A quick trip forward in time on Orkney again, moving from the Viking settlement across the causeway to the 16th-century Earl’s Palace on the Mainland.
The ruins still display the layout and size of the palace, built around a large open courtyard.
Nominally a castle (though it wouldn’t have been very defensible, in my opinion), construction took place over 2 decades, the 1570s and 80s, and was the home of Robert Stuart, illegitimate son of James V, and half brother to Mary, Queen of Scots.
It must have been rather grand, I feel, with all this open space and the big windows (only on the upper floor, for defence capabilities), but sadly once Earl Robert died, future earls rarely used the palace, and by 1700 it was already falling into disrepair.
Given that, the survival of this much brick work shows how well built it was at the time.
The palace is right on the coast, so we went for a wander along the beach and found these guys.
Is this one waving at us?? Or telling us to go away?
There is STILL a little more to come from this amazing trip, with more leaps through time, and I reckon I should finish them up about one year after we took the holiday!!!
deborahjay 
Lovely videos and pictures, Debby. Thank you. ā¤
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I would love to visit that place. We just don’t have ruins of palaces and castles in the US. They have such amazing histories. Great share, Deborah.
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It is definitely something we rather take for granted over here. I have met lots of Americans and Canadians travelling around, researching their roots, you should join them!
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I hope to. Just waiting for the virus to get figured out. š
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One day I’ll get there Deb! Gorgeous shots. Some of those structures look like rock people. So cool. ā¤
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I so look forward to showing you around ā¤
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I’m holding you to it! ā¤
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