‘Nature dominates Orkney in every way in its majesty and severity: its weather, light, colours, smells and sounds’
The Orkney archipelago lies only a few miles north off the coast of Scotland in distance, but it’s a world away in spirit. The people of the islands describe themselves first as Orcadian, then maybe Scottish or British if there’s any patriotism left over. With its untouched mountains, moors, beaches and towering cliffs, it’s a haven for birds and animals. And it’s isolated – many Scots never think to take the ferry there, let alone visitors.
Musician Erland Cooper left there aged 19, beginning a journey that took in America, Edinburgh and Budapest, before settling in London 11 years ago. (‘There’s something inquisitive about Orcadians,’ he says, ‘a great sense of adventure. Wherever you travel,
