St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall is magnificent. It’s origins are in Viking times, when Orkney was ruled by Viking Earls. It’s the best preserved medieval cathedral in Scotland with massive Norman pillars built by the masons of Durham Cathedral. Towering above the Kirkwall landscape, St. Magnus Cathedral, with its distinctive sandstone hues, is one of [...]
Memento Mori – “Remember Death.” How could I forget death, as I walk around St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall on Orkney. I’m surrounded by stunning 17th Century gravestones.
Here’s a double ladder that two men last went up in Kirkwall in 1722, yet only one man ever came down it. Explain.
It’s a steep climb up the tower of St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall. The gravestones are so perfectly preserved, even those from the 17th Century, that it’s possible to see the last breath carved on the headstone.
It’s time for a trip to the Mainland. No, not the mainland of Scotland, the Mainland of Orkney. Mainland is an hour and a half away by ferry and this morning, braving the seas, it’s the Earl Thorfinn. There are three Earl Thorfinns. There’s Thorfinn Turf-Einarsson, Earl of Orkney, better known as Thorfinn Skullsplitter who [...]
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 [...]
Visiting Westray is like stepping back in time. It’s time for me to make a quick trip to town to shop and to catch up on the news. I say quick, it’s an hour-long round-trip by bicycle. I say town, Pierowall’s a tiny village with a couple of shops. It’s an opportunity to catch up [...]
…but reality is worth a thousand pictures.
Crossing the sea from Orkney Mainland to Westray feels like coming home.
Being away from Orkney and Westray only makes the memories of being there more intense. Whilst I look forward to my next trip there, here’s a poem I wrote many years ago – the lines “And gazed at the blue waves breaking, On the fine bright silver sand,” always remind me of Westray’s beaches. The [...]
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