One of the great things about having a decent sized space is the ability to get out of the wind and for Gabriel to try some of his freestyle football tricks.
The Cathedral of St Magnus in Kirkwall, Orkney uses red sandstone quarried near Kirkwall and yellow sandstone from the island of Eday in alternating patterns of stripes and checks to beautiful effect.
Aug 262010
The ferry from Westray to Orkney takes over an hour to make the journey to the Mainland of Orkney. It’s easy for the visitor to get confused about places when talking to locals. ‘The Village’ means Pierowall. ‘The Island’ means Westray. ‘The Mainland’ doesn’t mean mainland Britain at all but the mainland of Orkney. Everywhere [...]
Aug 242010
It’s sunny this afternoon, so it’s out into the garden to catch a rare photograph of the back of Einar in the sunshine. When I first had the idea of spending time in Orkney one of the best and most honest sites I found was Moving to Orkney. It’s maintained by someone who moved to [...]
Aug 242010
Whenever you look at property details in Orkney there’s one phrase that keeps on being repeated. Yes, the word ‘ruinous’ is used repeatedly. Sure, the phrase ‘in need of updating’ comes across loud and clear. However, it’s the phrase ‘a useful range of outbuildings’ which always draws my attention. It seems that even the smallest [...]
Aug 162010
“Would you like some eggs?” our Westray neighbour asks. She’s very kind. She’s a real life faerie princess (“The UK’s leading exponent on Faeries”) and lectures on faeriecraft. How could I resist a gift so generously given? Later 18 eggs appear, beautifully dirty and odd sizes just like fresh eggs should be – as fresh [...]
In the disabled parking area of the 124th Orkney County Show at Bignold Park I spot a fairy ring. I’m always distracted by fairy rings. I remember a trip to Edinburgh being especially interesting because of the wonderful views from high up on Arthur’s Seat – not because of the panoramic views of this stunning [...]
The making of traditional furniture has nearly died out in mainland Britain. There are few master craftsmen, little knowledge of natural materials and even fewer people with the knowledge or money to appreciate the joy a properly made piece of furniture can bring for generations. Orkney, however, is different. Here there is still a tradition [...]
the HALL of ENIAR – recent comments