Drips
Drips of water run down the cliffs on Westray.
Westray sea cave
Wandering along the coast of Westray it’s sometimes hard to tell what’s in the cliffs below. Only when there’s a promontory can …
Wet pebbles
The pebbles are beautiful and wet inside the mouth of this sea cave on Westray.
It’s getting late at the Bay of Tafts
I love sunsets at the Bay of Tafts. The sun is getting lower and there’s a warm glow in the sky.
Seaweed on the shore
All it needs is a little rough weather and the beach at Grobust is filled with beautiful seaweed.
Early blue light
I usually have no idea what the dawn is like. I’m sure that if you looked at the number of photographs I …
Busy building
Someone was busy building with stones on Mae Sands. Clever hands made this beautiful bottle-shaped construction.
Miniature rock stack
There’s a beautiful miniature rock stack on Westray. It’s slippery at dawn as I clamber down to the beach to see it.
Patterns in the sand
There are billions of tiny almost indistinguishable grains of sand yet together they can make the most wonderful patterns. We are all …
Alive
The fact that I’m alive is so incredibly unlikely. To be here now, to witness the Earth turning around the Sun, is a privilege.
The bit in-between
Winter days on Westray are very much like the short flight between Westray and Papa Westray. The flight is the shortest scheduled …
The worms of Woo
Lugworm casts litter the beach at the Sands of Woo on Westray.
The Bay of Noup
The Bay of Noup looks to have beautiful sand on this rocky and rugged coastline.
The Grip of Cleaton
The history of Westray is told in two small volumes. One is its telephone directory, with its handful of names, many of …
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.
Lighthouse in the rain
Noup Head lighthouse on Westray reflected in a puddle of rain.
Letting go of your own shadow
When the plane from Westray takes off I’m just over the wheels and I see us let go of our own shadow, …
Gannets fly past while the sun sets at Noup Head
The evening is idyllic. Sunshine, hail, rain and a double rainbow in just five minutes. The gusty wind means the Gannets are …
Finally, the truth about Orkney Skies
There’s a wonderful Orkney Sky Facebook Group which I joined a little while ago. It’s got over 2,500 members and some really …
On a clear day
On a clear day in Westray you can see the Mainland. No, not the mainland of Scotland, but Orkney Mainland.
Westray Sunsets
Tonight we chased the sunset over Westray. First there was a walk along the Bay of Tafts. Then a view of high …
A fine day on Westray
A fine day on Westray is better than being anywhere else on earth.
Sunset over Einar
If I’m being pedantic, it’s actually sunset next to Einar, rather than sunset over Einar, but I’m hoping you’ll forgive me.
Daisies on the walk to Grobust
I love Grobust beach. The walk down to it from the car park is covered in daisies.