Orkney is an archipelago which lies off the North coast of UK. It is separated from the mainland of Scotland by the Pentland Firth, a stretch of water about which much has been written. Orkney has 17 inhabited islands with the main island (called Mainland) having the bulk of the population with the two main towns of Kirkwall and Stromness. The population is just under 21,000 and has been increasing for the past few years.