Stronsay

Stronsay is one of the Scottish Orkneys and lies to the east, about 20 km northeast of Kirkwall.

On the freshwater range, about 10 kilometers long and up to 9.5 km wide island with an area of ​​32.75 km ² today live only 350 inhabitants. During the peak time of the herring fishing to the mid-19th century, the island had about 5,000 inhabitants. On the island, the Transalpine Redemptorists built in 2000, the monastery Golgotha ​​.

Capital is the Whitehall Ferry Terminal with connections to Kirkwall on Mainland and on the neighboring islands of Eday and Sanday. In the north there is a small local airfield.

The main economic activities are fishing and agriculture (mainly livestock ) as well as tourism.

Attractions

Worth seeing is above all nature. There are some beautiful beaches and in the east the cliffs with sea caves, Gloups ( blowholes ) and the Vat of Kirbister, an impressive rock arch. Otherwise, there are on the island quite flat sparse remains of two Broch ( Benni cuml, Hillock of Breawest ), four Stalled Cairns or whose remains, and the Promontory Fort on Lamb Ness. Some Ancient cooking places are well preserved especially in Kirbuster.

Papa Stronsay is one of the small secondary islands, which otherwise often called Calf ( calf ) or Holm are called. Here is the island on which was probably the oldest monastery of Orkney. The St. Nicholas ' Chapel is a small medieval church, which probably dates from the 11th century and their existence began as a simple, one-celled rectangular stone church. In the 12th century a nave with two side altars and a choir room, which contains the main altar, added. The chapel was abandoned since the Reformation in the 16th century, but was used as a farm building until 1790, before it was destroyed.

In 1808, an animal carcass was found on the island by a fisherman who is referred to as a monster of Stronsay.