The Islands of Orkney Trivia Quiz

Answer: Puffins

The Castle of Burrian is not an actual castle, rather it is a giant sea stack which is situated off the coast to the south of the island. It is considered to be one of the best places to see puffins in Orkney, so long as you visit between May and August when as many as 300 birds make their nests on the stack. However, when I visited in mid July I was only able to see one solitary bird (pictured).

On the top of the stack are the remains of an early Christian monastery.

Answer: House

The Knap of Howar is the remains of a neolithic house, which is considered to be the oldest preserved stone house in Northern Europe. It is thought to have been constructed before 3,700 BC, which makes it even older than the more well known Skara Brae on mainland Orkney. The main house is linked by a passageway to another building, which was either a workshop or a second house.

Visitors to Papa Westray will usually fly from Kirkwall via Westray - this journey, just under two minutes long, is the shortest commercial flight in the world.

Answer: Its black and white stripes

Start Point lighthouse is situated on a small tidal island off the north coast of Sunday. It was first built in 1806 by the lighthouse engineers Thomas Smith and Robert Stevenson, and had the first revolving light in Scotland.

In 1915 it was painted in its distinctive black and white vertical stripes; so far, it is the only Scottish lighthouse to have these colours, as most are white and yellow.

Answer: Seaweed

The North Ronaldsay sheep are confined to the shore by a dry stone wall, which encircles the island to protect the islanders' crops. As a result of this, the sheep have evolved to eat the seaweed, which is the only food available to them. Their only source of water comes from the water left in rock pools, so they have a higher tolerance to salt than most sheep breeds.

The sheep were originally only kept for their wool, but now their meat is much sought after because of its unusual gamey taste.

Answer: Vat of Kirbister

The vat of Kirbister, as is common with most sea arches, was formed after the collapse of a large sea cave. It is approximately 35 feet (10.6 metres) long and 66 feet (20 metres)high, and is situated on the eastern coast of Stronsay. There is a very enjoyable walk around the coast to the vat, where you can see many other rock formations, and watch the seabirds flying around.

The three wrong answers are all other sea arches in the British Isles.

Answer: Ward Hill

Ward Hill, whose name refers to a watchtower that used to be situated on many hills throughout the northern isles, is 479m (1,571 feet), which is not particularly high by most people's standards. However, on a clear day it is apparently possible to see all of the islands of Orkney from its summit, apart from the two closest. Unfortunately, the day that I walked to the top it was not a clear day, and I struggled to see my own feet.

Hoy is also well known for the Old Man of Hoy, which is a sea stack off the west coast of the island, and which is a popular climbing destination.

Answer: St Magnus

St Magnus Church was named after the 12th century Magnus Erlendsson, Earl Of Orkney. Legend has it that he was murdered on Egilsay by Earl Haakon around 1116. The two earls arrived on the island to settle an argument, but Haakon tricked Magnus, and then murdered him on the spot where the church now stands.

Magnus was later canonised, and the main cathedral in Kirkwall was also named after him. Visitors to the islands can walk the 55 mile (88 kilometre) St Magnus Way, which links the church with the cathedral, as well as passing by other sites that were significant to his life.

Answer: Giant

Cubbie Roo's castle was built in around 1145, and is one of the earliest castles to be recorded in Scotland. Although it is not clear who built it, it is generally supposed to have been built by the chieftain Kolbein Hruga, and it consisted of one tower, with a ditch and a wall around the outside.

The castle was named after Orkney's best known giant, who mainly lived on Were, although he is mentioned in the sagas as having made his home on various other islands and using rocks to try to make bridges between them.

Answer: Oil

Flotta's oil terminal was constructed in the 1970s, and for a time was the second largest producer of North Sea oil, after Sullom Voe in Shetland. The terminal building dominates the northern half of the island, although the southern half is still very peaceful.

During both world wars the island was used as a base for naval personnel, as a result of its strategic position in the middle of Scapa Flow. The navy built many extra amenities over the years, including a large open air cinema, but sadly they have now fallen into ruins.

Answer: Broch

Orkney contains many brochs, or prehistoric stone towers, but the one at Midhowe is one of the most impressive. It is thought to have been built between 200 BC and 200 AD, and sits on the edge of the island, opposite the more ruinous Broch of Gurness on the mainland. In modern times a shed has been built around the broch, to protect it from the elements.

Rousay is a good place to visit if you like archaeology. As well as Midhowe broch it also contains several smaller brochs and at least four chambered cairns, and has one of the highest density of ancient monuments in Scotland.