Yesnaby, Sandwick, Orkney
by John Leith
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Yesnaby, Sandwick, Orkney |
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The sea cliffs at Yesnaby were the home of a naval gun training establishment during WWII. The basement of the brick buildings had a mocked up ships bridge where live firing exercises could be co-ordinated. These basements have now been filled in so they are no danger to the general public.
The view from these cliffs can be impressive in windy weather with large waves coming in.
In the summer this is one of he very few places where Primula Scotica grows.
This is the shore of the Loch of Skaill. To the right of the loch from this picture is Skaill house a...
The word "Peerie" is an older pronounciation of the word "Peedie" which in Orkney means small. So it ...
Orkney International Science Festival 2011, Vintage RallyThe OISF is an annual festival which has exp...
The European Wave Energy Test Centre at Billa CrooThere are berths just offshore from here with power...
The Mill of Cairston is a mill just outside Stromness which I know very little about.
The deepdale stone is a neolithic standing stone set on its own alongside the Stenness Loch. The reas...
This is the top of the Brae of Cairston just outside Stromness. The view from here down over stromnes...
They are re-paving the street in Stromness and when it has been wetted by rain it looks lovely. The o...
The Knowe of Unstan (also spelt Onston) was excavated in 1884 when many pots were found of a style no...
Garson is the part of Stromness at the north end of the harbour. In this picture you can see a large ...
Europe is generally agreed to be the birthplace of western culture, including such legendary innovations as the democratic nation-state, football and tomato sauce.
The word Europe comes from the Greek goddess Europa, who was kidnapped by Zeus and plunked down on the island of Crete. Europa gradually changed from referring to mainland Greece until it extended finally to include Norway and Russia.
Don't be confused that Europe is called a continent without looking like an island, the way the other continents do. It's okay. The Ural mountains have steadily been there to divide Europe from Asia for the last 250 million years. Russia technically inhabits "Eurasia".
Europe is presently uniting into one political and economic zone with a common currency called the Euro. The European Union originated in 1993 and is now composed of 27 member states. Its headquarters is in Brussels, Belgium.
Do not confuse the EU with the Council of Europe, which has 47 member states and dates to 1949. These two bodies share the same flag, national anthem, and mission of integrating Europe. The headquarters of the Council are located in Strasbourg, France, and it is most famous for its European Court of Human Rights.
In spite of these two bodies, there is still no single Constitution or set of laws applying to all the countries of Europe. Debate rages over the role of the EU in regards to national sovereignty. As of January 2009, the Lisbon Treaty is the closest thing to a European Constitution, yet it has not been approved by all the EU states.
Text by Steve Smith.
