Marlene, who sent this next card from the main island of Orkney, is not originally from Scotland, so it was especially interesting to see what she thinks about the islands.

Of course, she loves the landscape, and especially the cliffs, that she described as breathtaking. There are also many well-preserved archeological sites, and what's probably most important - Marlene was lucky to meet many friendly and welcoming people there :) There are also some drawbacks - everything is closed on Sundays, and the winters are really dark, but I hope the beauty of Orkney still wins! ;)

The card shows Churchill Barriers, four causeways between the islands, built in 1940s. The photo was taken from Mainland looking south; first you can see Mainland linked to Lamb Holm, then the island of Glim Holm and the Burray island which is linked to South Ronaldsay.

On the stamp you can see Skara Brae, one of the archeological sites mentioned in the card. It's the stone-built Neolithic settlement that can be found on Mainland Orkney, on the Bay of Skaill. Houses in this settlement were occupied around 3180 BC until 2500 BC, which makes them older than Stonehenge or even the Great Pyramids!

Thank you so much Marlene for sending this card (and choosing this stamp)!

mainland, orkney

country

Scotland, UK

inhabitants

17,162

biggest town

Kirkwall

postcard sent

04.11.2014

postcard received

17.11.2014

distance travelled

~1930km

sent from

Kirkwall