OVER THE SEA TO ORKNEY?

Tuesday 31st May, 2005
Wednesday 1st June, 2005
Thursday 2nd June, 2005

Tuesday 31st May, 2005

Scrabster Harbour photograph

The Lifeboat Berth, Scrabster Harbour, Scotland



Drop Cap ere we are on Orkney. It is after 8 p.m. and the sun is shining brightly through the windows. It is unbelievable.


Drop Cap t has been a lovely day. It was fine in Wick as we bade a grateful farewell to Elspeth, who was very understanding of the accident we had with the lamp beside Mac's bed, and headed off for the ferry at Scrabster.

Old Man of Hoy photograph

The Old Man of Hoy, from the Ferry



Drop Cap ven after stopping for morning tea at Thurso we were an hour and a half early for the advertised check-in. However, the man said we could check in early , so we did, being directed to the queue, second in line. The ferry came in at about 12:45, unloaded, then we all went on board. We stayed outside on deck as we normally do and the wind was strong and icy but the sea was quite gentle.

Stromness photograph

Stromness, Orkney, from the Ferry






Drop Cap e passed the Old Man of Hoy and rounded the headland to come in to Stromness, a cute, almost Scandinavian appearing town.

Drop Cap fter disembarking without drama, we found our B & B, Kenila, without any problem, even though we had been a bit dubious. It is quite remote, but nice; Geoff has a single with a skylight window with a blind to keep the sun out of his eyes at midnight, and we have quite a spacious double. Everything is upstairs, even the breakfast room. There is a TV lounge, but it is quite crowded now.

Stones of Stenness photograph

The Stones of Stenness, Orkney




Drop Cap ince the sun was shining we decided to make the most of it in case of rain tomorrow. So we headed off straight away for the Stones of Stenness. These are really quite close to us here, as are most of the things we want to see. There are only four standing stones left on a neck of land between two lochs, and one by itself by the side of the road. Farmers have been knocking them down over the years, unfortunately.

Stones of Stenness photograph

Geoff at Stenness, Orkney


Ring of Brodgar photograph

The Ring of Brodgar, Orkney





Drop Cap hen we went on another mile or so up the road to the wonderful Ring of Brodgar (although the information board called it Ring of Brogar). This was a marvellous experience. I couldn't believe I was really here.

Ring of Brodgar photograph

The Ring of Brodgar, Orkney





Drop Cap eoff was communing with them as he usually does, although I think any vibes they may once have had are long gone. The stones are heavily carved with initials and dates, going back to the early 1800's. Not just a modern vandalism.

Brodgar Standing Stone photograph

Isolated Standing Stone, Brodgar, Orkney




Drop Cap e drove around for a while after this, just exploring, and finally stopped for "high tea" at a little teashop which is fairly local.

We had our meals, Mac had lasagne, Geoff had a burger and I had a mixed grill, then we were given tea and complimentary tray (double decked) of scones, bannocks, and "baked fancies", ie small iced cakes and pastries. Delicious light scones and the cakes were lovely. And complimentary.
Back to the B & B in broad sunlight, which shone through the window until 11 p.m., then dawn was about 4 a.m. Hope the sun continues nevertheless.

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Wednesday 1st June, 2005

St. Magnus Cathedral photograph

St. Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall, Orkney





Drop Cap ell, it did not stay fine! When we woke up it was fine, with the blue sky steadily being obscured. The wind was howling round the house as we headed towards Kirkwall, the capital of the Orkneys. We took a load of wash to a laundrette, visited the TIC and took photos of St. Magnus Cathedral and the ruins of the 12th Century Bishop's Palace and the 16th Century Earl's Palace. After morning coffee we checked our email at the Library and bought three more post packs at the Post Office.

Churchill Barrier photograph

Churchill Barrier, Scapa Flow, Orkney





Drop Cap e then headed off again to the Churchill Barriers and the Italian Chapel. The Churchill Barriers were built during the last war after the Royal Oak Battleship was torpedoed in Scapa Flow. The three barriers joined three islands and blocked the water access. This resulted in loss of livelihood for two fishing villages, now cut off. War is hell!

Italian Chapel photograph

The Italian Chapel (Exterior) Orkney





Drop Cap he Italian Chapel was built and decorated by Italian prisoners of war who had good amenities and a very understanding camp commandant, but no chapel. So the commandant organised them two Nissen Huts which they joined together and have done a fantastic job of painting and decorating with odds and ends of scavenged materials.

Italian Chapel Interior photograph

Inside the Italian Chapel, Orkney





Drop Cap t was renovated back in the sixties by the same group of Italians who came back and worked on it. It looks just wonderful inside and is a real credit to the designer, one of the prisoners. When he died in Italy in 1990 they had a memorial service for him in the Italian Chapel, attended by his family. The town is proud of it and keeps it in good condition.

Drop Cap fter leaving the chapel we headed down the road and the other two barriers, which they even sank ships beside for more blocking, to St. Margaret's Hope, one of the towns which lost their fishing industry, where we had lunch.
It started to rain after this as we went as far as the road took us to the bottom of South Ronaldsay, then headed back.

Drop Cap n Kirkwall again, we picked up the washing and, although thinking of Skara Brae and Maes Howe, it was too wet to want to, so we headed home for afternoon tea. I hope tomorrow will at least be fine, because I don't want to miss Skara Brae.

Drop Cap t was still wild, wet and windy when we went to Kirkwall to find dinner. The pizza place was closed, the Orkney Hotel had a tour group in so we sloshed through the town to about the only place open, a Chinese. Fairly tasteless - I don't know how they can take the taste out of Sichuan. Maybe the Scots don't like strong flavours, I haven't tasted anything much since Crail (apart from the Indian at Huntly).

I hope this blows itself out by morning.

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Thursday 2nd June, 2005

Skara Brae photograph

Skara Brae Neolithic Village, Orkney





Drop Cap nother wild day! Although the rain had let up by morning, the wind was icy. We put on our woollies, including the woolly cap I bought in Wales and headed for Maes Howe. We just missed the first tour, so we booked in for the 12 noon one and went off to see Skara Brae.

Skara Brae photograph

Skara Brae House, Orkney



Drop Cap his wonderful stone age village lay under a sand dune for centuries until a very bad storm ripped the grass off and blew the sand away, disclosing the group of interconnected stone houses, complete with beds, dressers, hearths and even fishtanks. It was quite amazing. They have built one in the same style close to the Visitor Centre to make it easier for disabled access, but the original is just as fresh, it just doesn't have a roof. It is very surprising, you think of stone age people as living in caves but these are real houses with furniture, all made of the local stone. Just great.

Skara Brae photograph

Skara Brae Neolithic Village, Orkney




Maes Howe photograph

Maes Howe Chambered Cairn,Orkney


Drop Cap e returned to Maes Howe, after hot chocolates. Maes Howe is a fantastic chambered cairn, supposedly the best example in Western Europe. The cairn was covered by a grassed mound and you practically had to crawl in. But the dry stone work was incredible. It is older than the pyramids. Vikings broke in after it had been abandoned and forgotten for some centuries and cleared out any bones. They didn't like being in a funerary chamber but cleared it and left runic graffiti all over it. Apparently they are the best Viking runes outside Scandinavia. The guide book gives quite a lot of translations.

Drop Cap fter this we had a bar lunch at the nearby Standing Stones Hotel, which overlooks the Loch of Stenness and the Standing Stones. We liked this place so booked dinner there for this evening in the smoke free restaurant.

Drop Cap t was raining again as we headed off towards Birsay and the Broch of Gurness. Before we reached the Broch we found the Barony Meal Mill. This was a fascinating place, with an overshot water wheel, a catarrhal miller and a very cute black cat. He (the miller) showed us over the mill, explained the processes and started up the machinery for us. It was very interesting and we all enjoyed it.

Drop Cap e drove into the rain and wind again to the Broch of Gurness. This was not just a broch, like we have seen in Lewis and at Glenelg last time, but a whole village complex huddled around the protection of the broch. The wind on its point was very strong so we packed it in and came home to change for dinner.

Drop Cap e had a lovely three course table d'hote meal with a bottle of White Zinfandel, cream sherries, vodka and orange and coffee afterwards in the lounge with home made fudge, for seventy pounds. Not bad!


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