History. That is the calling card for the Orkney Isles. Orkney’s history goes back to the Neolithic period and research has found that in those times Orkney was one of the most important places in Europe. There are numerous examples of this from the Stones of Stenness, the Ring of Brodgar, and the spectacular Skara Brae. Archeological discoveries here date to the time before the birth of Christ, before the Egyptian pyramids, and it is thought that Orkney may in fact have been the origins of civilization that later spread to the rest of greater Britain. A joke often heard on the isles is that you can’t put a spade into the ground without turning up something historical - and that may not be far from the truth.
The Orkney Islands, more commonly referred to as just Orkney, is a group of some 70 islands located off the northern coast of mainland Scotland. Only about 20 of the islands are inhabited and the largest of those is Mainland. Located just 10 miles off the coast of Scotland, these islands have been inhabited for almost 9,000 years – first by the Mesolithic and then Neolithic tribes and then by the Picts. The earliest known settlement is said to date to 3500 BC but Europe’s best preserved Neolithic settlement, Skara Brae is said to date to about 3100 BC. Together with the standing stones of Stenness and others at the Ring of Brodgar, this area, located on Mainland, was declared the Heart of Neolithic Orkney as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999.
Left to right: Stones of Stenness, Ring of Brodgar, Skara Brae. These three features were named the Heart of Neolithic Orkney in 1990 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ring of Brodgar photo by Susanne Arbuckle, Adventures Around Scotland. Click on any image to enlarge and view full frame.
Orkney was also home to a Royal Navy base at Scapa Flow that played a major role in World Wars I and II. The famous Italian Chapel, built and decorated by Iralian prisoners of war held there in WWII is just one of many well known tourist destinations on the islands. Along with all of this history, the Orkney islands feature many other factors that today make it a popular tourist destination – a culture where Viking influences are still seen and felt, dramatic scenery ranging from sandy beaches to towering red sandstone cliffs, wide open sweeping vistas, burgeoning seabird colonies, like the beloved puffin, and more.
One thing that strikes you early on in a visit to Orkney, thanks to its wide open unspoilt landscape, made up of rich fertile rolling green hills, is the almost complete absence of trees. So it was quite surprising to find a woodturner as one of the artisans listed on Orkney’s Creative Trail.
Orkney’s landscape is beautifully scenic like the rest of Scotland. You’ll find sandy beaches, towering red sandstone cliffs, and fertile green rolling hills that stretch to the horizon. You’ll also quickly observe an absence of trees! Click on any image to enlarge and see full frame.
Established in the 1990’s this trail guides visitors to the workshops and galleries of creative artisans throughout Orkney. There are jewelers, potters, furniture makers, photographers, painters, weavers, silversmiths and Michael Sinclair, Registered Professional Turner.
Michael was born on one of the northern Orkney Islands where his father, a self taught mechanic, and an artist in his own right, tried to interest Michael in crafting items from metal but it didn’t take. Instead, while working at sea on tugs in Scapa Flow, Michael tried his hand at wood turning. Initially it was just a hobby, but after losing his sea qualification medical, circumstances “turned” it into his vocation.
Today Michael and his wife Sarah operate out of their home, with its adjoining sawmill/workshop and small gallery. Michael has admired the artistic craftsmanship of Orkney’s earlier neolithic inhabitants since he was quite young and draws inspiration for his own art from theirs. His craft is self-taught over the past 25 years and in 2017 he was accepted onto the Register of Professional Turners. Given the lack of trees on Orkney he is forced to import most of his wood - usually from Inverness and the north of mainland Scotland. As a member of the Orkney Creative Trail the Gallery is open to visitors who are also welcome to have a look at his workshop.
Michael works from his home that he and partner Sarah built. In addition to their home, Michael’s sqwmill/workshop and a small gallery are on the premises. Given the lack of wood naturally on Orkney, Michael must import most of his working stock in the form of raw logs. His art, from the style, design, and decoration is heavily influenced by the neolithic pottery that he has admired since he was a wee lad. Michael is best known for his round bottom bowls, pots and Neolithic Petrospheres turned from wood. The final photo is the bowl of cherry wood that i purchased while visiting the gallery.
Photos 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 15 are by the author, others courtesy of Michael Sinclair RPT.
For more information you might enjoy the following links…
•Michael Sinclair RPT (website)
•Heart of Neolithic Orkney (website)
•Neolithic Orkney - A Journey in Time (Glen Moyer blog)
•The Orkney (Tankerness House) Museum (website)
•Orkney Creative Trail (website)