Tuesday and route to Stromness

 

We left at 9 in wind and rain, dropping in at the Baker’s for 2 more delicious made to order sandwiches in plastic bags this time.

 

We passed 2 oil platforms and then the route was fairly flat but wet, riding with the wind behind us. We turned for the Ring of Brodgar and it became more difficult. The rain felt sharp as if laced with ice. We stopped at the 4 massive Stenness Stones where workmen were erecting some information signs. They told us we could go back to Maeshowe for refreshments or on to Skara Brae. We didn’t relish going back in this weather so we pushed on, literally. We didn’t have time to visit Maeshowe which requires a tour slot of 45 minutes plus but would have been great to see the Viking graffiti and experience the famous tomb.

 

There were quite a few cars at the Ring of Brodgar and more visitors than we have seen anywhere so far despite the weather! We wonder why there are only toilet facilities for workmen fenced off and nothing here for the public. Surely a tea shop somewhere here would pay too. Drainage is being installed to help the site resist flooding and with poor visibility is seemed very bleak. On a fine day this would be splendid I am sure. We walked round some of the stones taking pictures. Twenty one stones remain from an original 60 standing amongst moorland heather. They are weathered and worn to different heights and thickness, some seeming angular. We hurried back to the bike rain dripping down our necks. At least those arriving in cars had somewhere dry to escape to. I like the car park being quite separate from the monument as then it doesn’t detract from the mystery of the place which even today was evident.

We pressed on to Skara Brae. Here there were coaches in the car park and people milling about all over the place. There were queues for the café and toilets. Here was certainly the most busy of anywhere yet this holiday! It was cold sitting in the café especially as we were wet through. The air conditioning was going! Against my better judgement I had lentil soup for lunch which mixed with the breakfast baked beans, later added stomach cramps to my discomforts. I had laughed when Bob put our winter gloves in the car when we left home but I had been very glad of the sheepskin which Bob tried to dry out with the hand drier in the Gents.

It was £4 each(concessions) for Skara Brae and Skaill House. The man selling the tickets said we could warm up in the house so we went outside first, experiencing the replica of one of the Skara Brae houses up close.

Life looked fairly comfortable compared with how I imagined, with plenty of food- deer,fish, grain and berries. There was a hearth, bed spaces edged with stone, cupboards made of stone and goods that may have been ceremonial. The actual Neolithic buildings are among and under grass mounds. The sea although close now would have been further away in Neolithic times. The site was discovered by the laird at Skaill House in 1850 during a storm that swept away some of the sand dunes covering it. There are steps to a higher walkway that enables you to look inside the buildings. We were warned to hold on to the rails because of the wind. The site is closed when it is too windy ( the next day as it happens). The poor guide had to stay on duty outside for 2 hours. I liked the way there were stones marking important events in history going back in time as visitors walk towards the settlement- passing the birth of Christ and ancient Egyptians. Skara Brae is certainly a special place that I will remember.

Skaill House was warm and it would have been nice to sit on one of the forbidden chairs and get cosy! It crosses a mixture of periods-1640 the Bishop’s room and 20^th century for the last lady of the house’s fairly garish bedroom. Bishops seem to abound in Kirkwall! The views were good from the windows and they let in a lot of light. Captain Cook’s dinner service is on show and had been donated by the officers of his ship. After Cook’s death they had been entertained here on their way back home.

It was 8 miles to go to Stromness but the wind was behind us making all the difference. Just after 3 we arrived at the Ferry Inn. Puddles formed on the floor around us and we decided to wait here till meals were served at 5 then go to the B and B. We spread ourselves out to dry while it was quiet and played a few games of cribbage. As dinner time drew nearer it was predicted to get busy. We compressed our designated space as it got nearer to 5. All I really wanted was a shower to warm up and a lay down so I didn’t eat much dinner. To be fair I had eaten my delicious crab sandwich under the shelter of the pub’s wall when we arrived. It was probably the quickest we have ever eaten and then we were off to find our bed.

Close to Argos Bakery and Orkney Fudge our B and B was full of shiatsus though kept away from guests they never bothered us. Our wet things were draped over every airy surface and we felt very warm for the first time today. It was a comfortable place and we had a good night.

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

Sunday               Sanday

We caught the ferry for Sanday at 9am. This was a better boat than yesterday with viewing from various seating areas. It was alovely sunny day and calm water. We could actually hear the Captain’s safety message today and the journey took an hour and 25 minutes.

 

 

Sanday is the largest of the Northern isles of Orkney and has miles of white sandy beaches. Its ferry port at Loth seemed stark and purely functional being not near to anything much we could see. It could have been the site of a quarry or used during the war. Apparently it is an ideal spot for otters though we would have counted ourselves very lucky to have seen one. We set off up the hill of which there are a few at this end of the island passing the waiting room with seats ( though they are hard!) and toilets. We passed wind turbines and 2 radio masts on top of the hill.

It was an 8 mile ride to Lady where there was a heritage centre. On the way to it we passed air socks in a field that marked the airport and an enormous well stocked shop with everything from posh sweets to garden furniture. We stopped at Sinclair’s General store as it was named and bought ourselves something for a packed lunch by the sea.

The museum was interesting especially the croft and a reconstruction of Bronze Age Burnt Mound at Meur. There was a sunken tank of stone and the pile of cracked stones near it suggests that hot stones were thrown in to heat water- hence the name Burnt Mound.

Across Sanday we saw several pill box and concrete relics from wartime.

We stopped at some picnic benches which we took some while to spot despite being marked on the map. The grass was long and obscured them from view. We sat opposite the wreck of a German Ship at Lop Ness Bay and ate our picnic.

 

 

 

We decided to make for the Robert Stevenson lighthouse. Covered in vertical black and white stripes it looked impressive on the horizon. The road peters out to a track that cars would normally be allowed to use despite its grassy nature. Erosion has caused parts of the track to collapse so now it is closed to all traffic. We walked carefully, pushing the bike.

The views were fantastic-the sea shimmering turquoise,mauve and sky blue while behind us white sandbanks looked like diminuitive cliffs. The lighthouse sits on a little grassed island and we wanted to “bag” it. We tried to cross the rocks forming the causeway but they were covered in slippery bladderwrack and crisscrossed with puddles. The tide hadn’t quite gone out. We decided it wasn’t worth twisting an ankle for and gave up disappointed.

There were signs of the Highland Clearances even on these islands. On land near the lighthouse we could see empty 19^th century dwellings left to ruins. There seemed more of these to us than inhabited houses. A few miles round by a freshwater lake with swans we took a road back to Lady.

The soft sandy landscape seemed to favour rabbits who pockmarked fields with white where they had dug out warrens. Heads popped up and back again as we were noticed. Many just sat up top in the sun. A huge black bird sat waiting at a burrow’s entrance. Plenty of oyster catchers here and some curlews while crows nested in exposed rafters and sparrows in the walls of the ruined houses.

A lot of the flowers on Orkney have been yellow- marsh marigolds, flags but there have been a few marsh orchids.

Back at the Heritage centre it was good for a comfort stop. The kitchen was open and visitors can use the kettle to make themselves tea. Milk, sugar and biscuits are available too with an honesty box for contributions. We thought this a lovely friendly gesture and were grateful for a warm drink. The 2 hotels were nowhere on our radar today.

We passed a golf-course with several cars parked near. The holes were widely circled by wire fence presumably to keep the cattle out- or rabbits. We could see a few people playing. I believe there are 9 holes.

The brilliant sunshine disappeared as we waited for the ferry and it began to spit with rain. We’d cycled more than 30 miles today.There were plenty of cars for Westray leaving just before ours. A teenage girl dressed in hockey outfit came into the waiting room. She was going to Kirkwall for school and would be away all week.

Back in Kirkwall we ate at St Orla’s to a background of folk singing from the adjoining bar.

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday                Shapinsay

After an 8 o’clock breakfast we rode to the harbour where the ferry left for Shapinsay at 9.45. It was quite an old boat. One side of the boat had a narrow indoor seating area with small too high windows. This was taken up with a party of youths. The largest area of seating was downstairs with no windows at all. Both places felt claustrophobic. Steps went to the upper deck from the other side of the boat just behind the wheelhouse and although a little chilly, this was the best place to sit. The Captain’s safety message came on but the crackly microphone and ship’s noisy engine made it impossible to hear. The ferry makes 6 return trips a day.

It was foggy on and off today and earlier we had thought we might not get a boat from the lack of view from our bedroom window.

After ½ hour we disembarked last with the bike to see people being herded into a cattle truck with no seats. It looked quite a squash! This was transport for the pedestrians on the ferry. There was a lot of giggling going on anyway. We think most of these were the Jehovah witnesses from Kirkwall who were systematically visiting the little islands. Up on deck we were a captive audience for their tracts which I refused but then found the young lad who engaged us pleasant and willing to talk about things other than the Bible. I had thought they were going to a wedding because they all looked so smart unlike the intrepid tourists. We saw some later after most of the day door knocking and looking a little underdressed for the chilly air.

To the left of Kirkwall Bay Balfour Castle dominates, but unfortunately this is privately owned.

We turned right from the Shapinsay Pier, passing houses low and terraced. It was too early for the Heritage Centre in the old Smithy to be open. Shapinsay has a population of around 300 and 3,000 head of cattle.

We passed a Martello Tower with modern bricks on its top so maybe it was used in world war 2. The Orkneys seem to contain many war relics.

It was not as arduous as yesterday but no way near flat till Ness where there was a beach with beautifully made seats that lifted to the vertical to keep off rain. We scoured the beach looking for the groatie buckie, a minute cowrie shell, and found something looking like fossilised wood. The red sandstone here has made layers of red soil visible through erosion.

All the land seems to be divided into fields - by drystone walls or wire fencing. All the fields are square which makes Shapinsay unique. This was brought about by the laird who built the Victorian Balfour Castle.

All along our route oyster catchers sat on posts and curlews were abundant. There were places selling craft but no shops apart from a few in Balfour village. There were old style red phone boxes, unvandalized except by the weather. We rode out as far as we could towards the North East then back to a signpost saying Burroughston Broch.

 Leaving the bike we walked a path by wild flower meadows towards the sea, where at its edge set within a grassy mound is a fantastic ruin of an Iron Age ( c 2000years ago) round tower. From the top you can look down inside. It stands 10 feet high with passages in the double walls and a living area in the centre, dotted with remains of stone furniture. An iron grille covers what may have been a well or steps. The stone doorway’s lintel was only just above my head height and the wall rooms would require crouching right down to enter. We were completely alone and this place feeds the imagination.

A dog barked fiercely as we rode by a farm with a Beware of the Chickens sign! Then we came to the Mora Stone originally erected 5,000 years ago but, since being knocked down and broken, was  re-erected by the landowner and now sits 1 metre shorter. There was no information at the stone itself but I loved the way it was covered in lichen and around its base bits had been broken off perhaps by birds for nesting material.

We cycled a different route back to the village and the heritage centre which was open. The fare at the café here was disappointing, especially the bread which was supposed to be baked that morning at the bakers, which also doubles as an everything- shop. It was nice to have something hot anyway and it is open till 5.

The centre had interesting artefacts upstairs. We marvelled at the models of Scara Brae and the Broch that had been exquisitely made by local schoolchildren in the 1960s.

We had been on the island more than 5 hours. A couple walking had completed 10 miles but we had only cycled 15 with a bit of walking.

At the gateway to the Gothic castle there is a waiting room and toilets for the ferry passengers. To the right of this building is an unusual style – a vertical stone set in a gap in the wall with a space underneath for dogs. Must have been built by someone with old dogs! Across the field full of cows you come to the beach and the old Douche Tower built in the 17^th century from stone and topped with a dovecot. In the 19^th century the tower was used as a salt water shower. The rocky outcrop descent from the field looked and felt too slippy so we couldn’t see inside.

We went back to the shop and bought some Orkney bere bannock to try, as eavesdropping I heard someone eating it in the café saying it was tasty with his ploughmans. It was dark and flat with a slight beer flavour which is probably because bere is 6 row barley that has been grown on the islands for 1,000s of years. It also reminded me of sour dough, soda bread.

By the harbour are old ruins of salt ( sea washed)  toilets covered in creepers. These were used by the seasonal herring fishers who stayed in the bothies in the village in the mid 19^th century.

The ferry came in with some sea  fog but the boats run in all weathers using radar. The rather nice Jehovah Witnesses came back on the boat with us after a day knocking on doors. They didn’t talk “shop” and we all sat outside in the chilly air.

Back in Kirkwall we headed for the Real Bar which seems to have a music school above it. People of all ages passed by to the stairs carrying violin cases. This is a music hub throughout the week. I enjoyed a hot apple and cinnamon drink. It had a touch of the Costa coffee shop here I thought. As we sat we heard what sounded like sticks on tin cans. It was a truck with bride to be and female friends sitting making a racket as they passed. They were all covered in molasses and flour and drinking as they circumnavigated the town. Bob got up countless times to get the “perfect picture” of the 2 different hen parties- Lucy’s and Bethany’s. Yesterday we’d seen the menfolk but thought they were just a triumphant football team.

 

 

 

 

Kirkwall’s Cathedral, St. Magnus’s, is next door to the Bar and we make a brief visit though it is a hub of activity. Wedding photos are being taken on the front steps. Inside a practice is going on for a presentation with music and actors. On first look I thought this to be a modern church of red brick and was unprepared for the beauty and antiquity of the place. It is in part over 850 years old and mostly of red sandstone with some yellow and is impressive on the skyline. Inside there is craftmanship from many different periods, fine carvings, wall arcading, interesting gravestones, stained glass and a wealth of history. I could have spent a long time looking but we tiptoed around the group with the microphones in the core of the building and we didn’t want to get in the way of their rehearsals.

We’d noticed a fish and chip shop (probably the only one) with a constant queue and thought we’d slum it a bit today. They had a small area of tables so we could sit down and eat. It was a long wait and the system was a bit confusing but eventually we got our dinner and it was fresh and tasty as expected.

Afterwards we went to St Ola’s for a pint of Orkney ale and although tables had reserved times on, we were able to sit for an hour, playing Scrabble. It is very lively here on a Saturday and one of the scrubbed- up hen parties noisily took over some of the tables.

 

A pipe band was to play in Kirkwall at 7.30. Crowds were gathering, lining the street. There were many pipers and drummers. The drummers kicked off with complicated rhythm sets and then the bag pipes, ear deafening in the narrow streets joined them as they marched up and down in true regimental fashion. It was impressively precise and exciting to watch.

At 8 oclock we were first in the door of the Real Bar to bag a table for the night expecting folk music. People were crowding in but nothing actually started till 9. A small group started to play Planxty Irwin but we couldn’t see them and audience far out- numbered instrumentalists. Maybe the evening warmed up a bit but we decided to call it a night. It had been a good day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                     The Orkneys 

                                                                May 31^st – June 9^th

 South Ronaldsway, Burray, Glimpsholm, Lambsholm and South Mainland. 

We left Wednesday evening after looking after the grandchildren. It had been a lovely day and fortunately they were able to play outside leaving not so much to tidy in their aftermath. We stayed the first night near to Glasgow. Then it was all day driving with the tandem snug in the Corsa, till we reached Gills Bay near John o Groats. Our ferry on Friday was leaving at 9.30 so we wanted to stay as close as we could. It seemed a lovely B and B until other guests arrived near to 10pm when we were just shutting down for the night. The thin walls meant that we heard a constant muttering with occasional crescendos and despite our banging on the partition in frustration the noise was unrelenting for most of the night. This was not a good way to start a cycling holiday!

We built the tandem at the ferry terminal while watching seals in the rain. There is a warm waiting room with café and toilets. We were let on first and the tandem tied at the bottom of the stairs. It was a small ferry and cars were tightly fitted down the sides with container lorries down the middle. For only 9.30 in the morning it was surprisingly busy. There is a self -service drinks and snacks point.

The crossing was good with only a little bounce as we sailed over the cross currents in the Pentland Firth. We saw plenty of puffins and guillimots flying low over the water. We sailed by Stroma, the closest island to John o Groats. From an overcast sky we could see breaks of blue and then as we disembarked an hour later at St Margaret’s Hope, for the first time the sun came out.

 

If we had left from John o Groats we would have arrived at the bottom of South Ronaldsay but we were at the top so we decided to ride to the bottom and back so as we didn’t have to miss it out. The Lonely Planet tells its reader that Orkney is flat. There were hills and they were long! We were on the A road straight down the middle and it didn’t seem busy. We passed pastureland with many cows and an abundance of nesting birds- larks, oystercatchers, gulls, curlews (so many pairs of these) lapwings and many small birds less distinct for identification. Without hedges it was easier to see the fields and the calls, as the birds did their various diversion techniques to hide their nests, were quite a clamour as we struggled up yet another hill against the wind. There are plenty of wild flowers- small pockets of bluebells, purple orchids, birds foot trefoil and kingcups.

The road seemed interminable and the thought that we would have to ride back and on to Kirkwall after reaching the bottom of South Ronaldsway, we decided to turn around at the summit viewpoint. It was more than half way down anyway.

At the sign for Wheems Campsite we turned right onto a single track road. Up and down a few more hills, stopping to let cars pass, we came to Churchill Barrier no. 4.

These were built during the war to stop u boats creeping up undetected between the islands. Now there is a road across the islands of S Ronaldsway, Burray, Glimps Holm and Lambs Holm. They had tried blocking the sea route with scuppered ships but this didn’t work and the battleship, Royal Oak sank with over 800 lives lost. The barriers were formed from massive stone and concrete blocks linking the islands, sometimes the foundations stretching down to a depth of 59 feet and angled and creviced at the top to prevent the tide sweeping over the carriageway. This led to our first complete island- Burray.

 

There are wrecks of ships all around the islands and we learnt their significance as we progressed through them.

Looking down over the causeway the sea was clear, shallow on one side with sand dunes on the other. Once across it was about a mile to Burray village and the Sands Hotel where we had lunch. Bob is getting a taste for Orkney beer already.

Out of the village we passed a school where at playtime we counted 12 children- it sounded like more! A mile after the hotel we came to the Fossil Museum which has access to it from the back while from the road it looked closed. We are glad we gave it more than a cursory glance as it was very interesting. There was a beautiful gift shop and thriving café. There was an entrance fee £3.50 for us each. A local builder found fossils at Cruaday quarry on W. Mainland and his interest led him to restoring the 19^th century farm buildings that now house the museum of his, and now other’s, various artefacts. Recently modernised fossils, rocks and the like are cleverly presented. There is a lot of wartime memorabilia to go with info on the Churchill Barriers.

It took a mere 4 minutes to cross Glimpsholm via Barriers No 3 and 2 and then at Lambsholm we found the Italian Chapel after passing the Orkney Wine company. We didn’t see any grape vines anywhere on our travels but it seems they use wild berries like sloes, elderberries and blueberries.

The Italian Chapel is a marvel. Built by Italian prisoners of war who transformed their cheerless huts with paths and flowers and a statue of St George, built from cement over a framework of barbed wire stood in the “square”. This was made by an artist prisoner Chioccetti. The idea of a chapel came from the from a need, a sympathetic commandant and expertise of Chioccetti and some of the other prisoners. They only had the simplest of material to use, mostly 2^nd hand or scrap.

They hid the corrugated iron domed hut under plasterboard and the altar was moulded in concrete. Chiocchetti painted the interior to resemble brickwork with a dado like carved stone- clever to make something flat look 3 dimensional. Stained glass windows above the altar with a fresco behind and wooden carvings and ironwork have given beautiful detail to the chapel. It is humbling to see what they did with so little.

Leaving the Chapel and crossing the last, or rather 1st Barrier, we noticed far more cars. They were driven at speed down the straight road going down the East side of the mainland. We seemed to go up a lot without the benefit of long downs. We had to stop a few times for cars to pass. We were surprised that this is designated as a cycle route!

 At last we passed the airport down near the sea and not up as expected. Several jets stood on the tarmac at least one with propellers. Not long after we saw Kirkwall though we didn’t need to go into town for our B and B which was 1 ½ miles out at Quoyberstone. We had cycled 26 miles.

There was a view of the harbour from our bedroom window and it was a comfortable place to be. We cycled into town to find somewhere to eat and were amazed to see cars driving down a narrow seemingly pedestrianised road- albeit one way. It seems cars rule here to me as we had to step into shop doorways to get out of their path.

We found somewhere, St Ola, that became our favourite place to eat because of the friendly atmosphere. It was usually busy and when we arrived all the tables were reserved but we were told if we could finish eating within an hour we’d be fine. Other people were sent away so we were lucky. There was plenty of meat in our pie with fresh vegetables and the largest onion rings I have ever seen. We found a Tescos and Lidl for fruit and yoghurt. After riding around a bit to get our bearings we went back to the B and B for a good night’s sleep- it was quiet!

 

 view from our window!

 

 

 

 

 

                                                          Cei Balast, North Wales

                                                                     7^th April

We’d stayed in Aberystwyth after travelling from Pembrokeshire, leaving us a fair- sized window for reaching Porthmadog and completing the little island before the tide came in. It took longer than expected to drive because of long stretches of traffic- lighted road improvements. Low tide as advertised on the customs office was at 1.50 pm today but at 12 the tide was well out.

 Cei Balast

 

 

Looking the opposite way.

 

 

It was a beautiful day with mountain views as a backdrop to the Ffestiniog railway from where we crossed the sands. Bob carried our wellies in his rucksack but we were glad of shoes for clambering down the rocks to sea level. Dixie Willis, in her book “Tiny Islands” had said the route is over the wall by the railway ( but she didn’t say cross it)   We looked for a route that might be easier- to no avail.

The train was steaming up but not yet ready to go and there were no signs saying not to cross the lines. So over we went and over the wall we carefully descended on rocks that moved with our weight. Nearly down, I dropped my guard and slipped on some wet bladder rack. With bruised bottom and pride I was helped up ( I would probably still have been there when the tide came in otherwise) and after changing into wellies, we set off for Cei Balast.

This is a totally manmade island. The ships would come into Porthmadog collecting Welsh slate to take to all parts of the world. Before taking on board their cargo, the ship’s ballast was emptied in the sea and an island gradually formed.

The sand was pristine and unmarked except for patterns of bird feet. There were cockle shells but mostly we were surrounded by smooth golden sand. Our wellies sank several inches deep in the mostly dry sand and it was hard work walking. Occasionally we had to go through streams and shoes would have been saturated.

As we reached the island we noticed footprints going in a clockwise direction but we couldn’t see where they had come from. The water beside the backs of Porthmadog buildings still had boats floating so it could have been deep there. The island was much closer to the town here.

We walked anti- clockwise and we didn’t see a soul! The rocks around the base of the island were multicoloured representing the different geology of the countries from where the trading boats came. We recognised granite, schist, slate, quartz and waste material that would have been left after some sort of smelting- like clinker.

 Facing the back of the town were 2 columns of jagged weathered wooden posts that would have been part of the jetty. They have been left to rot but they stand like monuments to a forgotten past.

The island is mostly covered in scrub like blackthorn, covered in white flowers today. After the “jetty” it was easier to get onto Cei Balast where it was mostly tangled grass. To get off further down though we had to tread down brambles. It seems like most people walk around it rather than on it – there are no paths that we could see.

The views have been spectacular particularly going back the other side of Cei Balast towards the railway line, away from the sea. There were only our footprints going back and to make it easier we trod in them. We decided to climb at a signal box closer to the station.

A train went by, hooting and steaming, carrying carriages of passengers. We waved and then gritted our teeth for the climb up the rocks to the wall. We helped each other up, over the wall and line then I noticed I wasn’t wearing my fit bit anymore. I’d received it as a Christmas present and had worn it every day – quite a slave to it in fact, completing at least 10, 000 steps a day by hook or crook!

Bob offered to go down and see if I had lost it when I fell on the rocks but I decided that I would let it go- it might be a relief! Later, as we watched the video of the walk we saw that it had been lost way out towards the island but before we walked on it. If there had been an easy way down and up to the beach I would have said we could try. We wonder how people normally go to the beach- there were plenty of buckets and spades on sale in Porthmadog.

The tide was still out so there are plenty of opportunities to walk out that way so maybe there is a path we didn’t discover.

 

         

                                                                  Skomer Island

                                                                   6^th April 2017

 

Skomer and Ramsey are islands either side of a huge bay made up of Newgale sands and St Brides Bay. We thought Skomer would be fairly near to St. Davids but it took best part of an hour to motor even the large roads via Haverfordwest to reach St.Martin’s Haven near Marloes, where the boat would be leaving. This boat cannot be booked in advance and it operates on a first come first served rule so the earlier one arrives, the better.

We had managed to leave our B and B before 9 with time to get sandwiches from the delicatessen in St. Davids- loads of choice and delicious.

The car park at St. Martin’s is run by the National Trust and would have been £5 but we are members luckily, so it was free. There was a short walk down to a cabin, Locksley Lodge, a tiny visitors centre where you need to pay the Landing fee before you buy the ticket from the boatman himself. It is £10 to land unless you belong to the Wildlife Trust, who manage the island and then £11 for the return boat trip. Notices said you need to pay the boatman cash but we saw him use a hand- held card reader for some people with credit cards.

There are steps and slippery slopes leading to where you get on the boat which varies with the tides. Our boat left at 11am. The sea was flat and calm. After a safety demonstration (like on an aircraft) where a boat hand showed us how to operate a lifejacket- the boat can take up to fifty but only in the 30s today the vessel seemed full enough! The life jackets stayed in their hold and we gently cruised to Skomer.

We could see puffins landing on the water, beginning to gather in groups. They hadn’t landed on the island yet but we were told it could happen today.  There were playful pockets of seals as the boat drew near Skomer.

 

 We were helped out of the boat one by one and it was an arduous climb up 87 steep steps to listen to a talk by a warden. Bob just wanted to get going as it was drawing ever nearer to midday. I hired binoculars for £5 but it turned out these slowed us down quite a lot too.

It was stressed that we should stick to the paths as everywhere there are tunnels. Rabbits, puffins and manx shearwaters have excavated miles and miles of the 720 acres over time. Shearwaters only come ashore to their burrows when its dark, possibly around half a million(Gasp!) Rabbits, large, plentiful and of many colours ( there was a rabbit farm here for fur at one time) seem used to the visitors. Puffins still haven’t officially arrived.

There are several no-go areas set aside for research purposes. The first area is near the boats and it is used to compare the wildlife in the people free zone with that where up to 250 visitors a day tread. Quite a good way of measuring our impact on the ecology though even 250 people a day seems a lot!

Manx shearwaters aren’t adapted to travel on land but they are fantastic fliers being a relative of the albatross. On land they run the gauntlet of the great black backed gulls into their burrows, except running is what they can’t do. Evidence of the voracity of the gulls is all over the island- pairs of black wings attached to a skeletal backbone and legs. There are evening walks to see the shearwaters, if you are staying on the island.

Birds dot the rock cliffs edging the island. They seem to nest in impossibly small places, cracks and narrow ledges. In a square crevice a raucous raven, as large as a buzzard flew towards its nest. Its sound was deep and echoed around.

A sheer cliff of kittiwakes sounded like a playground of small children squealing and laughing.

We had to climb a lot and there were good views over to Ramsey. We had our picnic on the rocks not staying too long as we wanted to catch the 3pm boat. We got to the spot where if we were patient we would almost be certain to see porpoises. People just leaving had seen several but despite us staying the suggested 15 minutes we didn’t see any.

There were tiny blue flowers growing close to the ground and thrift. You could imagine what the island would be like in a few weeks as bluebells were emerging. A male warden waxed lyrical about Skomer’s beauty to us when I asked the identity of a bird. Bob was getting fed up of me with binoculars! The picture shows violets.

 

There are enclosures showing what the island would be like without the rabbits. They control the vegetation by eating it. One enclosure was completely full of long tangled grass swamping any flowers and the other was full of heather and shrubs with little variety. The cropped grass is better for ground nesting birds. We like the little ramp that enabled any rabbits, good at breaking in, an escape route.

 

Almost back at the boat are the toilets and what looks like the wardens’ quarters- buildings that are private anyway. Near here is a stretch of rough grass and we were lucky enough to see a short eared owl with its long wings hunting in the day. We’d seen pellets with bones and fur but didn’t think we would see the bird itself.

As we descended the steps the puffins gathering below started to fly onto the rocks around us. They were coming onto the island at last. Some were collecting nesting material. Some flew over our heads with their red feet ready to land. It was a sight to make everyone smile and cameras ( some very large and expensive) were clicking.

 

The sea was less calm going back but not enough to make me nauseous. People were collecting for another trip- round the island, not landing. Our boat would go back for the remaining visitors straight away and that would be it for the island for another day.