The Northern Isles are a chain of islands off the north coast of mainland Scotland.
The group includes Shetland, Fair Isle and Orkney. Sometimes Stroma is also included.

Culture and politics
The Northern Isles are usually separated for political purposes, but they come under the Orkney and Shetland constituency in Westminster.
Due to their history, the islands have a Norse, rather than a Gaelic flavour, and have historic links with the Faroes and Iceland, Denmark and Norway.