The Maeshowe Dragon

The motif now commonly known as the Maeshowe Dragon has become one of the most instantly recognisable symbols of Orkney around today.

Carved in the 12th century by one of the Norsemen who broke into Maeshowe - or Orkahaugr, as it was known to them - the dragon was cut into Maeshowe’s stone wall at the same time as the mound-breakers inscribed the runes that cover the interior of the prehistoric cairn.

But although the carving is generally referred to as "the dragon", it is unclear whether this is actually what it represents.

Over the years, a number of other suggestions have been made in which the beast is identified as a lion, a wolf (particularly Fenrir from Norse mythology) and even a hare being attacked by a sea-eagle.

However, the fact that the carving was made by Norse Crusaders has led to the commonly held belief that it is simply a Christian motif - the dragon representing paganism being slain by the sword of Christian belief.

This is certainly what it appears to represent, but some scholars have claimed that the "sword" is actually an extension of the creature's tail.

So it remains open to debate.

But, whatever the carving was meant to represent, there is no doubt that today, over 800 years after it was first carved in Maeshowe, the 'dragon' has become a potent a symbol of our history and heritage.