In Orkney, we saw

[wellinghall]

- an hour-and-a-half queue at Luton airport - and that was just to get through check-in!
- a dinky little eight-seater plane (on one journey we were the only two passengers!); the inter-island ferries were almost as small
- some North Ronaldsay sheep (and yes, they really do eat seaweed!), including two rams head-butting each other
- the Knap of Howar, Europe's oldest house at 5,600 years old
- Maes Howe, with an expert taking us through all 29 Viking runic inscriptions
- two stone circles (Stones of Stenness and Ring of Brodgar), two a neolithic villages (Skara Brae and Barnhouse), the Tomb of the Eagles, Mine Howe, and more individual standing stones than you can shake a stick at
- three hen harriers, one of which scared some gulls while leaving the ducks unperturbed!
- a pod of harbour porpoises
- St Magnus Cathedral, including a rooftop tour
- Scottish Opera performing "Die Fledermaus" - very well done, except for the long scenery- and piano- fixing breaks
- excellent museums, incluing one by Scapa Flow with a plaque commemorating someone who was a "Boy first class"
- a Martello tower (complete with gun, in working order!), its friend across the bay, and a gun battery
- a Dwarfie Stane, a Troll Glen and a Troll Water (but no dwarfs or trolls)
- local beer, whisky, ice cream, fudge, mutton, lamb, beef, eggs, cream ...
- two expanding waistlines ...
- a very fine white cat,which ran the hotel we were stopping at
- really friendly people everywhere
- red, when I realised I had been sold slide film instead of print film
- a beacon and two light-houses.

It was, you will have gathered, a damn good two weeks. I'm torn between advising you all to go, and wanting you to stay at home so we can have the place to ourselves!

Comments

[mrkinch.livejournal.com]

I was scratching my head over pics of hen harriers until it dawned on me that they look kite-ish, especially when I found a white and grey version and realized that they stripey ones are probably juveniles. If I'm going to continue to read your entries I need another bird book.

Still green.

[wryelle.livejournal.com]

Hmm I think after reading that list I'd like to go. :)

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

I'm sure you would. We can supply maps, guidebooks, names of good restaurants ... ;-)

[psychostace.livejournal.com]

Sounds fab! I would have loved all the historical stuff. :)

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

There is an incredible wealth of historical material there - from 3,600 BC (Europe's oldest house), through the Picts and the Vikings, to WWI, WWII, and beyond.