Orkney Image Library

I think this was in Burness farm house and was still there in the 70's (blocked off but still accessible)

By strange coincidence,I had this photo ready to go on the Image Library when I noticed this one today.The photo I have is a tinted one on a postcard dated 1909. I would have loved a seat in the Ingle Nook with a tumbler of home brew warmed with a hot poker. Is that a sqeeze box on top of the cupboard on the right? I have slept in a box bed in my time. A great photo of a Orcadian farmhouse livingroom, multi-functional! Added by Phil Brough.

Sure you're right about the squeeze-box Phil (melodion, not accordion).

Greenwall in Holm had an ingleneuk that was covered up but you could see the chain hanging when you looked throgh an access panel.
That was back in 1945.Guess it is stil there unless new owner has altered things.

re Jack Harcus. My grandparents owned and lived in Greenwall for many years in the 70s and 80s and i remember the big inglenook fireplace. It was uncovered at that time and had a wonderful smell of soot.

As bairns we used to post our letters to Santa through the small inspection hatch.The updraught whipped them out of our hands.Exciting times.

I have a black and white sketch of "Ingle Nook, Orkney Isles" by Alan S Rankine, which shows a woman sitting on a chair inside the nook just like the one in your postcard. She is knitting. She is wearing a bonnet, shirt and long,tartan skirt. A dog is lying at her feet. Would like to know if artist is well-known.

Phil may be quite right about the thing on top of the cupboard being a squeeze-box, but anonymous is not absolutely right in calling it a melodion: the preferred spelling is melodeon. Considering how popular squeeze-boxes are, or were, in Orkney, it's surprising how often they are misspelt. (Accordion commonly appears as accordian.)