The old Orkney festival where girls dress as horses

The Festival of the Horse has celebrated the strong agricultural tradition of South Ronaldsay for more than 200 years.

Elaborate costumes are proudly made for the Festival of the Horse on South Ronaldsay. PIC: Orkney Library and Archive Service.

Girls are paraded in elaborate horse costumes made from trinkets, baubles, ribbons and fringes before the South Ronaldsay Boys Ploughing Match gets underway on a nearby beach. This summer celebration is still held today.