A Peedie Bit O' Orkney...

Today, the traditional straw-backed Orkney Chair... once found beside the fire in many an old farmhouse...

Orkney's quite a flat landscape in bits, and with so much wind, it is relatively treeless. This is reflected in these chairs, because wood forms a relatively small part of the chair, and would normally have used driftwood that washed up on the shore - sometimes from unfortunate shipwrecks in Orkney's strong tides and small rocky islands.

The backs of the chairs are made from oats, and the seats from seagrass, and the chairs are largely handmade. The rows of oat bundles are woven together with rope to form a very warm back, resistant to draughts.

The hooded chair above would have belonged to the man of the house, of course!

There are still traditional Orkney Chair makers working, and if I remember rightly, there are Orkney Chairs in Royal Palaces!