The Horses – a poem by Edwin Muir
One of the first times I heard of Orkney was when I read Edwin Muir’s poetry. It was so strong, so vivid …
A petrosphere at the Orkney Museum
I’m fascinated by this neolithic petrosphere, or stone-age stone ball, at the Orkney Museum. I lean forward and suddenly bump my nose on the glass looking at it. What is it? What was it used for?
Shag – alone on the rocky shore
This Common Shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis) is a species of cormorant. It stands alone on the rocky shore.
Sigurd the Stout and his Raven banner
Earl Sigurd the Stout was an Earl of Orkney. The Orkneyinga Saga says he fought with a Raven banner made by his …
Beguiling
A calm day flying over the coastline of Orkney is beguiling. Looking below at the beautiful fresh blue water there’s little hint …
The Bay of Noup
The Bay of Noup looks to have beautiful sand on this rocky and rugged coastline.
The Grip of Cleaton
The history of Westray is told in two small volumes. One is its telephone directory, with its handful of names, many of …
The top 10 reasons you shouldn’t visit Westray
Friends and relatives often ask me whether Westray is a good place to visit and my answer is always very clear. “No,” I say. “I wouldn’t recommend it.” Here then are my top ten reasons why you should never visit Westray.
Holland Farm from the air
Every time I visit Papa Westray I say “Next time I visit Papay I must have a look at all those beautiful …
18 inches of pew
St Peter’s Kirk in Sandwick on Orkney looks so beautiful in the low sunshine, standing quietly alone in its graveyard. It’s now …
Westray phone box
Westray still has several relics of a bygone era; red telephone boxes. There are weeds growing inside some of them as they …
St Anne’s Kirk, Papa Westray, from the air
I’ve got three cameras with me, sitting in the back of a four seater aircraft flying over the islands of Orkney. I’m …
Footsteps
Someone has been here before me.
Feeling alive
Seeing birds close up, in the wind, with rain on the horizon and a glorious sunset in progress, sat at the top …
Biting Stonecrop
The Biting Stonecrop on the walls at Einar is obviously confused. There’s one solitary flower left when it’s meant to flower in …
Serpentine egg
A trip through the Orkney Museum in Tankerness House in Kirkwall is an essential part of any visit to Orkney. There are …
We need to talk about Dog Whelks
‘We Need to Talk About Kevin’ is the actual name of the book and the movie. Kevin, however, has been talked about enough. What we really need to talk about is Dog Whelks, because despite the fact that there isn’t a bestselling psychological thriller written about them, their story is just as interesting.
Timothy – the patron saint of stomach disorders
In St Magnus Cathedral there is a wonderful stained glass window of Saint Timothy, the patron saint of intestinal and stomach disorders. …
Pincushions
This moss is so beautiful in a tight pincushion on Westray’s rocky shores. Mosses have been around since before plants evolved flowers …
Practical help for Orkney seals
Orkney Seal Rescue works to protect seals: they rescue sick, injured and abandoned animals. Here’s one: Orkney Seal Rescue founded their registered …
Peeling paint
Sometimes I think there’s more paint on the floor than there is left on the walls.
Cross-bones and a cross-looking skull
The graves in St Magnus Cathedral are fascinating. What caught my eye with this carving is the anatomically correct cross-bones, with perfect …
Love and Groatie Buckies
There are many Groatie Buckies on Westray’s beaches. It takes real dedication to find them, though.
Baby Butler
The Hall of my house used to be a school and the entrance to it has the places for lots of small …
This heart belongs to Tullochs
There’s a stone heart outside Tullochs.