With the red, blue and white flags all around and the jubilant chants of ‘ro, ro, ro’, visitors could mistake their destination for Norway.Instead, they are witnessing a very Scandinavian welcome to Orkney where islanders feel a distinctive bond - forged over centuries - to the country.After Scotland crashed out of the World Cup, many have pinned their hopes on Erling Haaland and his team mates.And with the crunch match against England tonight, it is the Nordic side of the archipelago that is emerging loud and clear. Orcadian Robin Leslie will back Norway versus England - but then the Orcadian does have Viking blood coursing through his veinsA thousand years after Vikings first rowed their longships into what they called Orkneyjar, a proud throng of Norwegian football fans laid claim to the islands’ largest pier on Thursday to cries of the rowing chant that has echoed around the tournament. They were joined in full voice by Orcadian harbour staff, who give Scandinavians a home-from-home welcome throughout the summer. United by blood, a shared history, and enduring friendship, the special relationship between Orkney and Norway is never far from view.A stroll through the islands’ capital, Kirkwall, has pubs bearing the legends Helgi’s, St Ola, and Torvhaug. One of the town’s primary schools sports a longship as its emblem, and on its roster are more than a handful of pupils named Magnus, Sigurd, and Thorfinn.Most of Orkney’s 70-or-so islands still go by a variation of their Norse name — like Sanday, meaning sandy island, Westray, meaning west island and Egilsay as in church island.Indeed, until the middle of the 17th century, Orcadians were bilingual, speaking both an old version of Norwegian called Norn as well as English. Erling Haaland, known as the Striking Viking, is Norway's main goal-scoring threat at the World CupEven Orkney’s flag is barely distinguishable from Norway’s – simply swapping the white outline on the Scandinavian cross for yellow. Each May sees both mingle together as Kirkwall plays host to a street parade marking Norwegian Constitution Day.Called the ‘tog’, Norwegian for train, the procession blends the tartan of Kirkwall City Pipe Band with the vibrant red, green and white ‘bunad’ – Norway’s national dress.It culminates at St Magnus Cathedral, built in honour of Magnus Erlendsson who ruled the earldom Orkney alongside his murderous cousin Haakon Paulsson 350 years before the islands became part of Scotland in 1468.‘There is a strong connection that folk feel, I think,’ says Leslie Burgher, Norway’s honorary consul in Orkney.Last November, he visited the town of Grimstad to cut down one of two Christmas trees gifted to islanders from their Scandinavian cousins annually.He also forms part of the welcome party for Norwegian dignitaries who attend the tog, alongside members of the Orkney Norway Friendship Association, and Orkney Islands Council – which has a longstanding twinning agreement with the Norwegian county of Vestland.‘It is quite interesting, because there are places elsewhere that mark 17 May, like in America and in Edinburgh, but that is mostly people who have a direct connection to Norway,’ he explains. ‘I think this is the only one here where we have no discernible family connection – but it’s part of our culture.’Though most Orcadians would find it difficult to pin down a full-blooded Norwegian in their recent family tree, the Vikings have left an indelible mark on their DNA. A 2019 UK and Ireland genetic study found that Orkney and Shetland’s populations are the most genetically distinct in the British Isles, with as much as 18 per cent of Orcadians’ DNA being recognisably Norse. Norwegian cruise ship passengers take part in the 'Viking ro' on a quayside at OrkneyRobert Leslie is among those who proudly claims to have Viking blood coursing through his veins, with online DNA testing detecting a 15 per cent genetic link to Norway.After Scotland’s World Cup exit, he has found himself cheering on whoever is playing against England – but backing Norway feels more legitimate than some of the other opponents the Three Lions have faced. ‘It’s in our names, and in our place names, and we are so tied to that in our heritage,’ says Mr Leslie, who reckons that Norway has every chance of making the semi-finals as long as Erling Haaland is on the field.Mr Leslie’s family has strong links to the traditional street football game played at Christmas and New Year.Historians can trace the Kirkwall Ba’ back at least a couple of centuries, but some suggest that its origins go back to Orkney’s Viking past, linking it to a legendary warrior who returned from battle with the head of his enemy, launching it into a crowd to be fought over by the masses.The teams that play today’s game bear allegiance to Up-the-Gate and Doon-the-Gate, with ‘gate’ deriving from the Norse word ‘gata’ for street.Mr Leslie can trace his maternal ancestry to at least the 16th century in Orkney, filled with distinctly Orcadian surnames like Flett – which may derive from a Viking magnate called Thorkil Flettir whose name either indicated he liked to flay his enemies or braid his hair.A frequent candidate for the SNP in Orkney, Mr Leslie believes that suggestions of Orkney leaving the UK and rejoining Norway were perhaps overblown when moves towards exploring greater autonomy hit headlines three years ago — but reckons that some islanders would still consider themselves Orcadian before Scottish. He hasn’t let ancient grudges completely cloud his view of the English side. ‘I made a big thing about buying tequila and nachos when they were playing Mexico but, in my heart, I was still gutted when I saw an England player getting sent off — it’s a bit of a stretch,’ he admits. ‘But it’s far easier to say we are backing Norway, and I think that the real difference when it comes to a game like this — it’s no false allegiance.’ Mr Leslie isn’t alone. Brian Fotheringhame of Orkney Souvenirs has suddenly found his small stock of Norway flags which decorate his windows on the Norwegian Constitution Day in hot demand. ‘That was really why I ordered the flags, so I had ones to put up,’ he explains. ‘But now I’m going to have to order them again, because I don’t have enough.’ Win or lose, there’s even a hint of Scandinavia in Orcadians’ party spirit. Orkney Distillery’s Kirjkuvagr gin takes its title from the Norse name for Kirkwall; and at 8.5 per cent volume, Orkney Brewery’s aptly named Skull Splitter ale is inspired by another Viking Earl, Thorfinn Torf-Einarsson, who left his foes with more than a headache. Perhaps these are just some of the tipples that the islands’ Norwegian visitors will be enjoying back aboard Stavanger-registered MS Gaan, whose captain, Even Bjørheim, was among 100-or-so Norwegian visitors who gathered on Hatston Pier for a celebratory ‘Viking Row’ at the end of their day in Kirkwall on Thursday. ‘It feels like home here,’ says Captain Bjørheim, who helped lead the chant alongside a local snare drummer and is hoping for a 2-0 victory in tonight’s match. ‘The people are friendly, and it’s always delightful to be here. ‘We travel a lot with Gaan, and I’ve also been to Bermuda, United States, and lots of other places — but being in the Orkney Islands is like coming home.’