For centuries, the people of Orkney relied almost exclusively on natural, locally available fuels. Peat, hand-cut from the moorlands, was the primary source of warmth and cooking in every home, while streams powered watermills to grind grain, ensuring food security for settlements scattered across the isles. Wind, too, played its part in rural life, with simple windmills harnessing the persistent Orcadian breeze to aid milling and pumping.