Bespoke courses

The Institute for Northern Studies offered a summer couse on the beautiful historic island of Iona, in conjunction with the Iona Community. Participants had the opportunity to stay in the abbey itself. They also attend lectures on the history, culture and folklore of Iona, on St Columba and the early Church, on Celtic sculpture and early Celtic literature, and went on field trips to iconic places such as Staffa. There was also a series of evening social events ranging from a ceilidh to a conversational Gaelic class for beginners! In collaboration with the Iona Community.

A combination of cultural history, field trips and practical workshops allowed students to experience different aspects of traditional life in the island community. Experts from the Institute for Northern Studies provided the historical and cultural context through illustrated lectures. Workshops tried out traditional skills such as bannock baking, drystone dyke building, making things out of straw, guided by local practitioners. We used traditional tools and methods to cut peat and heard about the folklore of the area, visited a traditional Orkney farm, now a farm museum, where we learnt to make “simmans” and “lover’s knots”, and visited an Orkney Furniture Maker who continues the tradition of making straw-backed Orkney chairs.

More information and pictures here.

This summer school took place over five days, with a combination of lectures and field trips covering the history of Orkney, its archaeological heritage, its folklore and literature, its dialect and language, history and music. Daily field trips took in the Italian Chapel, Scapa Flow, Orphir, Kirbuster Farm Museum, Birsay, Maeshowe, Ring of Brodgar, Skara Brae, Kirkwall, Stromness and the Broch of Gurness.

This course focussed on some of Orkney’s best loved literature through the ages: from Norse saga literature to explore the works of Orkney writers such as Robert Rendall, Edwin Muir, Eric Linklater and George Mackay Brown. Daily field trips visited the places and landscapes that inspired their writing.

Set within the context of the landscape of the various islands, this course explored the archaeological and natural heritage of the Shetland Islands, including an all-day excursion to Unst, Britain’s most northerly island, and a workshop on traditional music.

This Orkney-based course explored many aspects of Norse culture: navigation and exploration, everyday life, food culture, religion, law and administrative system and Norse literature and runic alphabet. There were daily excursions to Brough of Birsay, the administrative centre of Earl Thorfinn the Mighty, the Earl’s Bu in Orphir, Maeshowe chambered tomb containing Britain’s largest assemblage of Runic inscriptions, and the islands of Rousay and Egilsay. It also included a re-enactment of the martyrdom of St Magnus and a full-blown Viking Feast!

A Shetland-based course on all things Viking, with field trips and lectures. Lectures included Vikings in the North Atlantic, Runes and Norse Literature, Viking Voyages and Seafaring, and Vikings in Popular Culture. The fieldtrips went to Lerwick, the Up-Helly-Aa exhibition, South Shetland Mainland Viking Landscapes and Societies. There was also plenty of socialising and fun, such as a Viking Games tournament and even a sailing trip on a reconstructed Viking ship! An all-day excursion to the Viking Unst Project was also included.

This summer school focused on the art history of Orkney and creative art workshops. Through the week, participants progressed in time from the islands’ Pictish past, through the Viking and Middle Ages, to the traditional farming community and the contemporary art and culture of Orkney.

Each day contained an illustrated academic lecture, exploring the culture and art of each era, ranging from the elegant but enigmatic Pictish symbol stones, through Viking sculpture and medieval literature, to Northern Isles traditional custom and belief and the poetry and art of our recent past. The lectures were enhanced by field trips centred around the five day-themes, where we experienced Pictish art, Viking runic inscriptions, medieval architecture and explore the traditional farming community. Each day, participants made their own creations, led by the Orkney College Art and Design department and local artists, exploring various techniques such as textile art, stone carving, photography and traditional photo manipulation, and felting.

The last day was spent in the renowned Pier Arts Centre, where the theme was Fine Art, An Unfolding Gift, followed by a printmaking workshop. At the end of the course, participants went home with a selection of artwork of their own creation.