In the evening the household gathered round the long fire - the women had their spinning, stories were told, men carved wood - children played on the floor, there was seldom other light used than that from the fire.
Welcome to the Orkney Peatfire Tales section of the Orkney attractions website.
Our names are John and Lynn and we welcome you to an Orkney attraction. Peatfire Tales is a unique Island evening of Storytelling to perfectly compliment your holiday in Orkney. After a day exploring the ancient Orcadian sites such as The Ring of Brodgar, Maes Howe and the Standing Stones, come and learn about how these monuments were incorporated into the folklore and culture of the islands. Sit around our Peatfire and enjoy Orkney folklore and island legend via music, song and dance.
Storytellers have passed on the folklore and myth in their own dialect for thousands of years. In Orkney, the language of the Norse and Pictish people, Norn, was lost. Only remnants of the old sagas and stories remain. We offer to you these island myths and legends, a glimpse back to the olden days of evenings around the peat fire.
Learn about Assipattle and his fight against the Stoor Worm, about the Trowies who lived in green mounds or the Selkie brides from the sea - to truly understand Orkney and its fishing and farming communities - listen to these stories of earth and sea, of mythical creatures, of ancient standing stones and giants and of Trowie hills and Hogboons and burial mounds.
We offer Peatfire Tales in various venues -
To get a taste of what these include, please visit the individual pages.
Private Group Evenings by arrangement
Private Groups of up to 35 people are very welcome to attend and concessionary rates are available. We offer Peatfire Tale Evenings, with over 20 years experience, for corporate events, wedding functions, education/school groups and private coach tours.
In all cases - please phone ahead to avoid disappointment!
