Sea splash
Grobust is one of my favourite beaches on Westray. At one end are rocks which act as a roosting place for gulls …
Lighthouse shadows
I had an enjoyable time flying a drone this summer. I only set it up a few times, as I had to …
Fields like corduroy
I love the hay and silage fields on Westray. From above they look just like corduroy, with their parallel cords of cut …
What was this artificial island used for?
There are several large lochs on Westray. Naturally they’re in depressions in the landscape. The Loch of Burness is in a natural …
Grobust
Grobust is one of my favourite beaches on Westray. Can you see the bodyboarders with their bright boards? I love the slightly …
The pattern of Tangle dykes at Grobust
Westray has traces of a formerly thriving seaweed industry scattered above many of its shores. These kelp-drying walls are called tangle dykes, …
A flying visit
Our friend is coming out to Westray for a visit today. He’s flying his light aircraft over from the Orkney Mainland. I …
Scootie Allan over Muckle Water
Perhaps the best part of the coastline for walking in Westray is the west coast. The section from Mae Sands to Noup …
The Bay of Tafts
The Bay of Tafts is not quite, but almost, my nearest beach. It’s a five minute cycle ride away, although the time …
Not-so-cool bag
We’re out for the sunset and choose a beach with a view. There’s cloud and sunshine and the most beautiful atmosphere to …
Slip
It’s hard to see that cliffs are dangerous from the top of them. Seeing the Island from the sea gives a completely …
Sunset over Tafts
One of my favourite photographs from Orkney is Sunset over Tafts. It sums up the surprising drama of a landscape, which is …
The pool
There’s a rock pool fed with fresh water fram a tiny waterfall on the west coast of Westray. I love how green …
Atlantic Wave
I love walking the west coast of Westray. On a beautiful day there’s no place like it. I’ve been enjoying getting to …
If rocks could think and feel and see…
If rocks could think and feel and see then life would be very different from their perspective. These rocks are so contorted, …
Sunset and the whale
When you can see the horizon, on days when you can spin and see the sea and the clouds surrounding you, there’s …
Ravens and rocks
The west coast of Westray has some of the best walking in the islands. There are fossilised remains of ripples on the …
A rare fungus up the hill where mushrooms are taller than trees
I’m walking the remote western coast of Westray today. There’s enough phone signal for an emergency call and precious little else here. …
Sunset over the waves
It’s sunset on Westray and I’ve abandoned the car on the grass and marched off to the sea. It’s magnificent in this …
Splash!
The seas are magical here. There are exhilarating waves at the Knowe o’ Skea. Out on the skerries, the wary Shags gather, …
The North our home, the sea our friend #5
The turquoise water off Westray breaks like a lacework of ice, frozen at 1/2000th of a second.
Limpets and gypsum pseudomorphs
A fine day means the chance to walk the Westray coast: The blues are spectacular and the rocks are fascinating In the …
The Fulmars of Backarass
We’re walking down past Backarass on Westray. It’s a special landscape of shattered rocks and still pools: The weather is fabulous and …
The North our home, the sea our friend #4
Earth exists in a goldilocks zone for life; the temperature is just right for liquid water. We are all here because of …
The Orkney Ram
The three rams at Backarass are in a huddle. They are all fine, big boys but not quite yet of Derby Ram …
The North our home, the sea our friend #3
As soon as you look at the universe as a whole, everything looks very different. As soon as you look at something …
In salutem omnium
Noup Head lighthouse is a major feature of the coast of Westray. Planned in 1895, it was announced in Parliament because, “Her …
The North our home, the sea our friend #2
The north end of Westray is completely different from the south. There are bare cliffs, epic rock features and spectacular waves. Here’s …
The North our home, the sea our friend #1
In Latin, that’s ‘Boreas domus, mare amicus’. It’s the motto of Orkney. Isn’t the sea amazing? It’s the power and the fragility, …
2018 highlights of walking the Westray Coast 50
In 2017 I had a wild idea; I was going to walk the entire coast of the Orkney island of Westray in …