August 2022

1st August – I’m not fully back on track with this blog, so I will try and fill some gaps.

Our New Zealand flax has performed well this summer and produced four large flower stems, flaxes seem to have done well all over Orkney this year.

9th August – With H and I shielding we avoid going into shops as much as possible, so we’ve been getting grocery deliveries from a well known supermarket who shall remain nameless (Tesco). We are lucky to have the local fish supplier provide a doorstep service on Tuesdays, selling excellent, freshly caught, fish.

The van jingle sounds like an ice cream van but is, appropriately enough, playing “When the boat comes in”.

12th August – After a difficult few weeks for H, things seem to be improving (fingers crossed). For obvious reasons we’ve not been out and about very much, so we haven’t had much to report. We’ll try to get back into the routine of posting in Scapa Views.

Although the past few weeks have been wet and windy our wildflower patch has done fairly well and has attracted a lot of bees and butterflies. We’ll gather the seed again this year and try and increase the planting for next year.

To add to the colour in the south end, we have the artwork in the GMB garden and the yacht club sails.

13th August – A trip to Kirkwall shows how the residents are embracing modern technological advances with the arrival, in the town, of this horseless carriage. Many residents, however, are concerned at the impact this development will have on the town’s saddlers and farriers.

15th August – The neighbouring island of Graemsay is the least populated of Orkney’s islands, with twenty-three inhabitants. It is served by a ferry of the same name, operating out of Stromness. Occasionally traffic congestion becomes too much and they have to take the other car off the island!

26th August – As it was a sunny day we went for a run up to Birsay. Known for the great views and its tidal island, Birsay is always busy with tourists. Here we see the causeway exposed at low tide making it possible to walk to the island and visit lighthouse and the ruins of the Norse church built in the 12th century.

Carrying on from Birsay, we stopped at the small harbour of Tingwall. Tingwall has a RoRo ferry which serves Rousay and some of the smaller islands in this area.

27th August – We ventured down to Burwick which is at the southernmost tip of the Orkney archipelago. From here, on a clear day, you can see Scotland. In this hazy picture we can see the multi-coloured houses in John o’ Groats, 12km away. Tacky or what?

This next photo shows the ill-fated MV Alfred sitting at the terminal in Gill’s Bay, waiting to make the perilous crossing to St. Margaret’s Hope. ( See 6th July post )

Gill’s Bay is the third ferry terminal linking Scotland with Orkney after Aberdeen and Scrabster. For reference, Gill’s Bay is 16km away (10 miles), I used a 500mm lens that needs cleaning.

31st August – A bit of excitement on Shorewatch this morning as a pod of common dolphins spent some time feeding in Hoy Sound. They are occassional visitors here, so it was great to see them.