Crown Prince visited World Heritage Site on Orkney

Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Crown Prince Haakon OrkneyCrown Princess Mette-Marit and Crown Prince Haakon.Photo: Lise Åserud / NTB scanpix

Crown Prince pair visited World Heritage Site on the Orkney Islands

The Crown Prince and his spouse defied bad weather and visited the prehistoric settlement of Skara Brae in the Bay of Skail in Orkney on Saturday.

Skara Brae was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999, and has been referred to as “Scotland’s Pompeii” because of settlements well-preserved state.

Nevertheless, the bad weather on Mainland, one of around 200 smaller islands on the archipelago straight of the Scottish coast, made for a challenging visit for the Crown Prince and Princess.

However, the challenge was easily solved with waterproof clothing and boots, enabling Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Crown Prince Haakon to explore the ruins of a dvelling believed to have been inhabited by between 50 and 100 people from 3100 to 2500 BC.

Orkney Earl, Norwegian saint

The Crown Prince couples visit Orkney Islands on the occasion of the St. Magnus Festival, which celebrates the 900th anniversary of Magnus Earl of the Orkneys death. He was the earl of the Orkney Islands from 1106 until his death, after which he was sainted. Magnus is sometimes called Magnus the Martyr and is the only Norwegian saint with papal recognition in line with the modern canonization process.

Friday the Crown Prince and Princess visited the islands’ administrative center Kirkwall, where they visited the Norwegian war graves and attended a memorial service, before they attended the actual festival where about 2,000 visitors were expected.

 

 

© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today