Along the Stromness waterfront

 

Along the waterfront

I love the Stromness waterfront.  Many of the old houses are built on piers, and have slipways tinto the water.  This is similar to Norwegian fishing villages apparently.

Some building work going on along the pier to one of the houses....

A boathouse at the end of a pier, and a former church is now a venue for community events including plays and concerts (the Town Hall)

Orkney Harbours have brought two new tugs into commission recently.  These are the two older ones - not sure what their fate is...

And this is the Golden Marianna.  It usually sails between the tiny island of Papay Westray and the larger island of Westray.  It's in Stromness going for an annual check.  It will then come on service for Graemsay while our  ferry goes for annual checks.  It's never popular on Graemsay as the vessel isn't that easily accessible, particularly if you are trying to carry shopping.  No cargo requiring havy lift crane can be delivered either - though we are given fair warning so we can get things delivered before or wait until our "proper" ferry returns.  With Covid-19 regulations this vessel can also take few passengers and has little outside space.  However it should only be on for a couple of weeks so we will make the best of it.

I loved watching the waves as the ferry cut through the water....

Spring ploughing along the Stromness coast....

Home again - a rainbow over Graemsay.....

View from Sandside over the bay on a sunny day.

More water problems on the island.....

 

So about 3 weeks ago we had an interruption to our mains water supply on the island.  Bottled water was shipped over, and then a large bowser was placed at the pier so ships could bring over water to fill it, which was then temporarily linked to our mains water supply and at least we had water coming out of taps and into cisterns!  Four days with no mains water makes you realise just how much we depend on it!  It took several days to locate the leak, which turned out to be below the tide line over on the island of Hoy.  Eventually it was fixed and we had another few days with a "Boil your water" notice.  Two weeks later we are still experiencing some problems with lots of air in the system, but apparently the water is safe to drink.  Anyway here are a few photos of the equipment brought to the island!

Above a local farmer is transporting one of the mini-diggers that were brought over to the island to investigate the leak.  Our island ferry doesn't have the lifting capacity for anything large so Scottish Water chartered some work boats (largely from the renewable energy sector that work in these waters) to bring over anything heavy as they have much bigger cranes.

Plenty of water was brought over in bottles on pallets.  It was a foul night when this arrived with water over the pier, and neighbours collecting it on trailers to put at the top of the pier.  Folk were expected to go and collect themselves but as usual, neighbours delivered to those of us unable to manage heavy packs of water (including me!)

And the bowser and pump with pipes to connect to the mains water system on the island....

As well as household there are a number of farms on the island and it was crucial to be able to get water to the farms, particularly where in-calf cows were in sheds.  So Scottish Water did move swiftly to try and resolve the water shortage.  

Unfortunately the water is still very cloudy (air in the system) two weeks later, so although it is fit to drink, we are battling to get the engineers to come out again and vent the system.  It still comes out of taps spitting and snorting, and is very cloudy. Hopefully this can be resolved soon too!

As well as equipment for the water mains, the pier is quite crowded with containers as workmen from Orkney Harbours are out replacing railings and fenders around the pier and a new system of livestock gates are being installed.  As I've mentioned previously, there is no roll on-roll off ferry serving the island so everything has to be lifted on and off by crane.  Including sheep and cattle as well as anything else that cannot be carried up the steps by hand.  

Hope you enjoyed this wee snapshot of life on Graemsay!

Along the shore....

 

The scale of the cloud is only fully appreciated when you look at the farm buildings at the base!  

Low cloud drifting over the hoy hills.  All calm in Sandside Bay

A wren who was quite cross that we were invading his/her territory.  Hopefully NOT nesting in these creels or they will get a nasty surprise once fishing starts again!

Button likes life on the edge....

I can't wait for the land to start to green up again....

And a very low flying RAF Hercules (they are often on training flights over Orkney).  OK it looks like a bird - top left hand side...

Middle on this one...

Small white blob bottom middle - is a seal.... yes I know my camera skills leave a lot to the imagination!

Low cloud/mist over the hills of Orphir on the Orkney Mainland

Bejewelled leaves 

These stones are laid by the doors of the old house/byre.  Much less slippery when wet than the traditional flagstones.  They may have been a later addition when the old house was turned into a stable for the farm horses and byre for the cattle.

And later in the afternoon the sky cleared.....

A trip to Stromness....

 

I had cause to make a quick trip across the water to the Orkney Mainland a week or so ago. The weather wasn't conducive to much in the way of photography but here are a few snaps taken mainly in the shelter of the harbour!  Above are the hills of Hoy on the left, and the outskirts of Stromness on the right - straight ahead is Canada!  We weren't going there, just to Stromness......

I'm still very careful when out and about. Lots of hand washing/sanitiser etc.  So far we have gone 23 days without a positive test.  Though reportedly there is still Covid-19 in the community (sewage testing is taking place apparently). Over 40% of the Orkney population has had at least one vaccination now, and this week there are daily clinics to vaccinate those from 42 to 64 so things are moving on apace.  We are still in a Level 3 lockdown (so shops can be open but pubs are closed and restrictions on sports etc).  Children have begun returning to school in a phased approach too. But even with a lower risk than the rest of Scotland it has been seen in Shetland and the Western Isles how quickly things can take off again with just one or two cases.  So caution is observed - mask wearing on public transport mandatory and many of us will still wear masks outdoors.  

Anyway - back to photos....  Stromness harbour - the walkway for passengers boarding the Hamnavoe to the Scottish Mainland.  And a truck just loading onto the ship.  Um... I doubt the lorry is heading direct to Shetland given this boat goes South to Scrabster.....

The green boats are used for recreational diving.  Another industry hit by the pandemic.  The red boats are creel boats - fishing for lobsters etc

Fifty shades of red.....

Sailing home - Hoy High lighthouse on Graemsay and the Hoy hills on - er - the neighbouring island of Hoy...

Home again.... a flock of starlings descended on the grass in front of the house.  They over winter in Stromness, but spread out in Spring to find nesting spots and the barns nearby are a favourite.

Further signs of Spring - fluff-ball buds protecting the new green shoots beneath.

The miniature irises are a joy too - again early signs of SPRING!

Slowly signs of life again in the borders as all the tete-a-tete daffs appear.  Soon be time to clear some of the borders to let the new growth through.  But I leave things to die back in autumn with minimum clearing so it gives bugs a place to hide, and protects new shoots a bit from frost (fairly rare) and wind (common!).

And my current favourite.  I so want a frock in these colours!  Hellibore....

And at dusk - strange clouds!

Spring is sprung....

 

Click on picture to view

Well in terms of birds, Spring is Sprung....  at last after the relative silence of the Winter, the air is now filled with calls from oystercatchers, curlew (one of my faves), lapwings (pee-wits), gulls (of course), geese (yup) as well as wrens, skylarks, sparrows, starlings etc.   The photo above was taken on the old pier at Sandside at high tide.  A lovely grouping of curlews, oystercatchers, purple sandpipers, red shanks, turnstones and ringed plovers, resting and waiting for the tide to ebb so they could start their search along the shore for food.

And a couple of closer shots......

And a photo I've been meaning to share for weeks, nay months! Taken by Graham Campbell with his drone camera on one of his walks over Scorradale in Orphir.....  The picture shows a light covering of snow over the landscape and the Hoy hills.  You can make out Hoy High lighthouse on the edge of Graemsay.

Photo credit: Graham Campbell

And some Spring weather!

 

For a few days we have had Spring!  I think it's known as a "false" Spring but it has been enjoyed by many as some respite from the cold and wet.  Temperatures are due to drop later this week, but for now it has been lovely to get out into the fresh air without the need for hats, gloves, scarves and multiple layers!  I even did a wee bit of sorting out in the garden - way to early for planting, but just cutting back some dead stems to give new growth a chance to come through.  So here are a selection of photos from the last week or so....

Some beautiful calm days along the shore....

Seaweed gently floating by the old lighthouse pier

Looking across Sandside Bay.....

Oh Button, no really don't go in the creels again.....

Of course she never listens.... fear not she can walk through the middle of the pile..... daft old bat....

But she enjoys a wander about.....

She does like posing!

Nature reclaims her own in the gentlest of embraces....

View from the old Sail Shed...

And the window of the sail shed....

The first flowers of spring are in bloom....  one of my favourite hellibores. I want a frock like this!

And Tete-A-Tete narcissi

And the wonderfully delicate Crocus....

This is one of my favourites  - the colour is as delicate as the flower....

The flower looks too delicate to hold the dew....

Some soft sounds of the shore......