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Thursday 21 July 2011

Farewell to Stromness....



"Farewell to Stromness" to quote the title of a piece of music by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies. Monday and Tuesday this week the tall ships began leaving Stromness Harbour to sail up to Lerwick for the next leg of the Tall Ships Race.  It was sad to see them go, but so lovely to have been able  to see them.  Here's the last lot of photos......sigh....

Svanhild and Sorlandet in harbour


Masts seemingly intertwined.


Beginning to sail away






A favourite "folk" song in Orkney is "Lonely Scapa Flow" - it charts the rise and fall of Scapa Flow's fortunes throughout the ages. It seems really appropriate having just watched the ships sail away. Here is a recording of young Andrew Mowat of Graemsay singing the song and playing the guitar too - click here





5 comments:

  1. Superb photos, Sian and glad to see the glimpses of blue sky - more than enough to make a sailor a pair of trousers :-)

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  2. What beautiful ships. I used to live near Greenock and we'd always go down to see them berthed on the Clyde before the next leg. We were also lucky enough to catch a tall ships' race in Funen when we visited Denmark a couple of years ago. Those tall masted ships always make me want to run away to sea. Ooh, and we saw a yole when we left Stromness on da ferry last summer - lovely wee boats.

    'Farewell to Stromness' has long been a favourite piece of mine. I am even trying to learn it on the piano - quite a challenge for the musically inept!

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  3. Perpetua - Oh how I treasure blue sky this summer!

    Harriet - Thanks!

    DB - I just love seeing the ships in sale. And yes the yoles are lovely boats - though I would only go on one in flat calm as I'm not much of a sailor! I'm impressed you have tried to learn Farewell to Stromness!

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