Stromness Harbour 2nd largest town on the Orkney Isles. SCO 10,580.
Stromness lies in the west of the Orkney islands, huddled around the sheltered bay of Hamnavoe. The town owes its existence to this natural harbour, and its history reflects changes in maritime life over the centuries. From the earliest habitation of Orkney, the sheltered Hamnavoe would have been a favoured fishing spot for fishermen from the nearby farming communities. Norsemen named the bay Hamnavoe (hamna meaning small islands; voe meaning inlet). The modern name of Stromness reflects the meeting of sea and land: strom meaning tidal stream and ness, being the peninsula of land which protrudes to the south, creating the sheltered bay. The long street varies in width as it wends its way along the shore, with steep steps leading up the hill towards the larger houses, built above the town by wealthy merchants and sea captains in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Later, council schemes and private dwellings have filled the gaps on the hillside above the old town. Stromness The unusual townscape is the focus of a major conservation initiative, the Townscape Heritage Initiative, which is funding the restoration of many buildings and the streetscape itself. In 2012 the green light was given for a new development at Copland's dock, which will provide facilities for the burgeoning marine renewables industry, on the shores where the first people may have settled in this area.
Size: 6054px × 4041px
Location: Stromness Harbour, Orkney Isle. Mainland. Northern Isles. Scotland.
Photo credit: © David Gowans / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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