 The Northern Isles have a rich folklore . For example , there are many Orcadian tales concerning trows , a form of troll that draws on the islands ' Scandinavian connections . Local customs in the past included marriage ceremonies at the Odin Stone that forms part of the Stones of Stenness . The best known literary figures from modern Orkney are the poet Edwin Muir , the poet and novelist George Mackay Brown and the novelist Eric Linklater . 
