June 7/8 Stromness/Scrabster/ Cromarty/ to Inverness

Sadly we said goodbye to Alton this Thursday morning and took the Hamnavoe ferry once again only in reverse, from Stromness to Scrabster. Driving south toward Inverness we stopped in Helmsdale for lunch and enjoyed great coastal views.  My cousin Stephen was not far from my mind since I knew he would soon be cycling part of this road on his adventure from Lands End to John O'Groats. 

We stopped at Cromarty and the Black Isle but only for a quick tour and a look around from the car mainly.  We did get out to stretch but did not spend much time. 

No heat and sunshine yet as you see but writing this from the perspective of our current  heat wave and drought I think I would welcome a cool rainy day right now!

Now back to Craigside in Inverness, Amy and Ewan's B and B, where we had stayed on the way up north.  Hmmmm....Inverness is considered to be "north" but we were far beyond that in Orkney! In no time we were basking in the sun room.   What a gorgeous and relaxing home within walking distance to down town Inverness and excellent pubs and restaurants.  Not that we sampled them all.  Only a few minutes walk from Craigside is Castle Pub, right across from Inverness Castle and with enough atmosphere and good food to keep us coming back.  We ate there three times!  I guess you could call us regulars.  

Now another highlight for the golfing Greens!  My cousin Stephen, a friend of Ewan, had organized all this for us before we came. It was a treat meeting Stephen on skype video but not nearly as good as meeting the real deal.  He drove up from Linlithgow, where he lives with his wife Nina and their 3 children, to golf with John, Ken, Ewan and four others at  Castle Stewart.  This is a premiere golf course in Scotland and this year the Scottish open was played there.  In hindsight that is...we watched it once we were home which was so much fun since John was able to relate to each hill and dale!  This is the ultra modern clubhouse of Castle Stewart.  It is a gorgeous links course and John thought in some ways it was more challenging than St. Andrew's. 

 

Undulating greens and fairways. 

In his glory! 

Rugged coast of Castle Stewart

 While "the boys" were out flogging Ann and I walked downtown Inverness and enjoyed the shops and views.  Because it was Jubilee many towns had some kind of commemorative display.  Here you see the unique flower garden of Inverness castle made into emblems. 

 This is the Victorian Market in Inverness.  It is like an indoor mall with many unique shops.  

Lovely scenes are within the city.  I find this kind of city quite manageable! 

 Ken and Ann graciously moved around the corner to this B and B, since Craigside was full our last night there.  We all enjoyed dinner with Stephen and Ewan at Castle Pub however on our last night. Sunnyholm....hmmmmm....lovely but the name made them think of an old folks home.  

Gorgeous gardens at Sunnyholm 

Ewan, me, Stephen and Johnnie

Ewan McDonald, World Curling Champion, Olympic Curler for Scotland and B and B host extraordinaire.  I will not soon forget our experience here and the kindness of his lovely wife Amy.  They are expecting a baby.  Stephen, son of my cousin Freda, and the only other relative I have ever met aside from his Mum is a joy to know.  Stephen was so much fun and such a golf enthusiast!  It was a thrill to receive a phone call from David Murdoch (another famous Scottish Curler) and to come home to tell people I've been hanging out with celebrities.  Well Stephen is a celebrity is his own right having done the gruelling bicycle trip from Land's End in England to John O'Groats Scotland, a 900 mile trip!!  Stephen raised a substantial amount for Emma's cause, a friends daughter who succumbed to cancer.  

Another emotional farewell for me...it was so nice to spend some time with Stephen but hard to say goodbye.  The ocean between us is so large.  But who knows...maybe we will meet again. Cheerio.  

June 6 Orkney Day 2

Looks like a rainy day ahead but we stuck to the plan!  First we drove to Kirkwall, the largest town in Orkney and visited St. Magnus Cathedral, a magnificent landmark. This is the most northerly Cathedral in the British Isles and a gorgeous example of Romanesque architecture.  It was built for the Bishops of Orkney when the Islands were ruled by the Norse Earls. Construction started in 1137 and it was added to over the next 300 years.  Beautiful! 

 We toured toward the Stenness Stones, The Ring of Brodgar and Maeshowe stopping at viking ruins and an old cemetery along the way.  

The Standing Stones of Stenness are one of the oldest on Orkney, in the British Isles in fact.  They are strangely shaped and mysterious.  The megaliths are so tall they can be seen for miles.  Stenness is a henge, meaning it was surrounded by a circular earth bank and ditch at one time.  

It was a rainy day but it added to the mystery of the neolithic sites we were visiting.  

 From the Stenness Ring we went to the Ring of Brodgar not far away.  This is a huge ring more intact than the Stenness stones.  It is hard to imagine how or why these rings were built.  Stones have been dated but from what I have read not all the stones were necessarily placed at the same time or by the same people.  They were surrounded by banks and access could be controlled.  Speculation is that there was a huge hearth.  36 of the original 60 stones are still standing making it one of the most well-preserved prehistoric monuments in the British Isles. 

I am always trying to feel something magical in these stones... but so far nothing.  I guess that is a relief really! Trying to imagine what these are all about is entertaining to say the least.  Reading about it is interesting too and not all scholars agree on everything of course.  Much speculation.  

Now on to Maeshowe, the finest chambered tomb in northwest Europe.Behind the soaking wet cows in the picture below you can see the mound.  It was quite a walk in driving rain to get there but we did get to go inside (no pictures allowed) and that was a remarkable experience.  It is a stone chamber with slabs weighing tons.  To think it is intact after 5000 years!  The ditch is quite obvious here.  The chamber inside is a corbelled vault most of whose slabs span the width of the walls.  

These lovely brown sheep were keeping the grass in the ditch trimmed.  

We got soaked walking to the tomb but the cows were curious about us.  

The neolithic sites seem connected...I don't know how they couldn't be, especially when you see an aerial view.  I love imagining the people that lived at the time and how and why they created what they did.  Of course we are only seeing the tip of the iceberg.  I am sure there is much more not unearthed.  

After warming up at beautiful Ashleigh we got ready for an evening with Alton, his father,  sister and brother.  Alton treated us to dinner at Smithfield's, this time in the dining room.  It was wonderful getting to know these Orcadians though when they talked among themselves we sometimes had to strain to understand them.  Alton and his family are lovely and hospitable and left me with amazing memories of Orkney.  I would love to go there again, even if it is only in books.  I have some history to read! 

Below is a passage from Wikipedia about Orkney that may help to put it into historical perspective.  

 The name "Orkney" dates back to the 1st century BC or earlier, and the islands have been inhabited for at least 8,500 years. Originally occupied by Mesolithic and Neolithic tribes and then by the Picts, Orkney was invaded and forcibly annexed by Norway in 875 and settled by the Norse. It was subsequently annexed to the Scottish Crown in 1472, following the failed payment of a dowry for James III's bride, Margaret of Denmark.^[8] Orkney contains some of the oldest and best-preserved Neolithic sites in Europe, and the "Heart of Neolithic Orkney" is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.

June 5 The Orkney - a full day!

Arriving at Stromness was a highlight for me, well all of us and especially Ann!  Finally, The Orkney, for real.  I had been looking forward to this part of our trip for months. I have some kind of romantic vision of remote Scottish Islands (and Highlands) that may stem from books I have read and of course meeting Ann's friend was much anticipated. 

Disembarking Hamnavoe Ferry

Alton, Ann's "kindergarten boyfriend" met us as planned at the ferry depot in Stromness with a car more than big enough to hold all our luggage and golf clubs.  See, they do have cars this big in Scotland!  Alton and Ann had know each other in Kincardine when they were kids in Kindergarten and have kept in touch over the years.  She saw him about 8 years ago when he came with his Dad to visit so of course when we planned this trip to Scotland we had to visit him in Orkney.  Alton was a wonderful host and tour guide and made sure we were well looked after.  

Before depositing us at Ashleigh our B and B in Dounby, not far from Stromness, he took us on a short driving tour helping us to get our bearings.  We were impressed with his driving skills.  Having timidly driven ourselves around on the wrong side of the road for several days this seemed like breakneck speed!  When we drove through the main street of Stromness we couldn't help but gasp as Alton manoeuvred us through tight turns only inches from store fronts and pedestrians.  We knew we would avoid this at all costs when driving ourselves!  No pictures...I was too terrified to get the camera out.  It's a bit odd...even when you are on the rural roads they are so narrow that the driving is harrowing at times.  Fun though and for some reason felt safer with a local at the wheel! 

At low tide you can walk on this path over to the little Island.  At high tide you can just see the walkway through the clear water.  Lovely views all around.  

This was the approach to our B and B in Dounby. It was a country place with sheep, cows and horses all around a beautiful view of a loch.  Once there Alton took John and Ken to pick up a car, another Ford Mondeo, for us to use while on the Island.  We had left our rental back at Thurso since he had so kindly arranged this to save us the cost of transporting it on the ferry.  A perfect gentleman.  

Alton works in the family business and had to make a diversion to problem solve at one of his work sites.  This is so typical of how I pictured it here!  You can enlarge a picture by clicking on it.  Carpenters and Funerals...a good combination don't you think?  

Ashleigh is a gorgeous home, built with a B and B in mind so our rooms were large with all the amenities you could want and an idyllic view of rural Orkney.  Well, that's all Orkney is really. This was one of our most favourite accommodations.  This gorgeous front room was full of Orkney ambiance and we sat there morning and evening enjoying the antics of the horses, and the docility of the sheep and cows.  

Quite simple but luxurious at the same time.

 We didn't want to waste any time so after unloading we went to eat at Smithfield's restaurant/pub for a great lunch before heading to Skara Brae where we would begin to understand the history of "neolithic Orkney". Snapped some pictures on the way of the ever-present sheep, cows and stone walls.  

Delicious!  Sheep and so many lambs at this time of year. 

And the coos.  (Scottish for cows)

 Two hundred metres from the neolithic excavation is Skaill House, a 400 year old "mansion" reflecting collections and history from all 12 of it's Lairds over the years.  We decided to tour it first.  Later it struck me how "young" this old house is compared to what we were to see next!  And our century homes are infants in comparison. 

 See what I mean?  Skara Brae is over 5000 years old!  It is astounding to think this kind of settlement may have a similar time frame to the Pyramids of Giza.  Once we explored more of neolithic Orkney and an ancient site in Ireland I realized that the word "primitive" is a mis-nomer. 


These homes were actually quite modern considering their age.  Imagine being settled enough to have storage shelves for your trinkets at that time!  The fact that these homes had such amenities attest to 
the advancement of the occupants.  It is the best preserved prehistoric farming settlement in northern Europe.  The village was originally built near a small inland loch and was buried by sand dunes over time, leaving it remarkably preserved.  Unlike Pompeii the people were not forced from here by some catastrophic event.  They lived here and moved on.  The first house was discovered in 1850 after a huge storm stripped the dunes revealing it.  

Looks pretty cozy. 

Erosion is now carefully monitored to preserve the site.   

Remarkably, we found our way back along tiny country roads (all paved as in most of Scotland and Ireland) to Ashleigh where we enjoyed a glass of wine in the sun room admiring the view. (Or maybe that was later!)  Still lots of time left in the day since the sun won't be setting for a while.  There are over 18 hours of daylight at this time of year.  But Scotland is not as cold as it's latitudinal counterparts on this continent due to the warming influences of the gulf stream.  

 

Dropping the boys off to golf.

This does not do it justice but I managed to get this picture of the post office just before we almost ran into it. 

 Plenty of daylight left for John and Ken to play a quick 18 at the Stromness golf course.  Ann and I went along since we were to meet Alton there.  He had offered to give us a longer tour while the guys were golfing.  Wonderful plan! Later we found out this benign looking golf course was designed for goats.  But they enjoyed it.  Oh!  We took a wrong turn on our way to the golf course and ended up on the harrowing narrow street that Alton had showed us earlier!  Poor Ken was driving and we mostly held our breath as he negotiated the wicked turns and got us out early on a narrow alley.  Whew!! 




Now, for one of the highlights of our trip!  Alton drove Ann and I around Scapa Flow. 

One of many stunning views around Scapa Flow

I am having trouble describing this myself so here is the cheat sheet from Wikipedia.  There are many Norse connections in Orkney.  

Scapa Flow (Old Norse: Skalpaflói—"bay of the long isthmus"^[1]) is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray,^[2] South Ronaldsay and Hoy. It is about 312 square kilometres (120 sq mi). It has a shallow sandy bottom not deeper than 60 metres (200 ft) and most of it about 30 metres (98 ft) deep, and is one of the great natural harbours/anchorages of the world, with sufficient space to hold a number of navies. Viking ships anchored in Scapa Flow more than 1000 years ago, but it is best known as the site of the United Kingdom's chief naval base during World War I and World War II. The base was closed in 1956.

Who knew??

Along the way we stopped at the Italian Chapel a highly ornate Catholic Chapel built by Italian prisoners of war during World War 2.  They were brought to desolate but strategic Orkney to construct the Churchill Barriers to prevent enemy access into Scapa Flow.  The Chapel was built from minimal materials left over from the construction of the barriers but looking at it's beauty you can hardly believe it.  Domenico Chiocchetti, a POW did most of the artwork inside and even when released remained to finish it.  There has been a wonderful connection ever since.  Alton is likely right when he says that if you were going to be a POW you would be better off in Orkney.  Orkney is a special place and it must have really inspired anyone who visited no matter what the circumstances.   

Inside the Italian Chapel

The Churchill Barriers were a series of 4 causeways built in the 1940's to protect ships anchoring at Scapa Flow.  In 1939 a German U Boat sunk the HMS Royal Oak, British Navy Battleship in the natural Harbour of Scapa Flow!  When you see this area you can hardly believe it but again, as we explored more of Orkney we came to realize the historical significance of the waterways surrounding  these Islands.  Even back in the Norse days the ships passed and took refuge here on long journeys elsewhere.  Now the barriers link the Orkney mainland to 4 smaller Islands and are used as roadways.  You can still see the wreckage of the sunken ship.  

How strange it was to find this totem pole the result of a unique joint project by the First Nation (Native Canadian Squamish)  and the Orcadian  Community.  I have only read briefly about this project but it might be fun to look into.  It makes a great picture! 

Only one more picture of this lovely tour just for the beauty of it.  This was one of a light house in the distance, perhaps from the view looking back at where we were!  I have to admit, touring around Orkney I tended to lose my bearings.  One gorgeous scene after another took my breath away.  We would come over a hill, which didn't seem like a hill in the first place, and be faced with yet another unbelievable vista. Alton's explanations were amazing but hard to repeat.  I think he laid off on his accent a bit to accommodate our untrained ears but everything he said was as interesting as the landscape.  He has spent most of his life here and there is nothing like a local to give you all the good information.  Golfing would have been fun but I wouldn't have missed this for the world! 


Now we went to pick up the boys and we all went for a lovely dinner at an historical Hotel/Pub in Stromness near the Harbour.  Believe it or not the day is not dark.  But home to rest for another full one tomorrow.