The Vikings

Towards the end of the eight century, Scotland experienced the violent impact of the heathen Vikings - sea borne pirates from Norway (and Denmark) who sought loot, trade and in due course land. These Vikings were brilliant seamen and navigators and daring fighters. Some chronicled mentions of Viking activity are:

The Viking expansion "vest I havet" (west over the sea) seems to have resulted from population growth and the development of trade in Scandinavia. Shetland and Orkney were settled early. In fact, the nearest points of Shetland and Norway are only 161 miles apart.

The sea was the Viking's highway and in time Hjaltland (Shetland), Orkneyjar (Orkney), Katanes (Caithness), Suðerland (Sutherland), Suðereyar (Hebrides), Mön (Isle of Man) and Dyflin (Dublin) became part of an extensive Norse maritime empire which also extended to the Faroes, Iceland, Greenland and, for a brief period, North America. Orkney was an important trading and administrative centre and the colourful exploits of the powerful Orkney Jarls (Earls) are related in the Orkneyinga Saga. With characters like Magnus Barelegs and Erik Blood Axe, the action was fast and furious!