Derek Turner

Set in a silver sea: the glory of Britain’s islands

Alice Albinia reminds us that Orkney was a trading station long before London, Iona the epicentre of Celtic Christianity and Shetland a haven for liberal Udal law

Engraving of Iona by William Daniell. [Historical Picture Archive/Corbis/Getty Images]
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  • The Britannias: An Archipelago’s Tale

    Alice Albinia

    Allen Lane, pp. 512, £25

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A blooming good offer

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