Norway visit 'special and memorable' says Council Convener

The ties of friendship and shared history between Orkney and Norway were strengthened further this week as representatives from the Council and the Orkney Norway Friendship Association joined their counterparts in Bergen, Vestland to mark 750 years since the first Norwegian laws were published, on 21 May – as special guests of the Mayor of Vestland.

“Landslov” (state law) as it was known, was one of the first examples of a European country creating a set of laws in this way – essentially strengthening the central authorities and the King’s power.

The laws issued by King Magnus VI between 1274 and 1276 were the first to apply to Norway as a whole and would have encompassed Orkney at the time – given the islands were part of the Norwegian Kingdom until joining Scotland some 200 years later.

While there, the Orkney delegation also spoke with Vestland officials on areas of common interest such as renewable energy, climate change and economic collaboration.

Vestland County Mayor Jon Askeland said: “Vestland County has a longstanding twinning agreement with our brothers and sisters across the North Sea in the Orkney Islands, so we are delighted to have had the political leadership as our special guests this week.

“Of course Orkney, along with Iceland, the Faroes, Shetland, Isle of Man and the Hebrides were all integral parts of the Norwegian Kingdom at King Magnus’ time.

“Indeed the huge St. Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall can be viewed as a strategic show of strength for the Norse kingdom.

“King Magnus the Law-menders father, the great King Haakon, was a good diplomat who secured important agreements with the British to ensure peace - he even passed away while staying in Orkneys at the Bishops Castle on 16 December 1263.

“We want to thank the Orkney leadership for honouring us with their presence for this jubilee, and extend a warm greeting to all our friends in Orkney.”

Council Convener Graham Bevan, Leader Heather Woodbridge and Chief Executive Oliver Reid travelled to Bergen alongside representatives of the Orkney Norway Friendship Association (ONFA) and Leslie Burger, Norway's Honorary Consul for Orkney.

Convener Graham Bevan said: “Thanks to the incredible hospitality of our hosts, we have had a whirlwind experience, meeting many special and memorable people, and getting an insider's view of how our friends in Norway are tackling challenges and opportunities our communities share.

“We watched the opening of Bergen Festival in the company of the Norwegian Prime Minister, Mayors of Bergen, Vestland and many other government officials – it was an absolute honour to witness their pride as friends ‘from over the icy sea’.

“Our formal meetings covered areas such as the provision of shore power for Cruise ships and the many other ships and ferries within Bergen waters.

“We also talked to the many interesting people from the Vestland County and Norwegian Governments who were very keen to explore opportunities to engage in our own Festivals which they spoke very highly of.

“The sequence of events celebrating the Landslov were very special and just highlighted further the strong historical bonds our community has with Norway and the desire to maintain and develop these links, particularly amongst future generations.”

To find out more about the significance of ‘Landslov’ and the relationship between Orkney and Norway, read our previous press release.