Orkney Holiday August Part 5

After packing up the tent at Wheems, we got the ferry back to Gills Bay and headed down the road to Dornoch campsite for the last night of our holidays. The next morning we drove to Cromarty to meet up with the dog sitter before we went on an EcoVentures boat trip, hopefully to see some dolphins.
We met up with the crew and the other passengers at the office to get kitted up, then headed to the jetty and boarded the rib. We set off in the Cromarty Firth around the oil rigs looking for any signs of activity. All was pretty quiet as we ventured out into the North Sea, until someone spotted movement in the water some distance away. The skipper headed nearer and suddenly the dolphins appeared on both sides of the rib and some were rolling underneath. There were lots of oohs and aahs from all the passengers. It was a magical experience seeing them so close especially in their natural environment,
If your are near Cromarty on your holidays, its definitely worth booking a trip with EcoVentures, they are very professional and knowledgeable.  When we got back on dry land we went and collected Sitka, he didn't seem to have missed us as he was busy tucking into an ice cream.
What an amazing weeks holiday - ferries, islands, camping pods, white sandy beach walks and the highlight, seeing the dolphins up close.

Lesley's first day on the job

First sign of the dolphins

Getting closer

Curious dolphin

Submerging again

Pod

Mother and calf

 Rolling alongside the boat

Leaping, an amazing sight

Dolphin splashes

Head first

Orkney Holiday August 2019 Part 4

After our ferry from Sanday back to Kirkwall, we went for a walk up to see Kitchener's Memorial which sits above the RSPB reserve at  Marwick Head. The memorial is to commemorate the sinking of HMS Hampshire in June 1916, which had hit a mine resulting in the loss of 737 lives. There is an arc shaped wall which displays the names of all the men lost at sea and the 12 survivors, as well as the 9 men from the HM Drifter Laurel Crown which sank after hitting another mine the same month.
I could have sat for hours watching the waves crashing over the rocks, so much power.
The weather was so clear we could see all the way to the Old Man of Hoy to the South.
After our bracing walk we headed back to St Margaret's Hope for our tea, then to Wheems to put up the tent for our last night on Orkney.
On our second visit to Orkney there was no shortage of different amazing things to do and see. The smaller isles are definitely worth exploring, we hope to return and be part of the peace and quiet again.

Kitchener's Memorial

Old Man of Hoy

Rolling waves

Sea spray

Wheems campsite views over South Ronaldsay

Lesley sorting out our tent amongst Wheems pods, yurts, and caravan.

Orkney Holiday August 2019 part 3

The Bradt guidebook mentioned the now collapsed boiler and steam engine houses at the road end in Stove on Sanday, these were an attempt at a 19th century model industrial farm. After a visit to take some photos, we then had a walk to the hidden beach of Doun Helzie. It was a bit of a trek over the dunes to the deserted white sands, deserted apart from the swooping fulmars, thankfully it wasn't breeding season. It was worth the walk to see the big expanse of sand and sea.

After that we headed over to Elsness-Quoyness to visit the chambered cairn which dates back to 2000BC, by all accounts archaeologists have been known to mention the site with a quiver in their voice, we didn't meet any quivering archaeologists on our travels. The narrow low entrance meant crawling in our our hands and knees, a fine height for Sitka had he been allowed in.

After our tea we went for a blustery walk along Backaskaill Bay, it was pretty quiet apart from a couple of folk walking their dog and strangely, a couple of cyclists pedalling along the sand. Even on an overcast evening it was still a beautiful place to be. We were looking forward to having a relaxing night in our campsite pod after all the fresh air.

We really enjoyed our time on Sanday, the white sandy beaches, friendly locals, peace and quiet and the beautiful light, almost like Orkney mainland in miniature. Well worth a visit.

Ruined buildings at Stove

Red brick chimney

Roof repair required

Lesley and Sitka on Doun Helzie beach

A wee wander along the sand

Quoyness coo

The entrance to the chambered cairn

A ghostly figure in the cells

A Quoyness farm

Lesley and Sitka on Backaskaill Bay

Beach cyclists, even the farm tower looks surprised

The Milky Way over Ayres Rock campite

Orkney Holiday August 2019 part 2

The next morning we had some time to fill before our ferry to the island of Sanday. We drove over the Churchill barriers to Tankerness as Lesley was in need of a Sheila Fleet fix, but at least they also do good food and tea in the restaurant. After our lunch we headed further west to Happy Valley near Stenness, a woodland garden created by Edwin Harrold from 1948 over his lifetime.
We then got the ferry from Kirwall to Loth on Sanday and drove the short distance to Ayres Rock campsite, which would be our base for the next three nights. The next morning we headed for Start Point Lighthouse on the north east of the island. We knew the tide was in so we wouldn't manage to cross the Ayre Sound. Start Point lighthouse was the first Scottish lighthouse to have a revolving light. In 1915 it was painted with vertical black and white stripes which makes it identifiable in daylight. This is the only Scottish lighthouse to have this unique paintwork.
After this we drove over to Whitemill Bay for a circuit walk along the white sandy beach with a return through farmland. The weather was glorious, a bit breezy but bright and sunny, and we only passed a couple of other folk on the beach. The only sounds we heard were of the crashing waves and the seabirds. We had definitely worked up an appetite with all the fresh air, thankfully our tea at the Belsair in Kettletoft was good.

 Sitka and me in Happy Valley

 Scuthvie Bay on Sanday

 Start Point Lighthouse

 Curious seals at Start Point

 A random C-3PO and R2-D2 at the side of the road

Whitemill Bay Beach

 Pebble wall

 Lesley and Sitka taking in the scenery

 Sanday coos checking us out

Kettletoft fishing boat as the sun sets

Orkney Holiday August 2019 Part 1

This was our second visit to the Orkney Islands, we had wanted to go back to see some of the landscapes and sites that we didn't have time for in 2018. We got the same Pentalina ferry from Gills Bay to St Margaret's Hope, which was a bit choppy as usual through the Pentland Firth. After docking we headed to Wheems Organic Farm and made ourselves at home in the wooden hut, we had stayed there last year so the we knew the folk and the lie of the land. The next day we stopped off at Stromness for a lunch stop at Julia's cafe bistro, the food was as good as we remembered. After our food we stocked up on beer for the night from the Co-op. We then headed to the Brough of Birsay, an uninhabited tidal island with a lot of history off the North West coast of Orkney mainland.
It felt great to be back on Orkney again, very peaceful, empty roads and beautiful light.

View from the ferry

Victoria Street Stromness

lots of sailboats

Rainbow at Birsay

The Brough of Birsay at low tide

Lesley and Sitka heading over the causeway

Sitka wasn't allowed past the fence line so he decided to take off in search of food, Lesley giving chase

Great view back to Birsay

Brough of Birsay lighthouse built in 1925 by David A Stevenson

Kitchener's Memorial at Marwick Head with the hills on the island of Hoy in the background

Birsay landscape light

Storm brewing out to sea

A twister forming over Birsay

Lesley and Sitka heading back to Birsay

Sun setting on the lighthouse

Sitka crashed out on our bed after all the fresh air and his Export nightcap