Do Orcadians suffer from the ‘Scottish cringe’? This cartoon was produced to accompany an article called “Peedie Schools for Creative Learning” by Fiona Grahame, about schooling in Orkney. It appears in the October 2017 edition of iScot magazine.
Being from Kirkwall, it is not easy to imagine what the experience of growing up on one of the less-populated islands in Orkney must be like. It must be even harder for people from non-island communities to understand. Fiona’s article addresses some of the challenges of educating people in such an environment.
The question of cultural identity is complicated for islanders. Island heritage can be more important than national identity. Edinburgh is so remote it might as well be London. On the other hand, being born in Orkney does not necessarily make one an Orcadian in the eyes of some – even if your parents are from Scotland.
Do Orcadians suffer from the Scottish cringe? They (we?) may not call it that.