Boats.....

 

I get a good view from the back of the house of the various boats that sail into and out of Stromness harbour.  It was a particularly grey day when I took these photos, but there was some unusual activity as two new tugs had been delivered for Orkney Harbours.  They had arrived that day from Turkey where they had been built.  After sea trials and "snagging" they are now actively working in Scapa Flow. Unfortunately I missed them arriving but they are lurking in the photo above.  Two tugs, with their white decks above the green island......

The Hamnavoe ferry which sails to Scrabster on the Scottish Mainland was kicked out the harbour for their arrival!  Here she is in this photo.  Northlink - er.... pointing East....

And our wee island ferry was also kicked out of the harbour and lurked just outside for a while... Not sure why, but one of my neighbours is a skipper on the tugs and we joked that he needed all the room he could get to practice reversing the tug! Haha!

And one of the new pilot boats had escorted the tugs in too.  Orkney Harbours have certainly spent some money this year!  Though they make a lot of money from the oil terminal on Flotta, and in a normal year from cruise ships.  This is not a normal year....

Fishing vessels and dive boats in the harbour....

And a vessel that supplies the oil rigs and related industry sailing past....