According to the Orkneyinga Saga, detailing the lives of the Earls of Orkney from the 9th to 12th Centuries, King Harald’s sons were real troublemakers. Gudron Gleam and Halfdan Long-Leg caused lots of trouble in Norway … → 30 August, 2010
Big pig excitement
There’s big excitement at Einar as Mr Pig arrives with news of the piglets. Little Kim has produced in the night. There …
Links to our past
Coastal erosion at the Links of Noltland leaves scattered stones over a neolithic settlement quicky disappearing with the wind.
Wind Swept Away
The dunes at the Links of Noltland show their erosion by the wind – the grass tufts left are six feet above …
A 5000 year old necklace
I’m standing next to a 5000 year old house looking at a bead from a 5000 year old necklace. It was made …
Einar. It’s a great name. It’s an Old Norse name for ‘One Warrior’. It’s a fantastic name for our house. As soon as I saw Einar advertised in the Solicitor’s window I was fascinated by the … → 29 August, 2010
Pierowall is the name of the only village on the Orkney island of Westray. The problem I had was how to pronounce it. The Westray accent is beautiful and soft and difficult to understand without extreme … → 29 August, 2010
Urban Dictionary: dreek
It means bad weather. The kind of weather which makes you miserable: dull, grey and wet. If it rains hard and water runs down your neck it’s dreek.
Ripples in the sands
Wind blows the sands into ripples and threatens to engulf the vegetation.
Competition Cabbage
Today is an important day in the social calendar of Westray. It’s the day of the 75th Annual Westray Industrial Show. Entries …
I have a life driven by time. The time on my watch, the time on my phone and the time on my computer. Time to meet, time to arrive, time to leave, time to eat. Time, … → 28 August, 2010
Not Boaring
A quick trip out this afternoon to visit Mr and Mrs Pig the neighbours, their boar Alfie and their heavily pregnant sow …
Filling Up
There’s now only one source of petrol and diesel on the Island – and this is it. We’re on bicycles for a …
Cattle at Inga Ness
This afternoon there was time to cycle to East Kirbest and walk to Inga Ness, skirting Skea Hill and to look out …
The deserted village
Cycling to the Westside of Westray I can see the Netherhouse in silhouette. A series of dwellings built up the hill, the …
Stripes and checks
The Cathedral of St Magnus in Kirkwall, Orkney uses red sandstone quarried near Kirkwall and yellow sandstone from the island of Eday …
Second place is nowhere
The most important archaeological find of last year was found on the remote Orkney island of Westray; or at least it was …
Sunset over Grobust
Grobust is one of my favourite beaches on Westray. Here it is at sunset.
Sunset over Grobust #2
Grobust is a place I could (and do) go back to again and again. Being up before dawn and going to bed …
The Islands of Orkney
Orkney is a plural. It’s acceptable to say ‘the Islands of Orkney’. It’s fine to say ‘Orkney’. Saying ‘the Orkney Islands’ won’t …
The first glimpse of Kirkwall
The ferry from Westray to Orkney takes over an hour to make the journey to the Mainland of Orkney. It’s easy for …
Watching Westray fade into the distance
The Earl Thorfinn is a smooth ferry ride today and sails easily over the still waters between Westray and Mainland Orkney. I …
Waiting for the bus in the sunshine
Today is exciting because I’m off to the big city. A city of 8,000 people. That counts as big in Orkney. I’m …
Always remove woodlice from the USB ports of your laptop before attaching USB peripheral devices.
Always zip up your washbag at night if you want to avoid getting woodlice on the bristles of your toothbrush.
Bike. Beach. Breathtaking.
Let me never be immune to the spell this Island casts.
Moving to Orkney
It’s sunny this afternoon, so it’s out into the garden to catch a rare photograph of the back of Einar in the …
A useful range of outbuildings
Whenever you look at property details in Orkney there’s one phrase that keeps on being repeated. Yes, the word ‘ruinous’ is used …
Death to Drosophila #2
Isn’t technology wonderful? The advancement of science never ceases to amaze me. Instead of bashing fruit flies with my precious copy of …