Ola Gorie – beauty and tradition in Orkney
I knew Ola Gorie’s jewellery before I knew Orkney. Ola is a really important figure to me and to countless others as …
Lines and circles
Rock lines and circles surround us in a sea cave on Westray.
Run, rabbit, run
If you’re interested in wildlife you may wonder why so much of it is so difficult to see. Why are animals so …
The Italian Chapel has twins
Orkney’s Italian Chapel was once part of a large complex of Nissen huts with tracks and gardens. For many years it has …
The Castle – a poem by Edwin Muir
I’ve always felt a close connection to the poetry of Edwin Muir. His themes include loss and betrayal, life and death, and …
Barbed wire sunset
It’s only a small climb to the top of the field at Einar, but the view is so rewarding at this time …
The Limpet Twins
Limpets are a personal favourite of mine; especially with garlic. No, seriously I love the rock-licking kneecaps a great deal. Here they …
Raven over rooftops
There’s a Raven over my roof. Here it is with the top of my capped-off chimney below it. Its wingtips are lit …
Gannet
Walking along the Bay of Tafts I’m sad to see the body of a Gannet. Its fragile ribs and delicate feathers are …
Boulders on my border
The mini-boulders on Westray’s beaches are a never-ending source of stripes and spots of beautiful muted colours.
Guano bicycle
All it takes is one broken window and the birds get in. When the birds get in they need a perch. And when the birds perch they leave fertiliser.
A smile on their face
The woodcarver who made this pair of birds in St Magnus Cathedral had a smile on their face. They look like lovebirds to me.
Urtica
There are lots of Nettles at Einar. Their scientific name is Urtica dioica, with urtica meaning to burn. They certainly do.
Cracks in the paving
I could stand and stare at the stone Orkney beaches for hours; and I sometimes do.
Hinges on St Magnus Cathedral
I love these ornate hinges on the doors to St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall.
Leftovers
There’s very little left of this carcass at Noup Head.
The Orkney Museum
I love the Orkney Museum in the centre of Kirkwall, opposite St Magnus Cathedral. One of the mind-blowing exhibits is a carved …
The lost sock
There’s a lost sock impaled on the barbed wire at Noup Head. The other one is probably still inside your duvet cover …
The ruins remain
On Westray the ruins of old buildings litter the farming landscape. Memories of the lives lived in joy and hardship linger around …
Rock pool gardens
The rock pools of Westray are magnificent underwater gardens. Here, red Coral Weed makes a frondy jungle.
Razorbill
I didn’t even see this Razorbill on the cliffs last summer at Noup Head until The Puffin Whisperer pointed it out to …