Bryce Wilson

Like most Orcadians, Bryce Wilson is far too self-effacing to talk about his many talents.

So I will. But I'll have to keep it short, or he'll make me take down the page.

Bryce Wilson's Memoir released!

Tom and Rhonda are delighted to announce our first book with Orkneyology Press, Bryce Wilson's wonderful memoir, An Orcadian Odyssey. Buy An Orcadian Odyssey in paperback, hardcover and ebook.

A lifelong Stromnesian

You'll find Bryce involved in many of the interesting things that go on here.

And there are some really interesting things that go on here.

Stromness Shopping Week. Here we have the "yard of ale" competition.

Museum man

Bryce volunteered for Stromness Museum for many years. He's still consulted when his expertise is needed. On top of that, he was Orkney's Museums Officer for nearly 30 years.

The man is steeped in Orkney's history.

As a respected local historian - and as a warm and interesting person - Bryce Wilson is woven lovingly into the fabric of the Orkney community.

Bryce Wilson, the artist

If you've been browsing Orkneyology.com for very long, you might have noticed that Bryce is a skilled illustrator.

He studied at Gray's School of Art in Aberdeen, becoming an itinerant art instructor around Orkney's island and Mainland schools. He later headed the art department at Stromness Academy.

Bryce Wilson drew the illustrations that Tom and I use at the top of each page on this website. You can find the rest of that whimsical collection in Tom and Bryce's book, The Mermaid Bride and other Orkney folk tales.

The long-awaited 25th-anniversary edition of The Mermaid Bride is out! With new stories and illustrations added, this book is a real bargain - and believe it or not, it's still at the original price. Buy it here.

Our friend

Tom and Bryce happily collaborated on The Mermaid Bride book more than 25 years ago. The book has been reprinted many times ... and the friendship goes on.

Thanks for everything, Bryce.

Books by Bryce Wilson

You can click on the cover to order these books from our local bookstore. 

The Orcadian Bookstore ships internationally.

This is a fairly new release that's already out of print! We'll update if it's reprinted.

Bryce's history of his beloved ancestral island, Graemsay

*For more about Graemsay, see this page.

Bryce's charming history of Stromness

The 25th-anniversary edition of The Mermaid Bride at the original price.

Bryce authored and illustrated this adaptation of three Orkney folktales. The plays are in Orcadian dialect, with background notes and prop suggestions.

Bryce contributed a chapter to this behind the scenes book about Kirkwall's St Magnus Cathedral.

You'll have to search around to find these collector's items. See below for tips.

From the foreward by George Mackay Brown: "It is not only at an eccentric and delightful seaport that we look: it is at a still centre from which horizons have unfolded for many generations ...."

Bryce wrote the first chapter for this book, about Rae's early life in Orkney.

A booklet that Bryce wrote to accompany a Stromness Museum exhibition in 1975.

Bryce's sympathetic and beautiful illustrations grace Betsy Skea's sweet island memories.

Mermaid image (Rhonda's pages) and storyteller image (Tom's pages), and all other illustrations except where noted are here by the courtesy of our dear friend - Stromness author, artist and historian, Bryce Wilson MBE, who owns all copyrights. Thanks, Bryce!