A lot of weather about....

Winter is here with showers of snow, sleet and rain over the last few days, along with dropping temperatures and icy roads too.  I love the big skies in Orkney and the grand display of weather we get.  We get a lot of weather!  Above the Hoy High lighthouse stands out stark against an approaching heavy shower.

I've shared many pictures over the years of the ferry ride from Stromness, round Hoy to Graemsay, but it's a journey I love (except when it's rough!) and every season, every trip is different. So I'll share some more photos today!

The lighthouse next door always looks so big to me.  But in this photo (mid right) it looks tiny under the large cloud that is about to drop it's contents right on top of it!

The sun still tries to break through though

And spills down the hills on Hoy

The tide is high at the pier at Moaness on Hoy.  Some years ago I lived on Hoy for a few months - I used to hate driving down this pier as it has a distinct "dog-leg" in it.

The Hoy hills look dark and brooding, the dragon is sleeping.

Ice is collecting in the crevices at the top of Ward Hill (this was before the snow this weekend)

The old kirk is no longer in use (it's now a barn), but the kirkyard is still used. You can see some of the Victorian marble monuments standing against the weather. It's a lovely peaceful place to visit, surrounded by sheep most of the time. The buildings on top of the hill are part of the croft of Dean, now ruined and uninhabited.

Our water comes from a loch on Hoy - it runs down from the Hoy hills (pictured above) into Sanday Loch, is treated on the island and then pumped in a pipe on the sea bed to the water tank on Graemsay. This is where it comes ashore, near the kirk.

Most of the island cattle are now indoors in sheds, although the sheep are left in the fields.

And here's another cloud ready to drench the landscape again

Hope you enjoyed the ride!