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The scatter of islands that make up Orkney have been home to farmers and
fishermen for centuries; a continuity of life that stretches right back to
the earliest Neolithic times. The islands are so unspoilt that parts have
been designated a World Heritage site. Something that many Canadians would
wholeheartedly applaud, given that there are places in that country where
Orcadian surnames are as numerous as they are in Orkney itself.
Tracing your roots
In 2003, a new library building
was opened in Kirkwall, Orkney's main town. Here, for the first time under
one roof, visitors will find the archive, local studies library and Family
History Society working together. The local tourist board also has an
excellent website - ancestralorkney.com - for those researching their
Orkney roots.
