22 September

As we drove out from Old Quoyscottie, we saw an enormous flock of geese in a field. It turns out they are Greylag geese, resident all year round, but amplified in winter by migratory geese from Iceland. They have become a huge threat to the farmers here, causing big damage to crops. The jury is still out on how to manage this problem effectively.

We are nearing Skara Brae and Skaill House. In a wintry storm on the shores of the Bay of Skaill in 1850, the wind ripped tufts of grass off a high dune called Skara Brae by the locals, and so were revealed the ruins of a 5000 year old farming village - one of the most remarkable discoveries of our time.

We enter the exhibition through an underground tunnel. This is how the village functioned so long ago. Each house was entered through an underground passage, and facing you would be a cupboard / house altar on which important objects were stored, flanked by box beds on either side, into which tufts of grass formed a mattress, and animal hides held them warm. There were smaller boxes to hold the catch of the day or maybe bait for fishing. Centre stage was the fire pit.

It being the main tourist attraction on Orkney, we have to contend with busloads of visitors, and guides staying put for half an hour at a time, spouting forth history and interesting facts. Here are a few impressions of this inspiring place:

Hearth

Bed

Catch of the day

Bed

Pottery

Hearth

Larder

Fishing boat

The rest of the site was viewed from above.

As you can see, Skara Brae is right on the beach.

Now we move towards Skaill House, an old castle-like 17th C mansion. So it is 400 years old, having been extended over time from its humble origins to the present grand mansion. The 12th Laird of Breckness was Major Malcolm Macrae, and his daughter Katie is the current owner. This manor house was lovingly restored over 6 years and opened to the public in 1997.

Hot water bottles

The flag of Orkney. The Orcadians are very proud of their Norwegian origins.

We are now ready for a round trip from Skara Brae to Birsay up north, Evie, Finstown and back to Dounby.

Although we love old churches with churchyards, we didn't stop for this one.

Brough of Birsay Lighthouse. It is a little island to which you can easily walk at low tide, but you must mind to get back before the tide turns! 

As you enter Birsay a signboard reads "Welcome to the Palace" and the 30 mph village limit is announced in 3 degrees. These are the ruins of the residence of Robert Stewart, half-brother of Mary, Queen of Scots, who became Earl of Orkney in the late 16th C. He was a notoriously harsh earl. His palace was built between 1569 and '74, but it came to a rather early demise with the overthrow of the Stewart earls in 1615! There is an inventory of 1653 that states that neglect had already set in, and by the turn of the century the palace was roofless and decaying.

But also of note in Birsay is the church of St Magnus. He was martyred in about 1117, and in 2017, on the 900th anniversary, St Magnus's Way, a pilgrimage route, was established. It stretches from the island of Eglisay, where Magnus was killed on 16 April 1117, to Evie, Birsay, Dounby, Finstown and Orphir to St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall.

We were lured to Evie by reports that The Eviedale Bakehouse is certainly not to be missed, but the owner is on her annual holiday, and the hen in the courtyard couldn't give us hot chocolate.

See the 30 mph warning? They always give you 3 warnings before it becomes enforceable. This is Finstown, a really picturesque village. In a shop window I see these ads, and I'm quite sad that we are missing it by a hair's breadth!

We have noticed that farmers all use this kind of sign at the farmhouse.

Now we make a beeline for Old Quoyscottie, after a very rewarding day.