Monday               Rousay

We cycled to Kirkwall straight after breakfast. I bought some waterproof trousers as rain was threatened and we found a baker shop for a tailor- made lunch. My crab sandwich though a bit squashed was delicious when we had our food later.

Stand 4 at the bus station takes you to Tingwall for £5.25 return each. We left the tandem in Kirkwall. We hadn’t time to ride 15 miles to the ferry and buses seemed to connect well here which wasn’t always the case for transport between the islands! It took us an hour to reach Tingwall but only ½ hour to return to Kirkwall. There are seat belts on the bus and it wasn’t a steady ride. There was barely five minutes wait before we were on the ferry so we didn’t notice the booking office. We expected to buy tickets on the ferry like others. After a pleasant 25 minute sailing we disembarked and were told never mind we could pay on the way back.

We passed yet another Heritage Centre that we intended to visit later. We didn’t have time but were told by a fellow traveller that it was very interesting. There was a pier café and a craft shop for making and buying. We hoped to hire bikes but there was no sign of a bike shop. I asked a passerby who said to follow the road and go between the 2 towers and under the arch and as he pointed we could see the buildings about ½ mile away. It was on a farm cum camp site. The lady came out to greet us thinking we were the Robinsons who’d rang to book bikes. She was loath to let us choose any from the well- kept range they had in the shed before the others. She was curious as to why we would arrive walking but with a cycle bag and when she heard we’d left our tandem at the bus station in Kirkwall she said we could hire theirs for £15 for the day. It wasn’t perfect but in pretty good shape and Bob had brought his tools and spares anyway. It was hilly terrain and to get the lowest gear Bob had do stop and fiddle with the gears manually which slowed us down a bit!

Rousay is just over 12 miles round and we thought we’d have plenty of time but again the terrain was deceptive and instead of following the contours the road goes in a straight line. We passed verges full of primroses and a sprinkling of violets. Travelling anti clockwise we passed a house with a whales tail, sheep, shark and other animals all made from rope.

Later we came across a memorial to James Leonard Digro who was evicted after giving evidence that gave rise to the Crofter’s Act in 19^th century. Then a laid flat enormous granite slab, facing the sea looks freshly engraved with “Gods of the earth, Gods of the sea” and I found this very tactile.

Again, the sea looks turquoise. We had to eat our sandwiches standing at the drystone wall as it was unsafe to sit on so it was the shortest lunch break ever ( but delicious!) My sandwich had oozed out somewhat though. Paper bags weren’t the best recepticles!

We passed a house with bags and bags of coal stored around it and curios like the saintly statue and 2 garishly pink flamingos. Maybe the coal is for sale. There was a small wooded area here with closely planted trees with a carpet of pink flowers beneath. As with most of Orkney there are few trees. Mostly we’ve noticed stunted sycamores but there are more varieties and taller, in towns where buildings give protection from the elements.

Midhowe Broch and Cairn was recommended by the bike lady. Leaving the bike with a couple of others we started the steep descent. The path had been mown and it took us right to the edge of the sea where seals were calling from the rocks. It was a surprise to see that the cairn was contained in what looked like a metal farm building. It didn’t look open having an iron gate and then a door with no attendant in sight. We turned the handle and what a sight- there were stones upon stones and steps taking you up and over the whole, where, with no roof on the more than 5,000 year old structure, you could see inside. It is a 23 metre long chamber divided by upright flagstones to make 12 individual stalls. In each stall was once a stone bench ( some still remaining). Bones of 25 individuals had been found here and they seem to have been placed with some ceremony, in foetal position. There was evidence of feasting or leaving food offerings when the cairn was excavated by the whisky magnate William Grant in the 1930s. It was well worth the walk down.

It was such a crawl back up the hill to the bike and it was 5 miles to finish our tour round Rousay before the ferry back at 3.20. We were looking out for the pub marked on the map, passing 2 more cairns on our left side as we went. It looked like the tour bus (a people carrier) was at one of these. We had considered doing this at £35 each till we saw the advert for bike hire.

The pub’s exterior was not at all pub like but inside it had all the trappings with a well -equipped bar and people seemed to be enjoying their meals. It was very good beer! From here it is only 1½ miles to the farm/campsite. The landlady said the road is dangerous when the ferry is due as people seem to leave it till the last moment to get there in time. We haven’t seen much traffic today-yet.

The farmer wanted to know how we liked his tandem and we said that the lowest gear had been a problem but apart from that a good ride and certainly better than being herded around in a “bus”.

It was a flying visit round the craft shop before the boat left. The sun was still shining despite the bad forecast- my waterproof trousers had kept the rain away! The bus waited for the ferry at Tingwall. It took less time back to Kirkwall with less stops. A hare ran into the road and the bus was close behind it. I shouted at the driver to not run it over. He didn’t slow but the hare kept ahead for some time before it veered to the side of the road and off into the fields.

There was still time in Kirkwall to visit the Orkney Museum (free) though we only had half an hour and were put out at 5pm. It is housed in a listed building through an impressive arch off the main street and tells the story of Orkney from Stone Age through Vikings and Picts to the present day. I could have stayed longer!

We bought tickets for the Bishop’s and Earl’s Palaces which closed at 5.30. We went into the substantial ruins of the Earls’ palace first. The sandstone has been badly eroded in places but to me, with its Gothic turrets it looks beautiful in its green setting amongst the rare sight of Orkney trees. Built in 1600 during the dark period of Stewart Rule it was sumptuous in its short day. Built in French Rennaissance style it was intended that the ruined bishop’s palace should be incorporated in the building. Still unfinished in 1607 , the Earl, Patrick Stewart was greatly in debt and imprisoned till in 1615 he was executed and the Palace, as it was, became the bishops’ residence.

The bishop’s palace was built in mid 12^th century but now is just the shell of one building and the Moosie Toor- tower that we didn’t have time to climb . Behind the ruin you can see the cathedral.