Cracks in the paving
I could stand and stare at the stone Orkney beaches for hours; and I sometimes do.
the geology of Westray
I could stand and stare at the stone Orkney beaches for hours; and I sometimes do.
Drips of water run down the cliffs on Westray.
Walking along Westray’s rocky shores through a rock arch and into and out of caves we come across this dripping waterfall with …
Wandering along the coast of Westray it’s sometimes hard to tell what’s in the cliffs below. Only when there’s a promontory can …
The exposed rocks of Westray are endlessly fascinating even if you’re not a geologist.
‘Scattered fish scales of Osteolepis are common at Snaky Noust.’ From the wonderful Westray Heritage Centre.
The pebbles are beautiful and wet inside the mouth of this sea cave on Westray.
I love the way Westray’s flagstones break naturally into diamond shapes over their surface.
Orkney used to be a lake. Most of its rocks are from the mud at the bottom of that lake or from …
These small red cliffs on Westray look just like Boulder Clay to me. I loved studying physical geography as a child, after …
Westray has no sandstone rocks, yet it has occasional sandstone pebbles on its beaches. Here’s one. It was brought from the island …
We’re exploring caves around the coast of Westray when we discover this wonderful depression filled with stones and pebbles inside a deeply …
The history of Westray is told in two small volumes. One is its telephone directory, with its handful of names, many of …
Orkney is full of stone which shows fossilised wave patterns and mud cracks. Orkney’s geological history has been a complex one involving …
On Westray the traces of Lake Orcadie are everywhere. 380 million years ago this land we now call Westray was in the …
A rock arch on Westray, at Backarass.
I’ve always loved the Westray beach with “The really big pebbles.” I recently discovered that a pebble can’t be any bigger than 64 mm. I think this one must count as a cobble.
If you ever feel as if what you do makes no difference, as if you’re up against overwhelming odds or pushing against …
I’m walking on the cliffs at Stanger Head past the Castle o’ Burrian and climbing up a rock crack when two tourists …
A giant pebble at Rack Wick.
I love the rocks on Orkney. The whole area of Greenland, Shetland, Orkney and down to the Moray Firth was once a …
The red hand of seaweed grasps a pebble at Rack Wick.
“Like pebbles on a beachKicked around, displaced by feetOh, like broken stonesThey’re all trying to get home” Paul Weller – Broken Stones
A new day and a new beach to explore. This one is hidden behind long kelp drying walls. Over shattered rock and …
… because it’s stone and breaks naturally into flags. The whole Island of Westray is made of it. Perfect flagstone paving everytime. …
It’s easy to tell an incomer on Westray. They stick out like a sore thumb. I’m one of them, I should know. …