Orkney - The Rough Guide to Scottish Highlands and Islands - page 361

Stronsay
A low-lying, three-legged island, Stronsay is strongly agricultural, its interior an almost
uninterrupted collage of green pastures. The island features few real sights, but the
coastline has enormous appeal: a beguiling combination of sandstone cliffs, home to
several sea-bird colonies, interspersed with wide white sands and (in fine weather) clear
turquoise bays. The most dramatic section of coastline, featuring great, layered slices of
sandstone, lies in the southeast corner of the island. Stronsay has a population of
around 350 and has seen two economic booms in the last 300 years. The first took
place in the eighteenth century, employing as many as 3000 people; it was built on
collecting vast quantities of seaweed and exporting the kelp for use in the chemical
industry, particularly in making iodine, soap and glass. In the following century, fishing
came to dominate life here, as Whitehall harbour became one of the main Scottish
centres for curing the herring caught by French, Dutch and Scottish boats. By the
1840s, up to 400 boats were working out of the port, attracting hundreds of female
herring-gutters. By the 1930s, however, the herring stocks had been severely depleted
and the industry began a long decline.

7

Whitehall
WHITEHALL , in the north of the island, is the only real village on Stronsay, made up
of rows of stone-built fishermen's cottages set between two large piers. Wandering
along the tranquil, rather forlorn harbour-front today, you'll find it hard to believe
that the village once supported 5000 people in the fishing industry during the
summer season, as well as a small army of coopers, coal merchants, butchers, bakers,
several Italian ice-cream parlours and a cinema. It was said that, on a Sunday, you
could walk across the decks of the boats all the way to Papa Stronsay , the tiny
island that shelters Whitehall from the north. The old Fish Mart by the pier houses
a small museum , with a few photos and artefacts from the herring days - ask at the
adjacent café for access.

Papa Stronsay
Ferry The island's monks will take visitors across to (and around) the island by boat, by prior arrangement • T 01857 616210,
W papastronsay.com
Clearly visible from the harbour-front at Whitehall is the tiny island of Papa Stronsay ,
which features in the Orkneyinga Saga (see p.419) as the place where Earl Rognvald
Brusason was murdered by Earl Thorfinn Sigurdarson. Later, during the herring boom,
it was home to five fish-curing stations. The island is thought originally to have been a
monastic retreat , a theory given extra weight by the discovery of an eighth-century
chapel during recent excavations. In 2000, Papa Stronsay was bought by Transalpine
Redemptorist monks, who had broken with the Vatican over their refusal to stop
celebrating Mass in Latin. They have subsequently built themselves the multi-million-
pound Golgotha Monastery, with a creamery for making their Monastery Cheese.
Since 2008, they have been accepted into the Roman Catholic Church and renamed
the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer.

Vat of Kirbuster to Lamb Head
Signposts show the way to Orkney's biggest and most dramatic natural arch, the
Vat of Kirbuster . Before you reach it there's a seaweedy, shallow pool in a natural
sandstone amphitheatre, where the water is warmed by the sun, and kids and
adults can safely wallow: close by is a rocky inlet for those who prefer colder, more
adventurous swimming. You'll find nesting seabirds, including a few puffins, as you
approach Burgh Head . Meanwhile, at the promontory of Lamb Head , there are usually