ORKNEY SUNDAY

TINGWALL HARBOUR

In the Sunday sun we drove northwest back to the Broch of Gurness to again wander at this wonderful settlement and gaze at the stones. 

St Magnus Churchyard

It was a lovely day and each stone in each wall delighted in the sun.

On the way we stopped at Tingwall Dock, which serves Rousay and Egilsay. A lot of cars on the quay but no sign off life, everyone must have taken off for the day! Bird watching? Exploring? It was probably too windy for diving, maybe fishing?  

Weekend pursuits in Orkney.

The return to Gurness

THE WEEKEND IN THE ORKNEYS

Milbrig  Our home on Orkney

Saturday morning a bright clear morning with much sun. We sat outside and read and laid plans for Kirkwall Library and then onto Mull Head, Deerness on the East Mainland. We thought Kirkwall Library might contain records of where the Birmingham University’s Department of Ancient History, and therefore Sian was digging a Picts site in 1981.

No luck in the library and as we drove out to Deerness a thick mist descended on the peninsular! We drove on think we found the field, near Skaill Farm where most of the work was done.  Just before this we thought we found the old school when she and a group of 20 other students stayed during the three-week dig. Enquiring at Deerness Stores we met a farmer who confirmed the old school as the place and also supplied the wheelbarrows for the dig each year. So the mist (of time) partially lifted.

Orkney  Some of the places we have visited 

FRIDAY AND BACK TO SKARA BRAE

We had booked to go into Maeshowe, also on the West Mainland, a complete Neolithic tomb.

Inside Maes Howe

This is a ticket-only experience so with eight others and we were taken to the tomb by our guide George from Sunderland.

Outside Maes Howe towards the coast 

The tomb is about 7 metres square and 7.5 meters high, is reached through a 10 meter passage through which one walks hunched up there are chambers leading off each of three walls.

This is another Orkadian treasure and was embellished by the Vikings in the 1100’s when they discovered it by accident and used it as a resting up place in bad weather. They left Runic inscriptions on the walls of stone, which were deftly translated in a Geordie lilt by George.

Skaill House - 'new build'

We parked and walked across Skara Brae again; a complex of stone built houses and connecting passages. A settlement that was occupied from 2500 BC until 2000 BC; it was wonderful to gaze down into these homes; about five out of a total of ten are clearly visible.

“New Build” was how Christopher (see Wednesday) described Skaill House situated across the fields from Skara Brae.

Skaill build in the 17C and home to the Lairds of these lands until recently. An enterprising heritage scheme ‘froze’ the house in a moment of time, the 1950’s? This allowed us and a part of Italians to wander round the dinning room, library, upstairs drawing room and bedrooms of this isolated house that looks out to sea. The set of some Evelyn Waugh novel came to mind with Basil Seal coming up for the weekend.  We looked at the all the tea services and domestic crockery out on display and decided it was time to return home for Tea.

THURSDAY: CATHEDRAL AND COURTS

St Magnus The nave and north transcept 

We’d booked into a tour of St Magnus Cathedral. I’d signed the ‘I am not suffering from vertigo or claustrophobia’ form.  After the first flight of stone steps and we were only in the Triforium when I asked to be excused from the rest of it.

So Sian did the whole thing including a view from the roof/spire across the entire area of Kirkwall.  At ground level, sitting the calm and empty nave I made two drawings and marvelled at the red sandstone and lofty height of the place, which rivals any cathedral on the mainland. This is a charming church; a mixture of red sandstone and honey coloured stone both of which were hewn local. It is a lofty place reaching up so very high and seen for miles around as it should be.

Memorial Stones

Literally across the street is the Palace of the Earls and Bishops palace. Our Scottish Heritage ‘Rover’ Pass let us in without let or hindrance. In the afternoon sun this renaissance palace was the colour of honey and imposing.

The work of Earls of Scotland who were in turn put to the sword as soon as the place was completed, a tough end for such hard work.

Renaissance in the north