A chap with an attitude problem
A chap with an attitude problem… and a bull. A quick cycle to the Bay of Swartmill in the sunshine with my …
Lay me down in a field of daisies
A trek to Noup Head Lighthouse and time to rest and use my Spinner 360 camera to capture the scene. “Lay me …
Martin
It’s time for a trip to see Westray Potter, Martin Terrell at his studio and I’m grateful that he’s agreed to throw …
Lawyers’ Wigs and a bug’s-eye
The fields on the ride to Noup are covered in Lawyers’ Wigs, no not the wigs of lawyers, but a mushroom also …
Birds’ nests look so simple
Birds’ nests look so simple until you try to imagine making them with only your mouth and feet.
For the love of Rhubarb
It’s time for a cycle trip to the Westray shops – all three of them – to see what rhubarb treats they …
Leaving my keys
It’s time to cross from the Mainland (and that’s the name for the main island of Orkney, not the UK mainland) to …
School in again all this week. As usual, lessons given in usual order but progress not so satisfactory. Seemingly the scholars are longing for the vacation.
Malc tends to the pigs
Malcolm tends to the pigs at Steenyha’.
Cattle on Noltland
The bones of wind and wave washed cattle litter the sand dunes of the Links of Noltland. Here are a couple I …
Remembering schooldays and a bucket with a wooden lid
Nancy remembers the Hall as it used to be; a school. So does Catherine. “It’s the first time I’ve been in here …
The Saltire and the burning bush
The Church of Scotland Kirk has a wonderful sign of the Saltire and the burning bush painted on a Westray stone flag …
Curly Kale at Dead Man’s Nose
Tommy is very kind. He’s decided I should have some of his green and some of his purple Curly Kale. Tommy’s garden …
Competitive Cabbages
The Westray Industrial Show is nearly upon us. It’s when folks here get competitive over cabbages, but not Tommy. He says more …
Under the weather
With this kind of treatment, Malcolm’s Steenyha’ pigs will never be under the weather, whether it rains or shines.
It’s fast, it squeals and it’s unbearably cute
Piglets are such tricky blighters to photograph; even when you hold them they wriggle. Here’s Malc with one of Molly’s litter. All …
Nine and a half pigs
A quick trip down the road to see Mr Pig today where Molly has produced 10 piglets, or nine and a half …
Needing a shave
Several days into my Westray trip and I need a shave. Molly the pedigree saddleback pig is nice and bristly this morning. …
With the grain
Orkney has precious few trees. And I mean precious. Perhaps I should say Orkney has a few precious trees. Windswept, almost barren …
To sit and marvel at the sky
There’s just time for some rough cycling down to the nearest beach at Taftend before sunset. It’s a chance to get off …
Sun
I’ve seen the sun rise, orange and luminous over the ocean from my bedroom window and now it’s time for me to see it set behind Fitty Hill. A glorious day.
Watching the world turn
There’s just time to wander down to Taftend on my bike to watch the sun set behind Fitty Hill.
Slate
On the roof two slates have cracked and fallen. I have a box of replacements ready, because on Westray one slate missing …
Rough grazing
Wind and weather conspire together to make Westray’s grass rough and tough. That’s essential for the ponies in my field. When the …
Driftwood and whalebone
The lack of trees on Orkney has meant that generations of people have relied upon driftwood and whalebone for building materials. Orkney’s …
Rusting metal buoy
Westray’s beaches are full of interesting finds. Whether it’s a groatie buckie (or Cowrie) on the tideline or the skeleton of the …
The view from my window…
… is of nothing but fields and clouds and ocean.
Summer Visitors
It’s wonderful to see that the Swallows who visit Orkney in the Summer to breed have done so well. There are at …
Westray is an Island with a sense of community. Large extended families live here, with a high possibility of seeing distant relations on a daily basis. That’s one of the factors that leads to a low … → 8 September, 2010