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White lines on the road are usually not good news for cyclists but there's little traffic here in southern Orkney and it's a taste of the quiet scenery to come.
The Orkney Islands comprise of more than 70 islands and islets of which only 20 are inhabited. The islands were prone to Norse raiders who arrived in the late 8th century AD and colonized the islands in the 9th century and later they were ruled by Norway and Denmark until Scotland annexed them in 1472 courtesy of a wedding gift. The Orkney Islands have the better soil and agricultural area than the Shetland Islands, where there has been a greater reliance on fishing and other means of revenue such as the Sullem Voe Oil Terminal and fish farming. The history of all these islands is immense and worth reading up on before the cycle ride if you can.
