Northern Trip: Stromness and Westray

Today's activities start with a morning visit to Stromness, followed by a sailing to Westray in late afternoon, as I'm stopping at The Barn in Pierowall for the weekend. On the main road to Stromness, the bus passes a group of men pulling a truck all the way from Stromness to Kirkwall, a distance of 18 miles. They are at Tormiston Mill at 10.30. Alight at Stromness and walk down the main street. This is paved with slabs, is fairly narrow yet in use by vehicular traffic. Go up the road by the youth hostel and leave the town in a northerly direction. A scattering of showers come past. Presently head down a track to a cemetery and finally a beach. This overlooks the westcoast of Hoy, across the water. Sit there for a while before proceeding along the coastline on the top of the cliffs. Nice walk, but it's a bit windy today. Come out past the golfcourse and round the cape to the marin and the campsite. Have a spot of bother finding a path through both of them, but finally I manage to reach the road into Stromness. Children are swimming in the harbour, which would be cold. Cats are sunning themselves outside a house. Return to the ferry terminal in time for the lunchtime bus back to Kirkwall. Pass the lorry pullers at Finstown. Bus always passes through the industrial estate at Hatston before going into Kirkwall proper. Hatston also has the ferry terminal for services to Aberdeen and Lerwick. After the shopping I head for the youth hostel, and encounter a trailer full of boys and young men with blackened faces sitting amongst bags of coal. Jump on the ferry to Westray and arrive there after an uneventful if slightly lively crossing. Tell the busdriver at Rapness that I want the Barn at Pierowall, yet he manages to overshoot. He does reverse back for me. I report to the house by the hostel and am shown round by the proprietrix. It's a comfortable place, with a huge livignroom upstairs and a large kitchen downstairs. There are several bed rooms, but I have one for myself. This evening I also have the kitchen for myself. You have to place your food in larder boxes in order to keep it together. There is also a washing machine, but I don't need that. You have to be extremely careful on the backsteps; the slate slabs are slippery if wet, and the frequent showers have turned them into an icerink. After dinner, I head out for a walk. Initially, I take just a brolly, but one look to the west suggests I'd better put on waterproofs. It duly starts to rain, and by the time I reach the pier, it's blowing a hoolie and pouring it down. As if that's not enough, the rain gets interspersed with hail, which makes it a very painful experience. Darkness has fallen by now, and the cars don't see me - well, what do you expect with a dark coat and dark waterproofs. Return to the Barn absolutely dripping - long live the waterproofs.

Weblink Stromness: http://www.orkneyjar.com/orkney/stromness/

Weblink The Barn, Westray: http://www.thebarnwestray.co.uk