6 GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION AND PHYSICAL 



limited range of its temperature throughout the year, which only 

 amounts to 14 5', in which respect it resembles the west of Ireland 

 and the Scilly Isles. The prevailing winds are from some westerly 

 point, and this may be seen at once from the shape and appearance 

 of the trees, where such exist. As long as they are protected by 

 walls they grow well enough, but immediately they rise above 

 that height the tops are at once cut off, and the boughs and twigs 

 trained in a contrary direction. Each tree thus forms a slight 

 protection to the one to the east of it, so that the furthest east tree 

 is generally the tallest. Besides the actual force of the wind, no 

 doubt the amount of salt carried in the form of fine spray has some- 

 thing to do with their stunted growth. Even the heather on the 

 west side of the hills grows so matted and thick that grouse might 

 almost as easily walk on the top as through it. 



Trees formerly grew in many parts of Orkney, and roots have 

 been found in Otterswick Bay, Sanday, near low-water mark. At 

 Millbay, Stronsay, and at Eoithisholm in the same island, roots 

 and remains of birch-trees as thick as a man's thigh, with the bark 

 quite bright and entire on several parts of the tree, have been dug 

 up. We ourselves have seen remains of trees beneath high-water 

 mark, below Westness House, Eousay, proving that the sea has 

 encroached there within comparatively recent times, as it has at 

 Otterswick, Sanday. Mr. Moodie-Heddle informs us that a very 

 few years ago there were still standing the remains of some sort of 

 fir-tree at the point of North Ness, at the entrance to Longhope in 

 Walls, which was tall enough to be quite a mark for vessels. 

 Trees also existed in other parts of Hoy, remains of which are still 

 found in the bays : and at Berriedale, near Kackwick, small trees 

 of willow, with birch, ash, and hazel, still grow along the edge of 

 one of the burns there, and to these Neill refers in his Tour. 1 



At the present time trees are only to be found, with the 

 exception of those in Hoy just mentioned, in small plantations, 

 near, or round, the residences of the gentry, and in many cases 

 these are by no means as well looked after as they might be. 



1 A Tour through some of the Islands of Orkney and Shetland. Patrick Neill. 

 Edinburgh, 1806. 8vo. 



