Old County of Orkney

An island county and ancient earldom of northern Scotland, Orkney covered an area of 376 sq. miles (973 sq. km), separated from Caithness by the Pentland Firth and lying between the North Sea and Atlantic Ocean. Its chief town was Kirkwall and main seaport Stromness, both being served from the latter 19th century by regular ferries from the mainland. With local government reorganisation in 1974, Orkney became a unitary island authority, and retained this status as Orkney Council Area following further reorganisation in 1995.

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