The Viking Isles: Travels in Orkney and Shetland
Paul Murton


Paperback | Nov 2019 | Birlinn | 9781780275802 | 240pp | 245x190mm | GEN | AUD$42.99, NZD$54.99

Paul Murton has long had a love of the Viking north — the island groups of Orkney and Shetland and the old counties of Caithness and Sutherland — which, for centuries, were part of the Nordic world as depicted in the great classic the Orkneyinga Saga. Today this fascinating Scandanavian legacy can be found everywhere — in physical remains, place-names, local traditions and folklore, and much else besides.

This is a personal account of Paul's travels in the Viking north. Full of observation, history, anecdote and encounters with those who live there, it also serves as a practical guide to the many places of interest. From a sing-along with the Shanty Yell Boys to fishing off Muckle Flugga, from sword dancing with the men of Papa Stour to a Norwegian pub crawl in Lerwick, Paul paints a vivid picture of these lands and their people, and explores their extraordinary rich heritage.