A voice as soothing as North Ronaldsay sheep’s wool

I’ve been to North Ronaldsay before. It’s an Orkney island which is further north than the south of Norway. Today is one of my few chances to get there and back in a day. There’s a Summer Excursion to the island run by Orkney Ferries from Kirkwall on Mainland Orkney to Westray to North Ronaldsay to Westray and back to Kirkwall.

I can drive on at Kirkwall, get the car off on Westray, get my electric bike out of the boot, and take it to North Ronaldsay return. I’ll have four hours on the island. Perfect. From the ferry I see a small dolphin-like fin attached to a very slow moving back which goes on and on through the water. It’s a Minke whale.

It’s easier to get a bike off at North Ronaldsay than it is to get your car off the ferry.

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

It’s a very pleasant cycle from the ferry to the lighthouse at Point of Sinsoss. The flat roads twist and turn, forced by geography and ancient field boundaries into a narrow asphalt way, with the occasional relief of a passing place.

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

It’s the tallest land-based lighthouse tower in Britain. Wikipedia says it “boasts Britain’s tallest land-based lighthouse tower”. There’s nothing boastful about this lighthouse. Maybe they need to calm their verbs down and use ‘to have’ instead.

And then I’m delighted to see Billy again:

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

Billy is the Keeper of the lighthouse here.

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

Billy tells a great tale about the lighthouse and the ships which foundered, and the people who lived on the islands. His voice is as soothing as North Ronaldsay sheep’s wool.

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

It’s a pleasure to see him again.

More North Ronaldsay

North Ronaldsay - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the) North Ronaldsay and ‘the invention that saved a million ships’ It's my only chance this year to go to North Ronaldsay from Westray. There's an inter-island excursion, with a ferry… read more
North Ronaldsay - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the) Island life and using your loaf I'm on North Ronaldsay for the day. My aim is to cycle and see some wildlife but I'm distracted. There's… read more
Arctic Tern - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the) Arctic Terns on North Ronaldsay If you're on Westray in Orkney you have a once a year chance to get a ferry direct to the… read more
Ringed Plover - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the) The Ringed Plover and the broken wing act There's a Ringed Plover on the shoreline of North Ronaldsay, one of the most northerly islands of Orkney: I creep… read more
Oystercatcher - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the) Sea Pies Oystercatchers are known as Skeldro, Chaldro, or Shaalder in Orkney. If you think those names are difficult, internationally they are… read more
North Ronaldsay - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the) Special Sunday Excursion to a living island I've been in and around Orkney for ten years and never been to some of the outer islands. Being in… read more
Celebrating Einar at St Magnus Cathedral - photograph (c) 2016 David Bailey (not the) Celebrating Einar at St Magnus Cathedral Einar, or Torf-Einar as he is sometimes known, is celebrated in this wonderful stained glass window at St Magnus Cathedral. read more
North Ronaldsay Old Beacon - photograph (c) 2016 David Bailey (not the) Scaffolding follows me wherever I go Scaffolding follows me wherever I go. I spent months with scaffolding on both the front and the back of my… read more
North Ronaldsay North Ronaldsay The island of North Ronaldsay is famous for its sheep who live on seaweed and are kept off the fields… read more

Leave a Reply to Heather Owens Cancel reply