Week 2. The Orkneys

Arrival on Orkney

We arrive on Orkney at St Margaret’s Hope after an hour and a half ferry and stop at the first beach we come across, just after Churchill Barrier No 1. The sun was out and Millie needed to stretch her legs. We spot two people searching in the seaweed just on the tide line.

G: “What are you looking for?” 

Them: “Err…. Groatie Buckies”

G: “Groatie whaties?”

Them: “Groatie Buckies. They’re kind a small shells, highly sought after and only found in Caithness, Orkney and Norway. It’s said that if you find one and keep it in your pocket you will always have a full pocket of money.”

They look like a tiny conch shell - apparently they are cowrie shells created by small molluscs, so we hastened to find one but alas with no success. The man of the couple showed us a couple of his finds. So we are now on a mission to find some of our own. 

Good job we know now, otherwise we’d have just ignored them.

Day 6  Fri 27th August. Kirkwall, Mainland Orkney.

Today we had a leisurely start to the day. We arrived yesterday late afternoon to our campsite - Kirkwall Bay Touring Park.

Described as a 20 min walk into Kirkwall centre it proved at least double that. It is on a headland overlooking other Orkney Islands and with distant views to the town and St Magnus Cathedral. A great place to watch the comings and goings into the harbour.

 

That’s our site the white building on the far left.

We see a lot of variations of camping vehicles - this gets the Kirkwall award for inventiveness! but the Tesla Model 3 with a pop up single width camper and a pop out bed pod ran a close second. We should have given the eco Tesla the award but we feel he (assume a he) just went and got standard bought in parts and didn’t try enough.

After the ceremony we talked to the Tesla chap and we realise we had a Warren Beatty moment and got it wrong. His trailer is all hand built and it’s called a DASHAWAY OPTIMA. He converts campervans for a living and made this to go behind his Tesla which is only rated to tow 100kg (although it can tow a lot more), so it was a kind of side project. The pop-out pod at the side is for his legs (sleeping sideways).

After a slow breakfast we walked into the town.(actually it was Carol’s 2nd walk in as earlier around 6.30 am Millie insisted she needed a toilet break and walk!)

A cruise ship entered the bay to dock. Apparently it came from Dover via Shetland and is doing a short trip - just 1 day in Shetland and 1 day here in Orkney then back to Dover.

We ambled around the town centre passing by the Cathedral which was covered in scaffolding - we didn’t go in as we spent quite some time there on our visit in 2013. Today the sun is trying to shine - last time we were here 8 years ago it was blowing a hooley with sheet rain and the Cathedral offered welcome shelter.

We visited the Earls Palace - only a quick view from the outside as tours have to be pre booked during this time of Covid.
Built by Earl Patrick Stewart around 1600 using forced labour. It is one of the finest examples of Renaissance architecture in Scotland. Imagination is needed as it now has no roof but apparently inside still has some splendid details. The Earl only enjoyed his palace for a short while before being imprisoned and charged with treason. He ordered his son to organise an insurrection resulting in them both being executed.

We spent sometime undertaking some souvenir retail therapy and returned back to the site. Well Carol hobbled the last few hundred yards as the arthritic knee protested again! She had walked 12km this am in total though. But the sun was shining and the water glistened across the bay so all was well in our world. 

While Carol nursed her knee Graham went on a bike ride and found this lovely beach just over the next hill, complete with wreck in the middle to swim to.

Meanwhile Carol mentioned to the site owner our search for the Groatie Buckies.  His reaction being ….” Hey right good luck with that” ….. But we’ve been tipped off by the girls in the Tourist Info office about a beach near Birsay (our next stop) so we’ll see ……

And sunset tonight 

Day 7, Sat 28th August, Kirkwall.

Today is Neolithic day. It was supposed to be the sunniest day during our stay on Orkney, so we had booked a visit to a Neolithic village close to a good beach (to continue the hunt for you-know-whats) so we were most put out the find drizzle and mist descend as we set off! However it added to the atmosphere as we viewed the sites.

Skara Brae in Skaill is the remains of a famous Neolithic fishing and farming village dating back to 3000 BC. The village is amazingly well preserved, tiny houses huddled together connected by narrow passages which would originally be covered in turf. It was discovered in 1850 by accident after a storm ripped off the dune covering them.

The village overlooks the picturesque Bay of Skaill.

(Can you spot them? no, us neither.)

Included in the ticket price was a visit to Skaill House the home of the Laird of Skaill. It is the finest 17c mansion in Orkney.

It was the home of William G Watt who unearthed the village in 1850 (with the aid of that fierce storm) . It contains an eclectic collection of Neolithic and Iron age finds, Captain Cook’s dinner service, a Bishop’s bed and all manner of stuff from all 12 lairds in it’s 400 yr lifespan. 

The bedroom of the last occupant Mrs Kathleen Scarth has been left as it was when she died in 1991 - apparently she lived the last few years of her life solely in that room. 

After our lengthy visit we parked up at the beach and had a picnic sandwich perched on the large stones at the top of the beach - sitting in fine drizzle. However, we were not disheartened because we were on a mission to find…. Groatie Buckies! Sadly this beach provided us with only limpet shells - most disappointing. Ah well wait til we get to Birsay ….

The beach was strewn with children’s attempts at  mini Neolithic structures ( well we assume they were by children..)

Onwards and upwards - our next Neolithic treat was the Ring of Brodgar. A large stone circle on raised ground - there were originally 60 stones of which 27 remain. It is surrounded by a ditch. Still no-one knows why they were constructed. There are clues though: a stone called Comet lies due East, another mound lies due West, two lochs lie N and S and the hill generally slopes S to N. So…..

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One of the facts we found the most bizarre is that out of the whole of the Highlands of Scotland, the 9th Battalion of Gordon Highlanders chose this precious 4,500 year old site to practice their tank manoeuvres in 1941 because they found the ditches and mounds “challenging”. Signs now tell us to keep to the designated paths because tourists are eroding the precious mounds with their feet!

Less than a mile away, due East, is another clue as to the Rings purpose. The standing stones of Stenness. There’s not many left as the landowner was so sick of people tramping over his land to view the stones he destroyed some to take away the attraction. He’s since deployed another weapon to keep tourists away. Only those with dogs can enter…

We return to the campsite to find no sign of Millie’s new boyfriend’s motorhome. Damn, we’ll have to get the  ball out, but then, deep joy, Pépé’s motorhome arrives and Pépé the miniature Schnauzer takes over exercise duties.

Day 8 Sun 29th August. On to Birsay.

We decided to take the long way round up to our next site at Birsay, following the east coast.

First port of call the Broch of Gurness in a Pict village dating from around 100 BC. Nobody really knows what the function of the actual Broch (a tower in the middle of a village) was but given the scale of it, it is presumed to be a Chieftain meeting place.  It is thought to have been 10 - 13 m tall. This is the best preserved Broch on Orkney - which was a tower surrounded by followers of the Chieftains dwellings. The compact group of homes clustered around the broch have survived amazingly well - you can still see stone shelving , fireplaces etc and you can see the “main street” leading towards the broch, The archaeologist John Barber calculated that the building of this broch required 3,226 person days eg 20 people working for about 6 months, and was not built without professional help. Ie Specialist architects.

We arrived the sole visitors and within 10 mins a coach tour we had met up with yesterday arrived! Many of the people on the tour remembered Millie from Scara Brae and made a real fuss wanting to stroke her which she lapped up. “Oh Millie Millie, I would gladly miss the guided tour for a 30 second cuddle with you, Oh Millie Millie, Oh how I miss my dog”

Than onwards to Aikerness beach - apparently one of the best beaches on Orkney to find..you know whats…

A lovely beach supplying us with lots of lovely shells but NO GROATIE BUCKIES!

We did have a lovely lunch near the beach Chez Rez and took advantage of the WC provided nearby. We are so impressed with WC facilities across mainland Orkney - in the most remote places - so clean - charts show when they are cleaned at least twice daily. Puts the English to shame.

We entered Birsay Village and had a quick  look at the Earls Palace. It was built in the late 16C by Robert Stewart, Earl of Orkney, using forced labour - it’s vast scale makes the one in Kirkwall seem humble in comparison but it lasted barely a century before falling to rack and ruin.

We continued on to our campsite in Birsay. at first glance it appeared in the middle of nowhere, but we found a walking path just a few yards from the campsite which led to Birsay village and the beach.

Rex and Millie to the left.

Again we resumed our search for the you know whats but we were distracted by the array of seabirds and seals sunning themselves on distant rocks. A good view of the Brough of Birsay which is a Pictish settlement on a small tidal island only accessible 2 hrs either side of low tide. 

We hope to do a crossing during our stay.

There were a few seals basking in the distance and lots of waders, Oyster Catchers, Ringed Plovers, Turnstones, Herons, Cormorants, and lots I’ve forgotten how to identify.

Whilst Millie looked on 

Day 9 Mon 30th Aug 

Today the weather was a little chilly and overcast so we decided today was shopping day for souvenirs and took ourself off to visit Stromness. We last visited the place 8 years ago during the Orkney Folk Festival when it was a whole lot livelier! Then, fiddle music rang from all quarters of the town, the place was full to busting with happy beer drinking folkies, the town was buzzing. Today we walked through the empty paved main street, with most shops shut - reminiscent of Whitby without the crowds and the Goths - and out the other side to the Point of Ness.

Past the golf club/ course with stunning views and onwards up to the Stromness World  War 2 battery observation post which Graham was very interested in having read a book about Orkney during the World Wars. As we approached the fenced off area a minibus arrived and people got off and entered the previously locked gate. It was only then that we noticed an information board stating tours can be undertaken if pre booked.

So we watched enviously as the pre booked tour disappeared into the facility (well Graham did) and turned back and trekked back to Stromness. “I’m not good at planning, you do the holiday stuff” he muttered as we ambled along.

The battery is situated at the western point where Scapa Flow begins. The views back to Stromness are great as are the views out to the open water.

As usual there are lots of seabirds to see and enjoy - here particularly were a colony of Cormorants.

The western entrance to Scapa Flow.

 

We walked back through the rather sad quiet streets looking for a place to eat lunch. Not a lot of choice with most establishments already closed for the end of their short season, we found a café by the harbour where we had Orkney crab and salmon sandwiches and they were delicious.

As today is souvenir shopping day we headed to Dounby where there is a renowned gift shop. Sadly it did not stock the Orkney tweed cap Graham has set his heart on. We determined to return to Kirkwall where we knew there was a shop run by the actual sheep farming family.

However …. Carol has spotted the elusive Groatie Buckies!…..

In a jewellers….

If we don’t find the real thing - at least she has a reminder of the elusive shells. A pair of silver earrings.

On to Kirkwall where Graham found the Orkney Tweed Shop and purchased a very handsome herringbone job.

And the shop owner on hearing our search for the you know what shells produced…….

Ta da!

Well yes it’s a small vial of Westray sand and very small shells (peedie ones as they’d say here) ..but in there are not 1 but 2 Groatie Buckies!

And yes we had to buy them but it takes the pressure off and we can continue searching with the confidence of not complete failure .. so it’s win win for us!

Back to Birsay where Graham and Millie took a coastal walk and Carol had a little rest in the van ‘cos souvenir shopping can be quite exhausting. Driving back we had the radio on and heard Sally Traffic saying there was a 7 mile queue on some motorway in England somewhere. Imagine that? It’s a different world.

Tomorrow we’re up early to walk across to The Brough of Birsay at low tide.

View of the lighthouse flashing on the Brough of Birsay at sunset. (9pm).

Just in case you didn’t know, lighthouses don’t just flash. Each lighthouse has a unique signature, to aid sailors identify where they are and in case there is more than one on their horizon. Birsay flashes 3 times in 25 seconds and can be seen at 18 nautical miles, so it flashes 3 times quickly with a delay of 20 secs between 3 and 1 and can’t be confused with the one at Noup Head on Westray (the next island) 29 nm range which flashes once every 30 seconds. Difficult to confuse unless you are an Italian captain of the Costa Concordia and you are somewhat distracted.

Day 10 Tues 31st August 

Today we were up and at ‘em and on the road at just after 8am to walk the causeway over onto the Brough of Birsay. It is low tide at just before 9am and the causeway is walkable 2hrs either side of low tide. As we approached the car parking area there were 3- 4 wild camped motorhomes parked up. One even had requisitioned a picnic bench and put up a windbreak to make a cosy sitting area. What a cheek … why didn’t we think of that!

We set off  over the substantial concrete causeway looking as always for the elusive GB s as we strolled. A fascinating array of  seaweeds and pebbles could be seen in the clear water pools amongst the rocks. No GBs though…

As you arrive on the Brough a sign informs you that around lay the remains of a Viking settlement where Norse families lived, worked and worshipped more than 1,000 years ago. Why did they choose remote spots?

 

The entrance to the village

A replica of a carved stone found in the 1930’s - the original is in the National museum in Edinburgh.

Millie contemplating having a Sauna

An extensive drainage system 

There is also the remains of a monastry  and church from the 1100’s AD .

The church is the larger structure to the right.

We walked up the hill to the lighthouse that we saw from our campsite last night.

Did you know that lighthouses are individually designed?

I know most of them are white but each is individually designed and engineered for its situation: orientation, prevailing wind, foundations, outlook, etc. This one was by David Stevenson, who did a lot for the NLB (Northern Lighthouse Board) and completed in 1925. Just high enough so it can be seen where it needs to be. 25m high only this one. What a lovely job!

The cliffs were pretty steep with perilous drops onto rocks and the sea so Millie was kept on a tight lead, as she had leapt  around like a dog on speed doing an agility course over the settlement remains earlier!

And Graham discovered a tunnel

On the way back down we saw some movement on the causeway … a farmer leading his sheep over to the island. He told us they will remain there until November.

Back on the mainland we admired stone sculptures …

Then back to the site for a well earned brunch.

One thing about Orkney; it ups your walking mileage. We promised Millie no driving today so another walk down to the beach past the wading birds, the basking seals, the no show GBs and on to the village. We decide to walk to Barony Mill, the only working watermill on Orkney producing Beremeal, which is an ancient form of barley milled in Orkney for over 300 yrs since superseded by more efficient barley (easier to grow, easier to mill), but some argue not as beneficial.  On Graham’s map app it looked shorter to walk across the fields by the river  than along the road. So off we went over a couple of fields, climbing a gate until…. our path was blocked by a field full of cows with calves, and another field with a big black bull….

So off we went back the way we came and walked along the road….

Graham must have felt a little guilty by the detour as he bought us both a delicious Orkney made ice cream ( G & C that is) which was eaten sitting on a wall of the Earl’s Palace. Millie enjoyed some also - sadly we were too slow to get to the camera when she got the tub stuck on her nose!

We purchased some of the products from the mill shop as a souvenir.

The evening arrived as usual the sunniest part of the day here in Birsay. 

Tomorrow we leave Orkney for the mainland .. hopefully if time allows a last chance for BC hunting at the Churchill Barrier beach before catching the ferry … fingers crossed….

So Orkney is a long long way. Is it worth coming… ? Definitely, and so think our fellow campers.

Wildlife is fantastic (mostly sea based), views open and amazing but at the same time welcoming, steeped in history and just enough commercialisation to be comfortable. 

We’ve been watching the coach tours that we’ve criss crossed at the “visitor” sites and actually we think this is quite a good way of doing it without the long drive up. BUT, one day is definitely not enough. You need a tour with hotel stays for 2 days minimum (preferably 3) to really get a feel for the place otherwise you’ll end up just seeing one or two historic sites and some scenery. Ideally you need time out as well to explore on your own as these are the moments you remember.

And that is just to see mainland Orkney , it would have been great to explore some of the smaller islands such as Westray, Papa Westray, Stronsay, etc etc. We did get over to Hoy on our last trip - an easy day trip by ferry.

We really like it up here - everyone has a smile on their face.