The Orkney Islands, 67 in all, enjoy the distinction of having the highest concentration of prehistoric monuments that have been discovered anywhere in northern Europe. According to Collins Encyclopaedia of Scotland, edited by John and Julia Keay there are various reasons for this.

Ring of Brodgar, an ancient neolithic stone circle

The rocks of old red sandstone on the islands split easily into flags, and were an ideal building material. However the greater part of the land surface of these islands is gently rolling and fertile, lapped by the warm waters of the Gulf Stream.

'The geese had just stopped hissing at me'

Today, Orkney is a thriving community and the bustling town of Kirkwall is the main centre on the islands, while Stromness is linked to Scrabster in Caithness by vehicle ferry. A visitor’s paradise, the Orkney Islands attract tourists all year round who come to enjoy the space and beauty of this unique landscape.

Snow Orcadian.

In this photographic feature photographer John Shearer, who has been living near Kirkwall since 2000, has shared his work with us which portrays the exceptional lighting in Orkney in winter. Having been interested in photography since fieldfacts

About John Shearer

Resident in Orkney again – near Kirkwall – since early 2000, John began to enjoy exploring Orkney in detail. Interested in photography since childhood, he would often take his Nikon F65 35mm SLR with him. Over time his office began to fill up with prints. A couple of years later he bought a ‘point & shoot’ digital camera. A photographic turning point happened in 2005 when he opened a self-catering holiday house and bought a Panasonic Lumix FZ7 Digital SLR so he could ‘showcase’ Orkney on the internet to potential visitors.

John uploads photos to the photo-sharing site www.flickr.com under the username of Orquil. He says: ‘It was much more satisfying sharing my photos with others interested in photography and/or Orkney than stowing prints away in an old drawer! Soon I was toting my camera everywhere as you never know what lies around the corner!’

The full version of this feature appeared in our December 2009 issue. To order a back copy call 01631 568000 or our Edinburgh office on 0131 312 4550.