A trip "up West"....

Ah now in my younger days a trip "up West" meant hopping onto the train for a 30 minute train journey to the West End of London.  Now it means a wander along the West coast of the Orkney Mainland.

Yesterday was grey with a flat light (no that's not a new coffee).  But I met up with G for - er - coffee and teacake before setting off to play with cameras.

Yesnaby is one of my favourite places. Rugged old Sandstone cliffs with stunning views across land, sea and islands. On a clear day you can see the North coast of Scotland, and it was faintly visible in the distance, but not good enough for a photo.

Some of the cliffs slope alarmingly....

A pool as still as glass...

Lovely little plants colonising some steps.

The building on the sky line is the remains of a WWII building which formed part of the defense of the coastline.

I love the way the sea has carved out the landscape, and each winter adds to the sculptural effect.

Looking towards Kitchener's Memorial and Marwick Head

And the view in the other directiion looks towards Hoy (Graemsay is just round the corner!). You can just see the "Old Man of Hoy" peaking round the corner to the right.

The "Old Man" looking rather like a Henry Moore sculpture...

There was a large dog having a fantastic time loping along the pathway across from where we were....

G. taking a photo of Hoy....

Looking "far out West" to Canada! I love the patterns on the sea made by the current, and they are echoed in the clouds in the sky.

Further along the coastal path is a small sea stack called "Yesnaby Castle" - you can just see the top of it poking above the cliffs.

The sea turns turquoise in places....

On top of the hill we were standing on was a small cairn, walkers over time had laid a stone or two to mark the spot.

Inside it's hollow with stones lying higgeldy-piggeldy....

And looking back across the farming landscape....

Bales of straw lying in the field.....

Parallel lines across the field....

Splashes of colour on a grey day.... a lone sea pink among the dead-heads...

Seaweed on the shore, rocks and plants long over from summer.

We came across some wee Turnstones preening themselves.

And we also found some "magic mushrooms" on our way back to the car, but we left those well alone!

I hope you enjoyed your trip "Up West"!