The Church of Scotland Kirk has a wonderful sign of the Saltire and the burning bush painted on a Westray stone flag outside the entrance.
Aug 232011
the HALL of EINAR
Aug 192011
Tommy is very kind. He’s decided I should have some of his green and some of his purple Curly Kale. Tommy’s garden is at Dead Man’s Nose, a small point on the bay where a ship’s officer was washed ashore many years ago. The lady of the house cut off the buttons of his tunic [...]
Aug 192011
The Westray Industrial Show is nearly upon us. It’s when folks here get competitive over cabbages, but not Tommy. He says more people should enter and not be afraid of entering. The problem is that when your cabbage looks as good as this, there really is no competition. We talk for half an hour about [...]
Aug 192011
With this kind of treatment, Malcolm’s Steenyha’ pigs will never be under the weather, whether it rains or shines.
Aug 192011
Piglets are such tricky blighters to photograph; even when you hold them they wriggle. Here’s Malc with one of Molly’s litter. All together now, “Ahhhhh.” Westray Pork on sale at Inverness Farmers’ Market on September 3. Orders now being taken for whole and half pigs and freezer packs – call Malcolm on 01857 677577
Aug 192011
A quick trip down the road to see Mr Pig today where Molly has produced 10 piglets, or nine and a half if you count Weezy properly. Here’s an extract from Malcolm’s blog: Steenyha’ Pigs Final tally. . . ten live piglets. Eight were bonny and got straight down to feeding. One was small and [...]
Aug 192011
Several days into my Westray trip and I need a shave. Molly the pedigree saddleback pig is nice and bristly this morning. She’d make a lovely shaving brush.
Aug 192011
The Hall has seen better days. The wind and the weather have been allowed to encroach through a leaking roof and broken windows and the ancient paint has not just begun to peel but in some places has almost disappeared.
Aug 192011
Orkney has precious few trees. And I mean precious. Perhaps I should say Orkney has a few precious trees. Windswept, almost barren to the eye, the landscape is largely bare of woodland. Wood has been a scarce commodity on the Islands and so beachcombing for flotsam and jetsam has been an essential part of the [...]
Aug 182011
There’s just time for some rough cycling down to the nearest beach at Taftend before sunset. It’s a chance to get off the bike and sit and marvel at the sky.