Agriculture and Industries.—The soil generally is a sandy loam or a strong but friable clay, and very fertile. Less than half the total area is under cultivation, but farming is now up to the general Scottish standard. The crofters' houses have been rebuilt of stone and lime, and are superior to those in most parts of the Highlands. The holdings run small, less than one-fif th being over 5o acres. The grain crops are oats and barley, while the favoured root crops are turnips (much the most extensively grown) and potatoes. Numbers of cattle and sheep are reared on the fine pasture of the islands; pigs are also kept on several of the islands, and the horses—as a rule hardy, active and small, though larger than the lamous Shetland ponies—are very num erous. The woollen, linen, straw-plaiting and kelp industries have all successively failed, though the last named has been recently revived. Sandstone is quarried on several islands, and distilleries are found in Pomona (near Kirkwall and Stromness). About half the population is engaged in agriculture. Apart from this, the principal industry is fishing. For several centuries the Dutch practically monopolized the herring fishery, but when their supremacy was destroyed by the salt duty, the fisheries were almost totally neglected. The industry, however, is now of con siderable importance, particularly the herring fishery, followed by the cod, ling and lobster fisheries. There is a regular communi cation by steamer between Stromness and Kirkwall, and Thurso, Wick, Aberdeen and Leith, and also between Kirkwall and Ler wick and other points of the Shetlands.
Population and Administration.—The population was in 1931, including 58 persons who spoke Gaelic and Eng lish, but none who spoke Gaelic only. Orkney unites with Shet land to send one member to parliament. Kirkwall, the county town, is the only royal burgh. Orkney forms a sheriffdom with Shetland and Caithness, and is under the school-board jurisdiction.
The Inhabited Islands.—From south to north, the islands (population in brackets) include Sule Skerry (lighthouse, 3), Pentland Skerries (lighthouse, 9), Swona (26), South Ronald shay Hoy (964). On Hoxa Head, is a broch, or round tower, and the island contains, besides, examples of Picts' houses and standing stones. The famous Dwarfie Stone, an enormous block of sandstone with rooms hollowed out in it, lies in a valley near Ward Hill. Flotta (349), east of Hoy, was the home for a long time of the Scandinavian compiler of the Codex Flotticensis, which furnished Thormodr Torfaeus (1636-1719), the Icelandic antiquary, with many of the facts for his History of Norway. Pharay (6o) also lies east of Hoy. Burray (518) is famous for
the broch from which the island takes its name (Borgarey, Norse, "island of the broch"). The tower stands on the north-western shore, is 15 ft. high, has walls from 15 to 20 ft. thick, built of layers of flat stones without cement or mortar, and an interior diameter of 4o feet. Between Hoy and Pomona are Hunda (3), Cava (i5), and Graemsay (i47). The isle, surrounded by shoals, has two lighthouses. The cliffs of Copinshay (4) are a favour ite haunt of sea-birds. Half a mile to the north-east is the great rock which, from a fancied resemblance to a horse rearing its head from the sea, is called the Horse of Copinshay.
Pomona (q.v.) is the principal island and is known as Mainland. Shapinshay (618) was the birthplace of William Irving, father of Washington Irving. It possesses several examples of Pictish and Scandinavian antiquities and Balfour Castle, built in 1848. Gairsay (28) was the home of Sweyn Asleifson, the rover. At Lamb Head is a broch and Pictish pier, and on Odin Bay, is a round pit in the rocks called the Vat of Kirbuster. Papa Stronsay (3o) commemorates the Celtic papae, or missionaries, who preached before the arrival of the Northmen. The adjacent Veira or Wire has a population of 54; Egilshay (103) is the island on which St. Magnus was murdered by his cousin Hacco in 1115. It derives its name (ecclesia) from the little church of St. Magnus, now in ruins. The round tower resembles similar ones found beside Irish churches of the 7th and 8th centuries and has walls 3 ft. thick. Eday (474) contains weems, mounds and standing stones. Carrick village was named after the earl of Carrick. It was off this island that John Gow, the pirate, was taken in 1725. Stronsay (1033) and Rousay (488) are other large islands.
Sanday (1403), one of the largest northern islands, has an area of 19 sq.m. It produces potatoes and grain, and has harbours at Otterswick and Kettletoft. The antiquities include a broch in Elsness. Pharay (47). Westray (15°7), has a harbour at Pier-o' wall. Noltland castle was proposed as the refuge of Queen Mary after her flight from Loch Leven. It was at one time the property of Sir Gilbert Balfour, the master of Queen Mary's household. At the westerly point, there is the Stack of Noup. Gentleman's Cave afforded shelter to five followers of Prince Charles Edward during the winter of Papa Westray (247) and North Ronald shay (349) are the most northerly islands. The latter is only reached from Sanday over a dangerous firth 21 m. wide. The monumental stone with Ogham inscription, discovered in the broch of Burrian, must date from the days of the early Christian missionaries.