Orcades

O´RCADES(Ὀρκάδες νῆσοι, Ptol. 2.3.31), a group of small islands lying off the northern extremity of Britannia Barbara. According to Ptolemy (l. c.) and Mela (3.6.7) they were 30 in number; Pliny (Plin. Nat. 4.16. s. 30) reckons them at 40; Orosius (Oros. 1.2) at 33, of which 20 were inhabited and 13 uninhabited. This last account agrees very nearly, with that of Jornandes ( B. Get. 1), who makes them 34 in number. See also Tacitus ( Agric. 10) and the Itinerary (p. 508). The modern Orkneyand Shetland Islands.
[T.H.D]