Dear Sigurd, So I gather from the appropriate sections of Orkneyjar.com that first Orkney and then Shetland were offered to be held by James III as security for the agreed-upon dowry of 50,000, and that suzerainty rather than ownership as such passed to the crown of Scotland when the dowry was not paid, although there were as well considerable royal estates as well. I'm not clear what difference this made in everyday life since the Earldom had been in Scottish hands for some time, although you do state that the use of the Norn language dwindled rather quckly after the change of possession.. I will try to read up on the disastrous tenure of Earl Robert Stewart, and on the matter dealt with in the previous paragraph, and I would certainly welcome any information from our resident experts. During the period after the "abdication" of Mary Q of S and before James VI came of age, was Orkney aligned more with the Stewarts or the Stuarts, if you see what I mean? Or, for that matter, was that question so oversimplified as to be meaningless? Thanks as always to Sigurd for constantly improving his wonderful site, and to any of you who might like to respond to my curiosity. Respectful regards, George from Washington, USA