The eyes have it
Visiting Westray as a tourist, one thing must strike you; You’re on holiday on someone’s farm. There are beautiful beef steers everywhere. …
“What’s going on?”
“What’s going on?”
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.
Handsome chap
Red Bull. All I need now is the vodka.
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 …
Beware of Bull
Beware of Bull? That’s strange. I didn’t see any politicians on the way here.
“I know whose ducks they come from.”
Whenever I tell someone on Westray how excited I am that I’ve just bought some duck eggs the response is always the …
The Kelp Store
One of Orkney’s most important exports used to be the ash from Kelp, the seaweed which is regularly washed ashore by storms …
Holland Farmstead
Wandering on Papa Westray it’s impossible to miss Holland Farm. It’s a hugely impressive steading which once owned the island of Papa …
Free Range Eggs Sold Here
Cycling past the turning to the Bay of Swartmill I spot this great sign on a disembodied fridge door. Inside the intact …
Intelligent Sheep
I’m wandering up to the cliffs at Noup Head to take some photographs of the Gannets. I decide not to when I …
Eggs on the doorstep
I arrive back from a day out exploring and there are freshly laid eggs on the doorstep from my kind Island friend. …
Lamb Chops
I stop my bike on the main road and see three lambs. They look delicious.
Prizewinning vegetables
What I say is that, if a fellow really likes potatoes, he must be a pretty decent sort of fellow. – A. A. Milne
The best Potatoes, Long, White (4)
A brilliant plate of potatoes by Jean Drever. She’s such a talent in the vegetable garden. I only like food without color, …
The other man’s cabbage is always greener
An entry to the 78th Annual Westray Industrial Show in the Community Hall.
No prizes
…for guessing in which field the horses have been grazing.
Snuffle, oink, scratch
The pig needs a scratch so bicycles are stopped, bristles are rumpled. What a fine looking pig.
Lambing
Lambing is a wonderful time; quivering tails and wobbly legs are always a pleasure at this time of year. Cycling past the …
Turnips like melons
Living on a small island gives people a different mentality. Living on Westray ranks somewhere between living on the main islands of …
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 …