Lynn is such a passionate performer. She is keeping the tales of Orkney and Scotland alive and it is wonderful to see! A must visit for those spending time on Orkney.
An evening of storytelling about the Orkney folklore and oral traditions with Lynne by her peat fire - her collection of books and knowledge of these stories is not to be missed.
It's an easy place to find and is about 5 minutes from Brodgar. Remember to take a drink with you!
We were not sure what to expect when we turned up but can honestly say it was a very worthwhile booking. We spent a very enjoyable evening, firstly exploring rooms set out with numerous books and historic documents and then settled in front of an open fire and listened to Lynn narrating and performing tales from Orkney folklore, or could the folklore have been true? Thank you to Lynn for her presentation skills and obvious dedication and enthusiasm for the history of Orkney.
An interesting evening filled with oral tales and storytelling. It was a lot like theatre; a monologue. Good way to spend an evening; better than television.
Spent an interesting night here! Storytelling was good - might've gone on a bit long, could maybe introduce a short break in the middle to add structure? - and the museum space itself with its library and artworks is amazing. But the peat smoke and the heat almost sent us to sleep, and made our eyes water so that at the end we were quite keen to get out into the cold for some fresh air.
Amazing top notch storytelling evening. It was atmospheric at the fantastic venue and the storytelling transported me and my imagination back in time. The storyteller gave a unique and invaluable authentic insight to the local legends and folklore by a glorious open fire. Wonderful. Well worth turning out.
We attended an evening storytelling session with my daughter who has profound learning disabilities, is blind and a wheelchair user. The venue was quirky and atmospheric. There were so many things to look at before the session started, and Lynn was happy for my daughter to feel all the artifacts. She thoroughly enjoyed the evening, as did my daughter’s friend and I. Unfortunately we had to leave before the end because we were going to catch the ferry. I fell asleep that night with Lynn’s beautiful lilting voice, and memories of the stories she told, running through my head! Very much recommend to others.
We had a fantastic night in a fantastic setting, the Stories were amazing told around a peat fire by an amazing storyteller. Would strongly recommend. Danny and Siobhan.
Loved every minute of this storytelling evening. Haunting stories that will stay with me for a long time and that I saw echoing around everything else we saw while we were on Orkney. Really enhanced the special sense of place that the island has and my understanding of its people and way of life. Thoroughly recommend it to any visitor to the Orkney mainland
We had a magical evening. The Peatfire Tales are the real thing. I really doubt that you can get any closer to an authentic oral history performance in English than this. Lynn clearly knows what she is doing. I have read a lot of these stories, but hearing and seeing them performed as they have been for hundreds or even thousands of years is something else entirely, with the repetitions, the formulas, the sound play, the hand movements … it was all there.
If you have any interest in folklore, in stories, in spoken word, then give yourself the gift of going to one of these nights (and take your family or friends with you; my daughter of eleven really loved this as well).
An amazing storyteller telling legends and educating about the history of the island and bringing it all to life. She even had our six year old sitting still and listening as she told and acted out her stories. Thank you very much!
Throughly enjoyed our visit 20:00 to 22:00. Very unique storytelling with a nice fire and peat (please be advised can be smokey!). 24 book and turned up, would recommend if you want some of the islands history told in a different manner.
We attended the evening Peatfire Tales of Orkney and it was wonderful. Lynne held the small intimate audience captured throughout. Would definitely recommend 👏
We spent a gloriously enchanting evening listening to fables, both real and imaginary, drawn from the rich Orcadian culture and history. We would gladly and eagerly visit again if we are blessed to visit the islands in the future (would certainly love to). Also, on the recommendation of the curator, we next day visited both the Barony Mill and Kirbister Farm - other nearby curations - and had a wonderful experience at both. Cannot reccomend highly enough. Bravo!
As always, a lovely evening enchanting story telling and very informative prologue and epilogue An absolute must , for any one interested in oral history myths and legends .
My friends and I found Lynn captivating, embracing the characters from the Orcadian stories in a way that left us spellbound. We could have listened to her for hours. Magical storytelling.
We would suggest a five minute comfort break inbetween stories to allow those becoming restless/fidgety to stretch their legs so as not to distract those who are fully immersed in the tales.
Wonderful evening with Lynn sharing Orcadian histories, legends and folklore - thank you for weaving a rich tapestry of stories next to a peat fire for us! Thank you for keeping the spoken word tradition going and bringing a community of listeners into the space with you.
Have already saved the podcast link to hear more next month!
November To February
Bookings for any Island Storytelling Events, Courses, and Family & Children’s Storycircle Sessions can be booked and arranged by contacting Lynn Barbour.
PEATFIRE TALES OF ORKNEY EVENINGS. Tuesdays, Fridays andSundays – A traditional Orkney that combines legend, lore and social customs with music, song and dance.
FIRESIDE AFTERNOONS: Enjoy the traditions of these North Atlantic Islands, sitting around the peat fire while Listening to the legends, Folklore and social customs of past Orkney fishing & farming peoples and communities -Thursday and Saturday afternoons.
FAMILY AND CHILDREN’S STORY CIRCLES SESSIONS- Maximum groups number: 8 people Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday mornings – afternoons by arrangement peatfire@orkneyattractions.com
MAGICAL STORIES (Of The Islands & Highlands)- A BESPOKE, PRIVATE EVENING / AFTERNOON for your own group’s celebration (6 – 30 people). Choose from our programme of Stories & Legends from the Islands and Highlands, discover some ofthe Orkney & Scottish social customs, Traditional dances and music.
THE POWER OF STORY – BESPOKE COURSES & SUMMER SCHOOLS Learn how to be the Weaver of Tales and explore this ancient oral tradition. All are welcome (18 years +). Of particular value to those working in education, special education, mental health and social care. It greatly benefits students who wish to pursue further studies in drama, performing arts, dance, and physical theatre.
PRIVATE GROUPS – Between 6 and 28 guests. Bespoke events tailored for each group – group cost by arrangement.
BOOKING IS ESSENTIAL FOR ALL EVENTS.
Come along to a unique Orkney Island experience and discover the oral and fireside heritage of the Highland and Islands’ fishing and farming peoples who worked the land and fished the seas around these North Atlantic Islands, or as George Mackay Brown, the Orkney writer called them in his Poem Cycle ‘The Fishermen With Ploughs’.
Storytellers have passed on folk tales, myths and legends in their own dialect since time began. In Orkney, the Island’s old language, Norn, was superseded by the Scots ‘Mither Tongue’. There is a school of thought that from the late 15th Century this demise of the Norn language is in relation to the political and social history of these North Atlantic Islands.
Eventually lost as a spoken language, in Shetland it could have been as late as the 19th Century when the last islanders spoke Norn, only fragments of many old Orkney ballads, folk tales and legends remain. Two ballads still exist as complete pieces, one in the Orkney/ Scots dialect, The Ballad of the Lady Odivere and one from the island of Foula in Shetland, in the old Norn language, The Ballad of the Lady Hildina.
Throughout time, the story is one of man’s oldest tools for communication, learning and the recording of individuals and their communities’ way of life. Stories, customs and beliefs passed on by ‘word of mouth from one generation to the next, the stories of the ordinary and the extraordinary, the great Kings and
We invite you to sit by the peat fire in our Folklore andHeritage library, browse and explore the old Orkney books, newspapers, and maps, and ponder a moment on the 19th Century photographs of the past islanders who worked the land and fished the seas for many generations around these North Atlantic Islands.
Discover our Hamnavoe Room with Contemporary Orkney Writers’ books, Island Craft books, children’s Orkney story books along with contemporary 20th Century images of Orkney.
Spend time in our ‘Peedie’ Folk Art Gallery seeing island stories and myths, and folk tales in pastels and pencil, inks, pen and prints, take away an Orkney Folklore and legend StoryCards or Heritage leaflet
Sit in the Folk Art Studio around the big peat fire, surrounded by the wall murals and collages of the Orkney legends and myths, alongside models, masks and puppets of the Island Folkloric characters and creatures. All are created from beachcombing, flotsam & jetsom & recycled materials.
Listen to The Peatfire Tales Of Orkney from ‘The time before time….when legends were true…’ or create your own folkloric characters, creatures and storyboards in our Family & Children’s StoryCircles sessions.
‘The Enchanting tongues went on and on beside the fish oil lamps, then the grey of morning entered the crofts, and called the islanders back to their hard work ofploughing and fishing‘ – George Mackay Brown
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Storytellers have passed on folk tales, myths and legends in their own dialect since time began. In Orkney, the Island’s old language, Norn, was superseded by the Scots ‘Mither Tongue’. There is a school of thought that from the late 15th Century this demise of the Norn language is in relation to the political and social history of these North Atlantic Islands.