David at the HALL of EINAR

Europe’s most complete Neolithic village

Skara Brae is exceptional. The eight houses there form Europe’s most complete Neolithic village. The domestic houses were occupied 5,000 years ago …

Floatel

The Safe Zephyrus is a floating hotel in Orkney’s Scapa Flow. I wonder if i can find it on AirBnB? According to …

Is it just me?

Is it just me or does the Orkney island of Flotta look quite barren from the air?

North Ronaldsay

The island of North Ronaldsay is famous for its sheep who live on seaweed and are kept off the fields by dry …

Midhowe Broch from the air

Midhowe Broch on the Orkney island of Rousay looks amazing as we fly above it. There are 4.5 metre wide walls which …

Stronsay

Stronsay looks beautiful and green from the air. Strjónsey: Old Norse for “Good fishing and farming island”

North Gaulton Castle

North Gaulton Castle is an amazing rock stack – especially from the air. It was used as a car advert in 1994: …

Rackwick Burn

Rackwick Burn sounds like an unfortunate little rash but is actually the name of a small stream on the Orkney Island of …

The Old Man of Hoy

The reason most climbers come to Orkney is The Old Man of Hoy. In fact he isn’t a very old man at …

Flying over Flotta

I was amazed to find out that anyone lives on Flotta. I thought the entire Island had been evacuated to build one …

Will

Will is my oldest friend, and by that I don’t mean that I’ve known him the longest; but that is also true. …

A Raven circles

A Raven circles over Marwick Head looking for carrion. I’m not carrion yet, not while I still have a pulse to make …

She loves me, she loves me not, she loves me

Lying on the grass in evening sunshine.

Light Aircraft

I didn’t realise until today that the best way to see the Orkney Islands is by light aircraft. Lamb Holm is a …

I’ve always loved the work of Orkney craftsman Fraser Anderson. I had a beautiful ‘creepie’, an Orkney milking stool, made by him for many years, but I’ve never had the chance to visit his workshop. It was a stroke of luck when I saw the sign for his Orkney Handcrafted Furniture when driving past late one afternoon and realised he would still be open. Thankfully, he was and proved as charming as his craftwork.

Palace Stores

The shop in Birsay, Palace Stores, was a source of great relief today. The Orkney Ice Cream was delicious (I recommend Raspberry), …

Mobilisation by Shame

Looking at the mass of poppies outside St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall, it’s hard to comprehend the sheer scale of the death and destruction.

The Battle of Jutland – 100 years of memories

May 31st marks the 100th anniversary of The Battle of Jutland where the main fleets of the British and German navies fought …

Weeping Window

I prefer the story “The fabulously wealthy rob us of our rightful taxes and expect us to be grateful to them when they abuse shell charities to fund their own self-indulgent and self-aggrandising projects.” That’s not how the story of Lady Susie Sainsbury’s benevolence gets told.