Sunshine....

 After the snow, sleet, hail and gale we did finally get some sunshine and warm days.  A chance for lambs to enjoy the sun on their  backs, hens to help in the garden and me to enjoy just being outdoors again!

Above - you are never alone in the garden when you have hens!

If you click on the photo to enlarge you can see the Northlink Hamnavoe Ferry sailing into Stromness from the Scottish Mainland. That cloud is BIG!

Ewes and lambs enjoying the glow of the setting sun.

And then the sunset.....

From on the old lighthouse pier

Creels piled up on the old lighthouse pier

On the coral beach alongside the old lighthouse pier

And here comes the Hamnavoe ferry again...

And looking across the garden and old steading

And at bedtime, looking across to Stromness. I love it when the lights of the town reach across to tough the Graemsay shore...

Also thought I would share this link to a blog post of beautiful photos and poems by fellow blogger, Mark.

https://poemblog25.blogspot.com/

Random.....

 

Here are a few random pictures taken a couple of weeks ago now.  Just catching up after a week or so of gardening and adventuring off island (more of that later).  Above - snow on hills!  We had some snow around Easter (to be honest I lose track of time now I'm retired. Ha!).  

The view through the window! Nice and toasty indoors but felt sorry for the wee lambs outdoors!

I told Button she was on her own digging out the cat flap!  

A view from the hen house of Hoy High lighthouse...

Moody sky over the croft of of Quoynanapp

As there was a gale along with the snow I did a quick rescue trip to gather in some of the daffs before they got blasted.  Fortunately there were others not due out for a couple of weeks so they seem to have survived to provide nectar for insects.  There was a lovely fragrance around the house as I had clusters of daffs everywhere!

Fortunately the sun and warmth returned and Spring could get back on with renewal.  Here are Dolores (front) and Lola (rear) enjoying a rootle around the garden....

A trailer full of lambs!  Some had "plastic macs" on to help protect against the rain and snow.

Who knew there were pandas on Graemsay!

And another sign that Spring is definitely here - the sun sets this side of Graemsay now!

A calm sea and beautiful sky, what a lovely end to a day.

A different ferry.....

 

While our usual ferry, the MV Graemsay, is away on it's annual refit (boat equivalent of an MOT) we have a replacement vessel for a couple of weeks.  In the past this has been the Golden Marianna, a very old boat, not easily accessed even if you are fit, and takes a limited number of passengers and no cargo.  This boat has been needing replaced for many years.  Finally a "new" boat was bought by the local authority. Much controversy has surrounded this vessel as to suitability etc.  Costs are unknown but the vessel was purchased for £500K and has had new engines, new crane and other modifications made.  It was a former river cruiser in Norway.  Anyway this last week or so island residents had an opportunity to sail on her and here are some photos.  She's called the "Nordic Sea".  

Now she had completed standing in for our ferry she has sailed up to the island of Papa Westray, on one the Northern Orkney Islands.  There she will sail between "Papay, as the island is known, and Westray. Taking children back and forth to school and any residents or visitors who want to go over to the larger island of Westray. There is also a 7 minute air service between the islands!!

Anyway here are a few pictures of my sail over on the Nordic Sea - it has a ramp at the bow, which was at quite a steep angle on arrival at Stromness.  Depending on pier and tide either the ramp at the bow is used, or stepping off the rear deck onto the pier steps.  You have to be fairly agile for either!

Up the ramp we go!

When you get to the top....

Pulling up the drawbridge - haha!

Inside the cabin is very smart.... easily accessible toilets too....

The vessel can seat about 35 I think from a quick count.  A few tables too.  And the school kids will be happy as there are power points by each seat so they can charge their devices on the way to and from school!  No refreshments on board though.  However on some of the more Northerly Orkney Islands the ferries do have a cafe as the journey time is often 2 hours from port to port.  On our Graemsay ferry we usually have a coffee machine.  Wonder if they will put something on this posh "new" boat?

To enter the cabin you have to be able to step over the entrance.  But it's lower than on our usual ferry which for me means potentially less scraping of shins!

This wee boat can't take cargo either, although hand carried parcels can be delivered.  But we are usually given fair warning when our own ferry will go away so we make arrangements to get deliveries before and after!

Sailing past the island of Graemsay a while ago (when we had snow).  She makes quite a noise in comparison with our usual ferry.  I could hear her coming round from Hoy!

The weather was comparatively calm when she was sailing between Graemsay, Hoy and Stromness. So it will be interesting to hear how she gets on in roughter weather....

A visit to the "Hup" (St Margaret's Hope)

 

I went off adventuring with a pal the other day to St Margaret's Hope, or "the Hope" or "the Hup" as it is known locally.  The Hup is a village in South Ronaldsay, now know as one of the linked South isles of Orkney.  However these islands (which include Burray too) were only linked via causeways as "recently" as WWII - 1944 (and actually not completed till 1945) via the Churchill Barriers. From Stromness I usually allow an hour to get there, although it's only about 20 or so miles.  But we don't have dual carriageways or motorways in Orkney! And getting stuck behind a tractor or heavy goods vehicle can fairly slow down progress.

Anyway - here are a few photos, which don't really show much of the village.  It was a chilly day with snow showers!  I have friends in the village so will be visiting again soon once that is allowed and can take more photos then.  But for now here is a glimpse.....

Above looks across the bay to the pier where Pentland Ferries sail from to Gills Bay on the North Scotland coast.  The ferry in port, a catamaran and fairly speedy.  This route is known locally as the "short sea crossing" and takes about 45 minutes.

A famous local writer, George Mackay Brown, said of the houses in Orkney that "they turned their shoulders to the wind". That is the gable ends are to the prevailing wind, usually with no windows.  Windows and doors reserved for the more sheltered (relatively speaking!) sides of the house.

An interesting, if rickety, staircase...

Love this old building. The stories it could tell!

Now this is definitely "living by the seaside"!

Along the street.....quiet eh?

These pictures were taken along Front Road, which borders the shore, hence Front..... and it's in Front of Back Road, which - er- runs at the back of Front Road....

Looking across the bay, the gorse is out.  I love the coconut smell of gorse on a warm sunny day.  This was not one of those days......

This was the weather that particular day - driving back to Stromness in a blizzard....

The view from Hoy......

 

From the top of Ward Hill to be precise!  Thanks to Trish Avis for a) climbing the hill and b) sending me these photos!  Stromness is on the other side of Graemsay in these photos....

And a closer look at Sandside and Hoy High lighthouse....

The view from the Stromness shore

 

Charlie Groundwater,  who lives in Stromness, goes out for a daily walk and sent me these photos of Graemsay in the recent show. I thought you might enjoy them too!  Above is Hoy High lighthouse.

Sandside.... not much snow here....

Hoy High again..... doubt there were picnics on that particular bench that day!

The beacon just outside Stromness

Hoy Low.... with the Hoy hills in the background....

And another snowy breezy one of Hoy High and Sandside....