Pictures from Orkney, part one
May. 2nd, 2014 05:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wellinghallAs you may have gathered, we spent most of the last two weeks in Orkney. As usual, I took lots of photos, and here are the edited highlights of the first few days.
Our first full day was spent in Kirkwall, and one of the first places we visited was St Magnus cathedral. This is the view from the west end.
I liked the way the light from the stained glass windows fell on the pillars.
In the afternoon, we walked up to the Highland Park distillery on the edge of town, and took one of their tours. These are the stills.
On the Saturday, we picked up our hire car, and went on an RSPB / field group walk, to see sky-dancing hen harriers. We did see them, but rather too far away for my lens to cope with, so here are some hares instead.
That afternoon, we went round the Earl's and Bishop's palaces in Kirkwall. This is![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
adaese in the kitchen of the Earl's palace, standing just in front of the fireplace.
The cathedral from the Earl's palace.
And the cathedral from the Bishop's palace.
On Easter Sunday morning, we went to a service in the cathedral. After lunch, we went for a walk out to the Head of Work. Looking back, you can see the cathedral. (Spotting a common theme here?)
We also saw some red-throated divers! :-)
Monday saw us in Orkney's second town, Stromness. This isadaese with the statue of the explorer John Rae, who is something of a hero of mine.
On Tuesday morning, we went out to Deerness on the East Mainland, to see the gloup ...
... the fulmars ...
... and the Viking chapel on the Brough of Deerness.
This photo shows the Brough for what it is - a near-island, only connected to the mainland by a spit of land - and a rather vertigionous pathway!
And on Tuesday afternoon, we went to Tankerness (also on the East Mainland) for the first time, and looked round the WWII gun battery at Rerwick.
In the evening, we went to a talk about the Battle of Clontarf - no photos, but very enjoyable!
Further photos will follow!
Our first full day was spent in Kirkwall, and one of the first places we visited was St Magnus cathedral. This is the view from the west end.
I liked the way the light from the stained glass windows fell on the pillars.
In the afternoon, we walked up to the Highland Park distillery on the edge of town, and took one of their tours. These are the stills.
On the Saturday, we picked up our hire car, and went on an RSPB / field group walk, to see sky-dancing hen harriers. We did see them, but rather too far away for my lens to cope with, so here are some hares instead.
That afternoon, we went round the Earl's and Bishop's palaces in Kirkwall. This is
adaese in the kitchen of the Earl's palace, standing just in front of the fireplace.The cathedral from the Earl's palace.
And the cathedral from the Bishop's palace.
On Easter Sunday morning, we went to a service in the cathedral. After lunch, we went for a walk out to the Head of Work. Looking back, you can see the cathedral. (Spotting a common theme here?)
We also saw some red-throated divers! :-)
Monday saw us in Orkney's second town, Stromness. This is
adaese with the statue of the explorer John Rae, who is something of a hero of mine.On Tuesday morning, we went out to Deerness on the East Mainland, to see the gloup ...
... the fulmars ...
... and the Viking chapel on the Brough of Deerness.
This photo shows the Brough for what it is - a near-island, only connected to the mainland by a spit of land - and a rather vertigionous pathway!
And on Tuesday afternoon, we went to Tankerness (also on the East Mainland) for the first time, and looked round the WWII gun battery at Rerwick.
In the evening, we went to a talk about the Battle of Clontarf - no photos, but very enjoyable!
Further photos will follow!
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Date: 2014-05-02 04:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-05-02 04:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-05-03 05:59 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-05-03 06:58 am (UTC)Even when it was sunny, it was often windy, which is why we had coats on - but not always, and the last two days on Sanday were glorious.