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Orkney Mainland, Page 2

Birds at the Peedie Sea - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Knots landing at the Peedie Sea

I’m wandering the shore at Kirkwall Harbour for an hour before the ferry takes me to Westray. I’m loving the complex singing …

Kirkwall at dawn - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Kirkwall at dawn

I’ve just woken up in a Viking city. A city which is only part of the UK, and not Norway, because King …

Dunlin - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

A Dunlin feast

There’s a huge tide of seaweed washed up in the bay at North Haven on Westray. We check for seals on the …

Gannets - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

When a Gannet lands next to us

It’s blustery at the top of the 60 metre-high cliffs on Westray’s Noup Head. We’re surrounded by Gannets flying past us when …

Fulmar - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

The crossing

It only takes an hour and a half to cross the Pentland Firth from Scrabster to Stromness on the Northlink ferry. Standing …

Yellow Legged Gull - The Hall fo Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Colour co-ordinated Gulls

The brown waters of the River Tiber in Rome never seem to be able to reflect the intense blue of the sky …

Barquentine Thalassa - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Barquentine Thalassa

The Northlink Ferry from Scrabster on the Scotland mainland to Stromness on the Orkney Mainland is always entertaining, thankfully in a good …

Bronze Age Bollards - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

A load of Bronze Age bollards

The Links of Notland is such an amazing place for archaeology. It has a huge neolithic settlement, site of the discovery of …

Floating Islands - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Floating islands

Looking out across the Bay of Tuquoy we can see a mirage. It might be an island. The shape is constantly changing …

Carving in St Magnus Cathedral - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

A smile on their face

The woodcarver who made this pair of birds in St Magnus Cathedral had a smile on their face. They look like lovebirds to me.

Orkney Museum - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

The Orkney Museum

I love the Orkney Museum in the centre of Kirkwall, opposite St Magnus Cathedral. One of the mind-blowing exhibits is a carved …

Reading the runes - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Reading the runes

I love the Orkney Museum. Every time I go there I see something else that I’d bypassed on all previous visits. Here’s …

Eider Duck - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Frankie Howerd Calls

Hearing an Eider Duck call is something you won’t forget. It’s hard to describe to someone without the same cultural references. It’s …