Mainland

Mainland. 1 Island (1991 pop. 14,150), 178 sq mi (461 sq km), N Scotland. The largest of the Orkney Islands, it is also called Pomona. Kirkwall, the seat of the Orkney Islands council area, is on the island. Kirkwall Bay and Scapa Flow deeply indent its shores. The interior has hills, moors, several lakes, and fertile valleys. Cattle and sheep are raised; eggs are a leading product. A distilling industry is there. Local customs in some districts reveal the Norse ancestry of many of the inhabitants. There are numerous Pictish remains—mounds, underground dwellings, circles, and standing stones. Most famous of these are Maeshowe and the Standing Stones of Stenness. Skara Brae is an excavated Stone Age village. 2 Island, 375 sq mi (971 sq km), extreme N Scotland. It is the largest of the Shetland Islands. Lerwick, located in the southeastern part of Mainland, is the principal town of the islands. Remains of a prehistoric village at Jarlshof exist.

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