New Viking displays bring Orkney's Norse past to life

The Herald Scotland

08-05-2025

Designed to share and celebrate the region's Norse heritage, the exhibition has been supported by a generous legacy donation from a former Orkney resident who emigrated to Australia, who left an express wish for his donation to be used to support Viking heritage and history.
'This exhibition not only brings history to life but also reconnects our community with its Viking past,' said Nick Hewitt, Team Leader (Culture) at Orkney Islands Council.
'We've worked closely with local craftspeople, historians, and experts to create something truly special - something that belongs to the people of Orkney.'
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A key feature of the exhibition is Ragna, an interactive AI-powered Viking woman, offering a first-of-its-kind experience in museums.
Visitors can ask Ragna about Viking life in Orkney, bringing historical storytelling to life in a way that museums have been unable to do up until now. Her background story has been written by Tom Muir, local storyteller and Exhibitions Officer at The Orkney Museum for years, and Dr Siobhan Cooke-Miller, Archaeology Curator for the Council.
Dr Siobhan Cooke-Miller said: 'Our Viking and Norse past has shaped Orkney's identity and has had a lasting impact on our islands which we can see in our landscape, place-names, language and our rich heritage.
"For the people of Orkney, and the thousands of visitors who come to the islands every year, the artefacts and the world class experience made possible by James Groundwater's gift offer an unparalleled and tangible window to our Viking past and the people in a way that transcends the passage of time and brings it to life.'
Other highlights include rotating displays of artefacts from the National Museum of Scotland and Orkney's own collection as well as new interpretation panels and multimedia experiences, providing fresh perspectives on Orkney's Norse history.
A Viking-age brooch (Image: The Orkney Museum)
Councillor Gwenda Shearer, Chair of the committee responsible for the Council's Culture Services said: 'This is a once-in-a-generation overhaul of galleries showcasing one of the most intriguing aspects of our heritage, made possible only by an incredibly generous bequeath.
'We hope everyone will come and see the results of this amazing gift to the people of Orkney.
'Our Culture Services team have sought to incorporate some of the latest understandings and display technology into the new galleries and we're counting down to the time when all can be revealed!'
The new exhibition at Orkney Museum opens on Saturday, May 10.
To celebrate the exhibition's opening, the museum is hosting special guided walk through tours and Q&A sessions with members of The Orkney Museums team.