Orkney Islands: “Going back to Norway” | news

With a population of 19,000, the Orkney Islands is a municipality in Scotland and thus part of Great Britain. Municipal leadership in the island group has long been dissatisfied with both Scottish and British financial contributions – and therefore seeks a form of self-government, BBC reports.

One option being discussed is becoming part of Norway. However, Norway does not appear to have asked if it is still interested.

“Great connection with Norway”

– People on the street in Orkney come up and ask when we’re coming back to Norway. There is a great unity and a great and deep cultural relationship. Orkney’s municipal leader James Stocken says we’ve been part of the Nordics for longer than we’ve been part of Great Britain. to the BBC.

The islands belonged to Norway until 1472. But they ended up in Scottish possession when Princess Margareta of Denmark married King James III of Scotland. Her father, King Christian I, who was King of Sweden, Denmark and Norway, was temporarily short of money at the wedding. So she left both the Orkney Islands and the Shetland Islands as pledges until her dowry was paid.

She never paid the dowry, so the two island groups off the Scottish coast moved permanently to Scotland.

– People on the street ask me when we are going back to Norway after paying the dowry, says James Stocken.

Alternate Board Conditions

He explains that he is not very happy with the current contributions from the mainland – and says that the Orkney Islands have received nothing back for all that they have contributed to the exchequer through North Sea Oil over the last 40 years.

On Tuesday, the municipality will consider the proposal to investigate the “alternate administration”. Among the options are limited autonomy – such as the Channel Islands of Jersey and Guernsey – as well as “Nordic integration” with Norway, Denmark or Iceland.