Editing Scapa Flow (section)

===Viking era===

The Viking expeditions to Orkney are recorded in detail in the 11th century ''[[Orkneyinga saga]]s'' and later texts such as the ''[[Hákonar saga Hákonarsonar]]''.

According to the latter, King [[Haakon IV of Norway]] anchored his fleet, including the flagship ''Kroussden'' that could carry nearly 300 men, on 5 August 1263 at [[St Margaret's Hope]], where he saw an [[solar eclipse|eclipse of the sun]] before he sailed south to the [[Battle of Largs]].

En route back to Norway Haakon anchored some of his fleet in Scapa Flow for the winter, but he died that December while staying at the [[Bishop's Palace, Kirkwall|Bishop's Palace]] in [[Kirkwall]].<ref>Thompson (2008) pp. 141–43.</ref> In the 15th century towards the end of Norse rule in Orkney, the islands were run by the ''jarls'' from large manor farms, some of which were at [[Burray]], Burwick, Paplay, [[Hoy, Orkney|Hoy]], and Cairston (near [[Stromness]]) to guard the entrances to the Flow.<ref>Thompson (2008) pp. 223–34.</ref>