Coat of arms of Orkney
Encyclopedia
The coat of arms
of Orkney was adopted on 3 March 1975 and is among the oldest of those of the Scottish
Council Areas
, as the Orkney Islands Council was unaffected by the 1996 local government reform
. With the exception of the islands area coronet and a different sinister supporter the current coat of arms is also identical to that of the pre-1975 Orkney County Council.
The shield depicts the Clan Sinclair
ship and the Norwegian lion
. This reflects the history of Orkney. Before Norwegian occupation the aboriginal inhabitants or Picts
(one of the founding nations of Scotland) settled on the island thousands of years before a norse invasion and the island was under Norway
for several centuries. The island was pawned as dowry security in 1468, to the kingdom of Scotland, where members of the Sinclar family held the Earldom of Orkney
for almost a century in the Late Middle Ages
in fealty to the monarchs of Norway.
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
of Orkney was adopted on 3 March 1975 and is among the oldest of those of the Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
Council Areas
Subdivisions of Scotland
For local government purposes, Scotland is divided into 32 areas designated as "council areas" which are all governed by unitary authorities designated as "councils"...
, as the Orkney Islands Council was unaffected by the 1996 local government reform
Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994
The Local Government etc. Act 1994 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which created the current local government structure of 32 unitary authorities covering the whole of Scotland....
. With the exception of the islands area coronet and a different sinister supporter the current coat of arms is also identical to that of the pre-1975 Orkney County Council.
Clan Sinclair
Clan Sinclair is a Highland Scottish clan of Norman origin who held lands in the north of Scotland, the Orkney Islands, and the Lothians which they received from the Kings of Scots...
ship and the Norwegian lion
Coat of arms of Norway
The coat of arms of Norway is a crowned, golden lion rampant holding an axe with an argent blade, on a crowned, triangular and red escutcheon. Its elements originate from personal insignias for the royal house in the High Middle Ages, thus being among the oldest in Europe...
. This reflects the history of Orkney. Before Norwegian occupation the aboriginal inhabitants or Picts
Picts
The Picts were a group of Late Iron Age and Early Mediaeval people living in what is now eastern and northern Scotland. There is an association with the distribution of brochs, place names beginning 'Pit-', for instance Pitlochry, and Pictish stones. They are recorded from before the Roman conquest...
(one of the founding nations of Scotland) settled on the island thousands of years before a norse invasion and the island was under Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
for several centuries. The island was pawned as dowry security in 1468, to the kingdom of Scotland, where members of the Sinclar family held the Earldom of Orkney
Earldom of Orkney
The Earldom of Orkney was a Norwegian dignity in Scotland which had its origins in the Viking period. The title of Earl of Orkney was passed down the same family line through to the Middle Ages....
for almost a century in the Late Middle Ages
Late Middle Ages
The Late Middle Ages was the period of European history generally comprising the 14th to the 16th century . The Late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern era ....
in fealty to the monarchs of Norway.