Wait - where did August go?

 

Hadn't realised it was a while since I posted! Partly due to computer problems making accessing photos troublesome and partly - well.... I'm retired, so time is more fluid these days...... Anyway here are some photos from around Graemsay this month.  Above Sandside Bay, with Sandside (home) and Hoy High.  Across the water are the Orphir hills.

A panorama looking North across Graemsay, across the water the darker hills are Stromness, under a cloud.

Looking up West hill towards the old school, and the School House (on the left) and on the brow of the hill is Cott of School.  Some of the fields have been cut for silage.  However due to almost drought conditions in Orkney, the harvest is very poor this year.  Yield for silage is estimated to be about 30% down.  This probably will mean many farmers in Orkney will send more stock to market before Winter as they won't have enough feed.

Looking across to the croft of Dean, and the Hoy Hills beyond.

Looking back Northwards now (sorry you will get dizzy with swivelling your head about!), over yet another ruined croft to the farm of Fillets, on the hill.

A more distant view...

Further along the school road.  Sheep in the fields by Burra Sound, and Hoy Hills across the water

Across on Hoy is the remains of a WWII gun emplacement.  This guarded the mouth of Scapa Flow together with the gun emplacement on Graemsay and Ness Battery outside Stromness

The Hoy hills......

And back to Sandside bay

Evening light on my land at Sandside, looking over to just outside Stromness

And here again, this time looking towards Orphir.  In the evening I look out on this field and see Hen Harriers and a short-eared owl hunting among the grass.  Probably for mice as no voles on Graemsay.