The Orkney Image Library
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Mystery things
Two clues:
They are NOT Fred Flintstone's car tyres.
They can NOT be bought at the shop with the same name.
A bunus point for knowing WHERE they are (or were in 1997 when this shot was taken).
Picture added on 04 April 2012 at 13:47
This picture is in the following groups
Mystery places or things or people
Mystery places or things or people
Knocking stones? Swona or Stroma maybe, or, going on some of your earlier photos: North Fara? Certainly somewhere that they couldn't be loaded onto a car trailer!
Added by Dave Smith on 04 April 2012
Opposite Rysa Mill?
Added by Jacqueline on 04 April 2012
Quernstones?
Added by Isobel Irvine on 04 April 2012
Are they the "mortar" end of mortar and pestle - fur chappin' stuff in?
Added by Sandy on 05 April 2012
first o' the Cordless blenders..
Added by Jimmy Hamilton on 05 April 2012
Dave is right and deserves the bonus point too. They are knocking-stones on Faray. And yes, Sandy, bere ('arctic barley') would be pounded in these 'mortars' with the equivalent of a pestle - a sort of forerunner of mechanised bruising of oats.
It's interesting that this little island's name has so many variants. I nowadays use the 'official' name as on OS maps, though at one time I called it North Fara like you Dave. It's sometimes spelt with a Ph instead of an F and/or with an i and an e in it. I guess it's to do with trying to avoid confusion with Fara in Scapa Flow, sometimes (often?) called South Fara. Maybe I'll look for an excuse to post a photo taken there as well.
It's interesting that this little island's name has so many variants. I nowadays use the 'official' name as on OS maps, though at one time I called it North Fara like you Dave. It's sometimes spelt with a Ph instead of an F and/or with an i and an e in it. I guess it's to do with trying to avoid confusion with Fara in Scapa Flow, sometimes (often?) called South Fara. Maybe I'll look for an excuse to post a photo taken there as well.
Added by Ian Hourston on 05 April 2012
Ian, South Fara is usually known and pronounced as 'Faira' in Hoy and Flotta (John Budge might be able to correct or add to this) and North Faray is usually 'Feree' in the North Isles where the 'ee' ending is typical for all the islands. The north and south descriptions weren't in everyday use, but they would be useful once the names were written down. The 1654 Blaeu map of Orkney has both islands as 'Fara'.
Added by Karl Cooper on 06 April 2012
Thanks Karl. I have a Guiljelmus Blaeuw map of Orkney & Shetland framed on my staircase, and of course you're quite correct about the identical spelling of the two Faras. And I reckon if the guy could spell his own name he must have been a bit of a whiz at orthography as well as geography.
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Added by Ian Hourston on 10 April 2012
Other North Isle
