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.
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 …
Sitting in a stall of hay at Quoygrew
A dirt floor. A stone hearth. An open fire. No glass or windows. A turf roof. Stone stalls with hay bedding. What am I describing?
Down the garden path at Quoygrew
My favourite part of the ruined house at Quoygrew is the garden path of the 13th to 16th Century house. What a …
The fifteen hearths of Quoygrew
Quoygrew is a 1,000 year old house on Westray which was lived in by Vikings from 950 AD, shortly after they arrived …
A sense of taste
Hardly any bird species have a sense of smell – and that probably means they have very little sense of taste either. …
The Bay of Skaill
It must be shell sand below for it to be so beautifully pale and for the water to be so turquoise. The …
Breck o’ Aikerness
The language that estate agents speak is not English as we know it. Breck o’ Aikerness was for sale recently. It may …
Seaweed, limpets, riots and arsenic
Burning seaweed on Westray used to be quite an industry. The island is still littered with low kelp-drying walls where the tangle …
When I first visited Westray I was amazed to see that everything was tied down. The wheelie bins; tied down. A static caravan; tied down. A trampoline; tied down, with a couple of helfy concrete blocks for good measure. When the wind blows here it blows to teach everyone a lesson.
I’m told that my friend who has the relatively high-sided box van no longer needs an inspection pit to view any problems with the axles or the exhaust. It has been laid on its side; by the wind. → 6 July, 2016
Addicted to Fulmars
Yes, it’s true; I’m addicted to Fulmars.
The Church of Scotland
From the air, the Church of Scotland Kirk looks just as imposing as it does when on the road below. I can …
Beautiful Pierowall
Pierowall is Old Norse for ‘Small Bay’. We seem to have forgotten that in modern times so Pierowall Bay means Small Bay …
Shelter
I’ve spent two entire days of my life crawling up the seashore measuring the height and diameter of limpets. The conclusion? Limpets …
These boots were made for walking
A rock arch on Westray, at Backarass.
Beware of Bull
Beware of Bull? That’s strange. I didn’t see any politicians on the way here.
Rock pool
Westray is full of wonderful rock pools. There are over 1,000 species of Sea Anemone on Earth. This looks like Actinia equina. …
Wheeling Steen
It’s a thrill to fly over Westray and see everything from a completely new perspective. I recognise the Wheeling Steen gallery below.
Trivia – where three roads meet
The scientific name of the beautiful Groatie Buckie is Trivia arctica. Its name comes from the Latin trivia, the plural of trivium …
Limpets on the edge
These three limpets are living on the edge. Their shells have been buffeted and battered so much by stones carried by the …
Pebbles, Cobbles and Boulders
I’ve always loved the Westray beach with “The really big pebbles.” I recently discovered that a pebble can’t be any bigger than 64 mm. I think this one must count as a cobble.
Majestic Fulmar
Fulmars historically bred on the isolated island of St. Kilda. They spread into northern Scotland in the 19th century, and to the …
Drip drip drip
If you ever feel as if what you do makes no difference, as if you’re up against overwhelming odds or pushing against …