Stromness area and island life

The Ness Battery near to our campsite in Stromness was an important gun emplacement for both world wars. We stumbled across a tour just about to start and joined in. Inside one of the original Second World War wooden billet huts was some great painting all around the inside by one of the soldiers - trying to make it look more like home!

This was the serving hatch from the kitchen

Phil had a side trip back to Hoy via the passenger ferry for an overnight expedition, a circular hike up the Cuilags, St John Head, The Old Man of Hoy and Rackwick for the night before returning via the valley in the morning for the ferry back to Stromness. 

It looks an idyllic spot to camp below but he had to share it with quite a few midges as the weather was so still - going to bed early with a neck scarf over his head and a very sharp exit in the morning! Dee and Purdy had a much more relaxing time in Muy!

We have really enjoyed our time in Stromness a lovely old town with an interesting history.

This is the main street

Before we left Orkney we wanted to sample some more islands so we spent a day on Shapinsay and then took a round trip to Stronsay, Eday and Sanday.

Burroughston Broch, Shapinsay

Stromsay was a bit of a disappointment really, nowhere to wild camp apart from the Community Centre, which was where we stayed. Nice but no walks nearby and other walks difficult underfoot. There was a nice cafe though by the port for breakfast before we left!

Community Centre Wild Camp

Walk to the Vat of Kerbister and Lamb Head

We decided to leave Stronsay early after only two nights and head to Eday. It proved a very good move as when we arrived at the hostel it had a lovely feel. We could see the sea on both sides with Short Eared Owls and Hen Harriers often seen and even a Basking Shark - and we had the place to ourselves - a bit of a hidden gem really! A lot of the island is covered in Heather, which had started to flower.

The Stone of Setter - looks like we were expected!

Nearly as tall as the Stones of Stenness

Vinquoy Chambered Cairn

A tight squeeze!

A bit of sunbathing

Lovely beaches 

Mill Bay

Ward Hill - the highest point on Eday

An old kissing gate in the middle of the moor!

No-one goes to Eday and the locals from the other islands have a bit of a dim view of it. Nothing there, full of weird incomers etc....we loved it there and stayed 5 nights.

From Eday we took a very short ferry to Sanday. As the name suggests, it is well known for its sandy beaches. We stayed at Ayres Rock campsite overlooking the sea on the west coast and our first night was very windy - we didn't get much sleep.

View from campsite on a calm day

Truck and Muy enjoying some off road

Its that Caribbean feeling again - until we touch the water!

Sadly in 1994 eleven male Sperm Whales beached themselves on Backaskaill beach with the average weighing 30 tonnes - unfortunately none could be saved. Recently a life sized sculpture was erected in memory of that tragic day.

Backaskaill Beach

There was even a pizza cafe - what a luxury, eating out!

Sanday has its own Chambered Cairn, fairly recently rebuilt so in very good condition - for 5000 years old!

Another tight squeeze - for about 9 metres
on our hands and knees to get in!

Caves at Doun Helzie

High alert - so many rabbits!

We tried to reach the lighthouse on the small island at Star Point but even at low tide we couldn't get across. The next day we did manage to get to the Holms of Ire, two small islands again at low tide. We had to be careful not to get marooned though when the tide came back in!

We waited for the tide to go down

A washed up pallet helped - we took it back afterwards!

Relaxing on the first island before venturing on to the second

View through her ears!

The cairn at the furthest point

A plant fossil on a stone that Dee found

Another lovely swim at Saville beach before we left. This was our favourite beach on Sanday.

Saville Beach

Sunset near campsite

Sanday has a lovely, relaxed feeling to it - and with plenty of nice walks, great places for picnics and beautiful beaches to swim off, we really enjoyed our week there. We left Sanday and returned to the 'mainland' for the last part of our Orkney adventure before we will be heading to the Outer Hebrides.

Archaeology and Stromness

We returned from Hoy to spend some time on the west of the mainland to visit some archaeological sites. We have demounted and stayed for a while at Stromness.

The hills of Hoy in the background

Scara Brae is one of the most well known Neolithic sites, although in our opinion, not as interesting as Jarshof in Shetland. Also, here we had to follow a route around the edge, while at Jarshof we could explore how we liked inside the ruins.

That is a stone age shelf unit!

5000 years old stone carving - so well made!
No-one knows what it is.

He doesn't look too happy!

There has been an archaeological dig on the Ness of Brodgar since 2004 after a notched stone was uncovered when ploughing, which unearthed a massive settlement. They think less than 10% has been excavated but this will finish next year when it will be filled in to preserved for future generations.

We had a guided tour by one of the
archaeologists on site

Nearby was the Ring of Brodgar, a very impressive stone circle.

During the second world war the standing stones, with their outer ditch, proved a great training ground for tanks! Not sure how many stones they knocked down!

Maeshowe is a well preserved chambered cairn. We had to book on a guided trip to get in and you cannot take photos inside. All these cairns involve crawling through a tunnel to get in - and once inside they are surprisingly large - you can stand up and walk around - the roof is very high.

There are some trees in Orkney!

Standing Stones of Stenness

Some cairns are just open and you can go straight in - there is usually a torch in a locker outside. This one at Cuween Hill had a particularly low, narrow passage to get inside.

A large number of dog skulls
were found inside this cairn

Impressive sea stack at Yesnaby

The Kitchener memorial at Marwick Head

There are some lovely hikes around the coastal cliffs. One of them takes you to the Kitchener memorial. Lord Kitchener (secretary of state for war) is the man on the 1st world war "Your Country Needs You" posters. He was on a ship going to Russia in 1916, which was hit by a mine laid by a German U-boat. Kitchener died and there were 12 survivors out of 749 on board.

We were in Stromness during their "Shopping Week", which is actually a week festival of events. The carnival had a very unusual parade of floats having to negotiate the narrow streets! The difference was that they were taking the p**s out of various subjects like Pentland Ferries (breaking down), something about Phillip Schofield, Love Island (??) and the film release Barbie. Lots of men dressed as women and drunken antics! Not very PC!

On another evening there was a raft race which was actually quite a distance. One sank at the beginning but all the others made it. The sunken boat was refloated and with two less paddlers came close.

We also stumbled across the Royal Mail testing a drone for delivering parcels up to about 4 or 5 kg to nearby islands. Interesting but sad that the local human connection will soon be lost.

We had learned at the museum in Hoy how the captured German fleet was scuttled by its crew in Scapa Flow at the end of the First World War, so this pub mat made us laugh!

We have been in Stromness for quite a while now - John, the campsite warden, said we will be locals soon! The walks from here are lovely and we have a little jetty to swim from about 10 steps from us. Stromness is a friendly place that we are enjoying being based at.