The Mainland is the main island of Orkney, Scotland. Both of Orkney's burghs, Kirkwall and Stromness, lie on the island, which is also the heart of Orkney's ferry and air connections. The island is relatively densely populated and has much fertile farmland. The name Mainland is a corruption of the Old Norse 'Meginland'. Formerly the island was known as 'Hrossay' meaning 'Horse Island' in Old Norse. The island is sometimes called Pomona, or Mainland Pomona, however this name has never been used by Orcadians, and in fact stems from a seventeenth century cartographical error. Orkney (sometimes known as the Orkney Islands) is an archipelago in northern Scotland, situated 10 miles north of the coast of Caithness. ... Motto: (Latin) No one provokes me with impunity1 Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official language(s) English, Gaelic, Scots2 Government  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - UK Prime Minister Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Jack McConnell MSP Unification    - by Kenneth I 843  Area    - Total 78,772 km... A sign in Linlithgow, Scotland. ... Kirkwall is the largest town and capital of the Orkney Islands, off the coast of northern mainland Scotland. ... Stromness is the second-largest town in the Orkney Islands and is located on the southwestern edge of the mainland of Orkney. ... The ferryboat Dongan Hills, filled with commuters, about to dock at a New York City pier, ca. ... Farmland can have several meanings: See: Farm for a general discussion of farming Farmland, Indiana, a town in the United States Farmland (cooperative), an agricultural cooperative This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The Orkney Islands are one of 32 unitary council regions in Scotland, and form a traditional county and Lieutenancy area. ...

The bulk of the Mainland is west of Kirkwall. It is low-lying, but with coastal cliffs to the north and west and two sizeable lochs. This western section of the island contains numerous Neolithic and Pictish constructions. Those Neolithic constructions include the Ring of Brodgar, the cairn Maeshowe and the stone-build settlement Skara Brae. The Trango Towers in Pakistan have the highest cliffs in the world In geography, a cliff is a significant vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure. ... View across Loch Lomond, towards Ben Lomond. ... An array of Neolithic artifacts, including bracelets, axe heads, chisels, and polishing tools. ... A replica of the Hilton of Cadboll Stone. ... Ring of Brodgar The Ring of Brodgar (or Brogar) is a neolithic henge and stone circle in The Mainland Orkney, Scotland, somewhat similar to Stonehenge in England. ... Maeshowe Maeshowe Entrance Maeshowe (or Maes Howe) is a Neolithic chambered cairn and passage grave situated on Mainland Orkney, Scotland. ... Skara Brae is a large stone-built Neolithic settlement, located in the Bay of Skaill on the west coast of mainland Orkney, Scotland. ...

The eastern part of the Mainland is shaped like the letter "W", the easternmost peninsula being known as Deerness. To the south, causeways connect the island to Burray and South Ronaldsay via Lamb Holm and Glims Holm. A peninsula in Croatia A peninsula (from the latin words paene insula, almost island) is a geographical landform consisting of an extension of a body of land from a larger body of land, surrounded by water on three sides. ... The Hindenburgdamm rail causeway across the Wadden Sea to the island of Sylt in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany In modern usage, a causeway is a road or railway elevated by a bank, usually across a broad body of water or wetland. ... Burray shown within Orkney Islands Burray is one of the Orkney Islands in Scotland. ... South Ronaldsay shown within Orkney Islands South Ronaldsay is one of the Orkney Islands in Scotland. ... Lamb Holm is a small island in Orkney, Scotland. ...

Parishes

• Birsay
• Evie
• Sandwick
• Harray
• Rendall
• Stromness Parish
• Parish of Firth
• Orphir
• St Ola
• Parish of St Andrews
• Holm
• Deerness

Birsay is a parish in the north west corner of The Mainland of Orkney, Scotland. ... Evie Tornquist-Karllson (born Tornquist) is a Contemporary Christian music singer of the 1970s and 1980s. ... Sandwick is a settlement on the east coast of the island of Shetland. ... Holm may refer to several villages in Romania: Holm, a village in the town of Podu Iloaiei, Iaşi County Holm, a village in Pânceşti Commune, Neamţ County Holm may also refer to: Holm, a small residential area in the south of the city of Inverness, Scotland Category...

Notable places

• Grain Earth House
• Earl's Palace, Birsay
• Skara Brae

Skara Brae is a large stone-built Neolithic settlement, located in the Bay of Skaill on the west coast of mainland Orkney, Scotland. ...

External links

• 1911 Encyclopedia Brittanica article on Orkney Islands

Coordinates: 58°59′N 3°06′W Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...