae see that happenin, I think that wad save the island.”

‘There used to be a lot more youngsters here’

Concerns for the future come through in various conversations. There are accounts of many communal successes through the work of the development trusts and the heritage groups, but a changing age balance is causing unease, as Mike Holland describes, looking back over the time since his family moved to Stronsay in 1978.

I would think the age of the population has gone up. And the young population has gone down … there used to be a lot more youngsters here.”

Rolf Soames in Rousay speaks of island businesses unable to find young workers.

It’s very difficult for any young person to make a start out in the North Isles now. The property prices are so high.

The housing problem is underlined by Edith Costie in Westray.

… the young folk can’t afford tae buy a house because it goes tae the highest offer, which is probably somebody fae away. We could do with some more even Council housing or first-time buyer housing so that it’s cheaper.”

‘An essential part of the island’s fabric’

The attraction of living in communities with a rich heritage comes through is highlighted by speakers like Tim Dodman in Papay.

Even sometimes, you may not think something is heritage, but when you look a little bit deeper it is an essential part of the island’s fabric. Whether it’s a part of nature, or farming, or fishing … those are activities, or resources, but culture and heritage run very deeply through every aspect of them.”

The book, published by Orkney Heritage Society, provides the opportunity for people across Orkney and beyond to hear the voices of the North Isles and reflect on the issues they open up.