wellinghall | Scotland: part one

So we went to Scotland.

On our first day, we went to London, and took

adaese's mother out to dinner for her birthday; then we caught the sleeper* to Aberdeen. I only took one decent photo that day, and I deleted it by accident :-(

The second day was spent in Aberdeen. First, we had a wander round on our own. Either the good people of the city, or their monumental masons, didn't know when to stop.

Then we met Jason, Becky and Loki, who took us to Aberdeen's winter gardens. These were very colourful (and, as importantly, out of the rain).

After lunch (in a Brewdog - the first time we had been to one), we collected our bags, and walked across to the ferry terminal; and after a nap* and dinner, arrived in Kirkwall. It being past 11 pm by now, we spent that night in a B&B a couple of miles away, rather than going out to our self-catering flat.

Sunday saw us in Kirkwall, and we took the opportunity to go to a service at St Magnus Cathedral.

We then collected our hire car, and went to our flat in Skaill House. The flat was a bit run-down - it, and its upstairs neighbour, are due to be refurbished over the winter - but it was huge! This is Skaill House.

On Monday, we took a ferry to Westray, which has two big attractions; puffins, and a heritage centre with some really fine Neolithic artefacts.

(Okay, Westray has three big attractions, but we couldn't find the dig at the Links of Noltland :-( )

Stromness is Orkney's second town, and we went there on Tuesday. It has a museum, with (among other things) this cute little Neolithic figurine from Skara Brae which has just resurfaced after being lost for many years:

It also has an arts centre, with some stunning pieces by Barbara Hepworth, Ben Nicholson and others.

Then back to the flat, and a walk round the Loch of Skaill. This gave us the chance to see plenty of waders, including oystercatchers, redshanks, and this rather fine sandpiper.

And now I think that dinner is nearly ready, so I shall leave the rest of the first week for another post.

*Sleeper trains should be better named "Not-very-much-sleeper trains".