Headed North…..to Orkney and beyond

Wow - an amazing week wandering around mainland Orkney - sun, snow, hail and wind, birds, stones, cairns, brochs and beaches……  plus a day on Papa Westray - the worlds shortest scheduled flight at 2 minutes….

Sunday - went south, stopping at the Italian Chapel - more of that later, looked out over Scapa Bay with its wrecks and saw plenty of Fulmars…

Monday - a day trip to Papa Westray - a wonderful small island to the far north of Orkney.  With seats at the front of the small plane (only eight passengers) we had great views as we flew low over the islands, landing at Westray before heading on the 2 minute flight to Papa Westray.  A great tour guide (thanks Julian!) showed us around the island, birds, waves and visited the Knap of Howar - two Neolithic buildings, the oldest surviving dwellings in north-west Europe and the restored kirk of St Boniface and watched waves breaking over the cliffs on the Holm of Papay. 

The Kirk of St Boniface…..  set in an important ecclesiastic site dating back to the 8th century.  

Tuesday was a return to the Italian Chapel, before heading north again via Skara Brae (too windy for the walk and we had seen Knap of Howar!!), Skaill House and in search of silversmiths near Birsay.  A stop at Marwick Bay, overlooked by the Kitchener Memorial (swans on the sea and lambs in the field) and a Short-eared Owl hunting whilst parking at Fluke jewellery (ouch for the bank balance!!)

The Italian Chapel was constructed by Italian POWs during the Second World War and has some amazing paintings, not least the realistic 'walls'. 

Skaille House, overlooks the Bay of Skaill is said to the the finest 17th Century  mansion in Orkeny.  It was the home of William Graham Watt, 7th Laird of Breckness, who unearthed the neolithic village of Skara Brae in 1850.  

Wednesday saw us visit St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall - lucky to be there to see the Wall of Weeping poppy installation there for the centennial commemoration of the Battle of Jutland to be held late May.  

 We then headed north again - visiting the Broch of Gurness, a Broch with village -and Fulmars….  and more fantastic beaches….

The Broch of Gurness is an iron-age Broch village  - fascinating place.  The Broch at the centre of the settlement once probably reached a height of around 10 meters and was inhabited until around 5AD.

(not my photo!!)

Our last day, Thursday, and we went east of Kirkwall, visiting The Gloop on Deerness before once again heading north stopping at the various RSPB sites before arriving at Birsay and then back to the hotel via the Ring of Brodgar.  Views of Skuas, Curlew, more Fulmars and a distant Hen Harrier.  Oh and a few seals enjoying the sunshine….

The Gloop…. a deep sea cave with a collapsed roof - and Fulmars…..