Who was who in Orkney / compiled by W. S. Hewison

The richly colourful tapestry of Orkney's history teems with vivid characters from viking times to the present day. In this book just on 700 of them, all with strong links to the islands' story, are listed alphabetically with biographical details. In addition to the native-born Orcadians themselves who have played an important part in the life of their northern home or who have gone out to make their mark in the wider world, there are many from outside whose close association with Orkney has profoundly influenced its history. The are, for instance, over 50 assorted earls, most of them Norse, 15 kings, 22 bishops, 6 saints balanced by an equal number of Provosts. Then there are some 17 native-born professors who occupied their respective Chairs in Universities world-wide, botanists, pharmacologists, psychologists, poets, writers, artists, administrators - a wealth of talent to emerge from such a small group of islands throughout the centuries.