Death to Drosophila #2
Isn’t technology wonderful? The advancement of science never ceases to amaze me. Instead of bashing fruit flies with my precious copy of …
Mobile Madness
Teenagers. A month away with no cooker, fridge or washing machine is fine for the three of them. But a month without …
Lady Kirk
In 1136, Earl Rognvald went to church at Pierowall in Westray at the start of his campaign to subjugate Orkney. Or at …
Wheeling Steen
A morning trip out on [[Westray]] leads me to the Wheeling Steen gallery and tea rooms. It’s hard to believe quite how …
Bulls
It seems that in every field of valuable cattle is a magnificent beast – the even more valuable bull. Strange fellows, with …
Orange Glow
The side of Fitty Hill is bathed in the orange glow of sunset as I reach the summit at 169m.
Climbing Fitty Hill
A miserable grey day of rain and more rain. The Met. Office say it will clear later. What do they know? I’d …
Cash Pointless
Westray is small and remote but not that small and remote. It has hotels, B&Bs, restaurants (in the hotels) a takeaway (twice …
The Sands of Woo
Worm casts at the Sands of Woo.
The Bay of Tafts
The Bay of Tafts
An afternoon with an Otter
A cycle ride to Mae Sands and a picnic of bread, cheese and water with a nice apple. Mae Sands is so …
Pitter patter on the window
It’s late at night and I’m sitting on the wide window ledge in the kitchen. The light is on and the curtains …
The Knowe o’ Skea
Looking out from the Knowe o’ Skea Iron age burial ground across the skerries towards Rousay in the distance.
Running away to the circus
No, not that kind of circus. I mean Circus cyaneus, the Hen Harrier. Sitting in the window seat looking over the fields …
Will you still love me when I’m grey?
The wind whistles on Westray today and clouds shroud the hills as I hear the wind saying “Will you still love me …
Making Hay
Yesterday was a wonderful sunny day so farmers were busy cutting the grass to make hay whilst flocks of gulls followed. The …
Noup Head Panorama
Noup Head is my destination by bicycle today, as it was yesterday. The crushed stone path is so rough that my bicycle …
Gannets
Gannets have started breeding on the Noup Head cliffs and are taking over many of the narrow ledges and expanding the number …
Washing by hand
I’m not someone who likes to air his dirty laundry in public. That’s why I bring you only my cleanest pants and …
Weather and wildlife strip the carcase clean
A 16 metre-long adult Sperm Whale beaching its carcase on the Bay of Tuquoy in 2007 was a source of much excitement …
The smell of fresh bread
“Would you like some eggs?” our Westray neighbour asks. She’s very kind. She’s a real life faerie princess (“The UK’s leading exponent …
They call it flagstone…
… because it’s stone and breaks naturally into flags. The whole Island of Westray is made of it. Perfect flagstone paving everytime. …
Slugs and Fine China
When you move to an abandoned house there are always inhabitants who need to be evicted. Some are simply guests. Some are …
With the dirt on…
Fresh veg. With the dirt on. Straight out of the garden and onto the rack at Pierowall Fish. I’ll have some of …
Decks may be slippery…
Today was a full day on the Mainland of Orkney for the Orkney County Show. A trip on the ferry is always …
The Westray Foot
Evie’s sculpture of The Westray Foot from pebbles collected at The Bay of Swartmill.
Clootie Dumpling at the Haff Yok Cafe
Yesterday was the premier of my bicycle and me conquering Westray. I cycled the full length of the Island and it felt …
Hume Sweet Hume
I’m a man and I love knitting. There, I feel better for unburdening myself already. Craftwork. Fine and designer knitting. Italian yarns. …
“Perseid meteor shower peaks tonight” – the Guardian
I’m sitting in a dilapidated school building. It’s on a remote Scottish Island called Westray which is an hour and a half …