A different view of a sunset.....

Just back from holiday in Ullapool (West Coast of Scotland). Catching up and will post photos of mountains and lochs sometime this week.  Meantime - above is the sunset from outside the cottage we stayed in at Rhue, just outside Ullapool. A cold beer and a sunset - lovely way to end a lovely week.  And before everyone asks - there were NO midges!!

Arrived back late last night - a ferry was put on to Graemsay and Hoy especially to get folk home from Stromness after the "Shopping Week" (gala week) final parade.  Lovely to get home even though it was rather late (11.30 pm). Saw the closing fireworks behind the "Hamnavoe" which I had sailed into Stromness on a few hours earlier.

(This one looks like the pier light is spitting fire!)

Surreal experience - coming out of the Co-op supermarket in town to see Vikings in the streets of Stromness!!  Then I realised it was Shopping Week and the Shetland Jarl Squad were in town.  Apparently they had visited one of the archaeological digs earlier in the week, in their full regalia. Think it startled the archaeologists to see a Jarl Squad wielding axes advancing on them!

Empty field....

A couple of weeks ago I showed you the cattle grazing in my field behind the house. They were enjoying the fresh green pasture and buttercups.  Well it didn't take them long to finish THAT lot off - as you can see in the picture above. Bare field!  They have now been moved onto fresh pasture, so they can continue to produce good milk for their calves and good Orkney Beef for the future! Very efficient recycling machines....

Meanwhile the field has had the roller over it (to roll out any deep hoof prints) and is beginning to grow back now. You can also see we still have leaden grey skies, though fortunately not the torrential rain of the rest of Scotland or UK.

Here the "coos" were a couple of weeks ago....

Remembering sunshine....

As I've mentioned countless times, the weather this summer is "changeable" to say the least. The weekend before I went off on my travels "south" the day started like the photo below with clouds hanging over the Hoy Hills, and ended up with the photo above - a stunning sunset.  I'll share a few more photos in this post taken that same beautiful evening.

Sandside Bay - our lovely sandy beach - the Hoy hills out of the cloud now!

This decaying boat is one of my favourite subjects

I love the "Cow" Parsley at this time of year

This is looking down our "main" road towards the beach

I love the reflection of the hills in the still water

There were no waves lapping the shore this evening. The sea hardly moved by the old Sandside pier...

The sun still had some way to go to set behind the West Orkney Mainland (and the old winch on the Sandside pier).

It was a magical and memorable evening.....

Back home....

(above: flying over Orphir, Walkmill Bay (sandy part) and Kirbister Loch)

Yes, I've been away for a few days (again), though I left you a couple of posts to entertain you ;-)  This time I've been to York (Northern England).  I've worked for the University of York for over 5 years now, and fortunately can do it all "at a distance". I'm a health researcher, and with the help of broadband it's possible to do most things online these days. I can keep in touch via phone and Skype, but a couple of times a year I visit the campus for a course or just to catch up with folk.

No sight-seeing time available this time. Though over the years I've "done" most of the sights. I did manage a trip to Betty's Tea Room. This has become something of a ritual when I visit, English Afternoon Tea with a few colleagues. Tea is served in silver tea pots, cakes on a stand, and a piano player too!  MMmmmmm lovely!  Though this time I think I overfaced myself with cake........

I'd hoped to glimpse a bit of "summer" - but the North of England is having a tough time this year, as is the rest of the UK.  It was warm (22 degrees C, 72 F) but NO SUN! Just lots of cloud, high humidity so it felt hot and sticky, and heavy thundery showers.  We've had a better summer in Orkney than York, and that is saying something given how changeable *our* weather has been! Anyway it was good to catch up with colleagues, and visit Betty's.


It was a joy to arrive home in Orkney on Friday night to blue skies, warmth and FRESH air.

Flying over Kirkwall

 I'd put on warmer clothing for coming home, but I didn't need it. I had a bit of a wait for the ferry home (we get a "late boat" at 9.30 on a Friday night) so joined neighbours in the upstairs bar of the Stromness Hotel for a quick drink. The Stromness Pipe Band were playing outside for folk walking about the town.

Button was pleased to see me, but after travelling for 12 hours all I wanted to do was fall into bed. So....some catching up to do (again) before another holiday due shortly. It's all go......

Cattle grazing....

My field behind the house is used for summer grazing. The cows and calves are enjoying the grass among the buttercups, accompanied, of course, by The Big Red Bull.  The bull grumbles around the field but is no bother - though I was slightly alarmed when he caught sight of his reflection in the conservatory windows!  Fortunately one of the cows distracted him, or I might have had him on the sofa next to me!

I love watching the calves in the field. Sometimes they gang together and start racing around, just like human kids!

Meanwhile, with the changeable weather, Button has caught up on nap-time....cuddling her favourite toy of course!  She is not best pleased when I "abandon" her to go on holiday. However she IS very forgiving upon my return.

St Magnus Festival

Each midsummer Orkney hosts the St Magnus International Festival with lots of art and cultural events going on around the County.  I missed most of it this year as I was away on holiday. However I was lucky to get a ticket for one of the lunch-time concerts in St Magnus Cathedral. This was a performance of Arakaendar, a choir from Bolivia, plus Florilegium. Both have been touring the UK this summer singing and playing a range of baroque music. The Bolivian Choir has been described as "exuberant" and "captivating" and they were certainly that! And more!  Florilegium played beautifully, some pieces with the choir and some on their own. It was a wonderful hour long concert really suited to the splendour of the St Magnus Cathedral. 

I love the cathedral and it was even more beautiful with the sun streaming through the windows.

As always with such events in Orkney, the street was buzzing with visitors. The weather was even good enough to sit outside the cafes!

And outside one cafe a local musician was "busking".

Meanwhile the carriage and horses were giving visitors a tour of Kirkwall.

There are various reviews and photos on the St Magnus Festival Facebook page (you don't have to be on Facebook to read them).


There are also some YouTube clips 


The RSNO orchestra arrive in Orkney

- this one filmed by one of the orchestra members who, it seems, were "glamping" (glamorous camping - though it doesn't LOOK very glamorous) outside the Pickaquoy Centre before the concert!

And a trombonist and Tuba plaery went to the Ring of Brodgar too!

Holiday time...

I got back just a week ago from a holiday in Guernsey in the Channel islands. My sister has lived there with her family for over 26 years and loves the island.  It's very different from Orkney, and when I bought a house here, she jokingly asked "Couldn't you find anywhere further in the UK from me?" - I replied that yes I could have moved the Shetland ;-)

Guernsey has over 65,000 population in an area of 30 square miles. Apparently with a density of 2,166 per square mile!!  Er - that's a much higher population density than Orkney!  There's very little "wild space" on Guernsey, though there are commons, woods, and lots of shoreline to explore.  Most of the houses are stone built, many are plastered/rendered and painted. It's very pretty and everywhere feels very "ordered".  I prefer the wildness of Orkney!  But then I never did very well with being "ordered". ;-)

This holiday was about spending time with family, my sister, niece and nephews and great-niece and nephew. I've had plenty of time over recent years to visit the "tourist" places so we just pottered around, some walks on the beach, sitting in cafes chatting over coffee, a little shopping.  And of course some partying as it was S.'s birthday so there was lots of cake and celebration. Guernsey is supposed to be the sunniest place in the UK - well technically Guernsey is a domicile of the UK but not part of it - it gets complicated! Anyway we did have a couple of days of sun and warmth, but mostly it was like the rest of the summer in the UK - changeable!  Anyway it that didn't matter we still had fun.

I got to see my great-niece's new pony, Alfie. Oh he's gorgeous and reminded me of my old pony, Badger.

We also went to visit Castle Cornet on an island just off St Peter Port in Guernsey. My wee great-nephew enjoyed wandering around and wanted to help the soldiers make "soup"!.

Guernsey is a popular place for sailing - folk arrive in yachts for holidays and most locals have boats too. This old quarry has been turned into a marina, with a lovely hotel nearby which sold excellent tea and cake!

And lots of sandy beaches to walk along (with nearby cafes for more tea and cake!)

I also had a flying visit (literally) to meet up with my brother and his family (including another great-niece who has just turned 1). They are scattered around the South of England. But we all met for an afternoon in South London before I headed off home to Orkney.

Lots of lovely memories till the next time.