Do you ever dream?
Do you ever dream of having a different life? Do you ever dream of moving somewhere where you can savour each day? …
The Castle o’ Burrian
The Castle o’ Burrian on Westray is famous for its Puffins.
60,000 tonnes
The statistics say we catch 60,000 tonnes of edible crab around the British Isles each year. Imagine if we talked about humans …
Pierowall Poppy
There’s a single red poppy down by the bay. It’s so fragile. As fragile as life itself.
Let me sleep in a bed of clover
The white clover is beautiful. In many places in the world people are discouraged from growing it because it attracts bees which may sting people. Personally I’d rather have bees than lawyers.
Raiders of the lost Aak
Guillemots are known as Aaks in Orkney. This Aak egg has been raided from the cliffs at Noup Head and eaten.
A different view of a Puffin
I’m on the cliffs at Westray’s Castle o’ Burrian with the Puffin Whisperer. They are such curious birds that when she calls, …
Magnificent battlements, gunloops and ravens
Noltland Castle is a ruin that was never finished built by a paranoid man who placed defensive positions everywhere; it has walls 7 feet thick and 71 gunloops to shoot at attackers.
Nousts
The outrageous thing about several of these nousts, designed to provide protection to boats pulled up onto the shore, is that they …
Published in The Orcadian – “Italy visit for chapel committee members”
I was delighted to see my photographs used in The Orcadian‘s article about the Italian Chapel Preservation Committee’s trip to Moena in …
5,000 quills
A strange beast of 5,000 quills has decided to pay us a visit.
Handsome chap
Red Bull. All I need now is the vodka.
The more you can see the horizon…
The more you can see the horizon, the more you can see the arc of your whole life and think about what’s …
Black William
The name Guillemot doesn’t sound English at all, and it isn’t. It’s French, from Guillaume, or William. Here then, are a few …
A glorious day
When you have a beach to yourself.
Mice nibble… #12
Knee protectors.
Pierowall Bay
Just a glimpse at Pierowall from the air tells you all you need to know about why the Vikings held Pierowall in …
Mice nibble… #11
Shoe laces.
Daniel
Stained glass window featuring Daniel from St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall.
Round the back of The Italian Chapel
I love the view around the back of the Italian Chapel.
Wreck
The wreck of SS Reginald just off Orkney’s Churchill Barriers.
Blown away by a windmill
I was completely blown away by Sangar Mill. It’s incredible that’s it’s survived so intact, with the windmill mechanism still visible and …