Yesnaby
Geology
The coastal cliffs are formed from the Lower Devonian sandstones ascribed to the Yesnaby Sandstone Group - a set of geological formations restricted to the Yesnaby area, and to the overlying beds of the Lower Stromness Flagstones. Fossil stromatolites from 390 to 400 million years ago can be found in the cliffs in the latter. They are locally known as Horse Tooth Stones from a supposed resemblance.
Culture
Orkney folklore has it that a woman known as the "Yesnaby Healer" had the ability to stop bleeding in any person, even over a distance. The Orkney composer Peter Maxwell Davies has immortalised Yesnaby through "Yesnaby Ground", an Interlude for solo piano.
The Archaeology Institute of the University of the Highlands and Islands initiated the Yesnaby Art & Archaeology Research Project
History
During the Second World War an anti-aircraft battery was built on the cliff top at Yesnaby as part of the defences of the Royal Navy base at Scapa Flow. The battery was manned by the Royal Navy and some traces of the wartime buildings remain.
Photo gallery
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Panorama of Yesnaby
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Sea cliffs
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Puffin
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Geo (inlet)
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Black Guillemots
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Black Guillemots in summer plumage
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Cliff
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Cliffs
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Cliff
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Cliffs
References
- ^ Samuel Lewis (1846). A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland: From Abbey to Jura, Vol I. p. 646.
- ^ Samuel Lewis (1846). A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland, Vol II. p. 452.
- ^ "Facebook". Facebook.
- ^ Miller, James (2001). Scapa, Britain's Famous Wartime Naval Base. Birlinn. pp. 99–101. ISBN 1843410052.