Thursday 02/09/04 - Monuments and Papa Westray

After breakfast, I head into Kirkwall to go on the n° 8 bus. This is a tourist service, on one of its last runs of the seasons. We head down the Stromness road past Finstown, and turn off just before Brig o'Waithe to visit the first of a number of ancient sites: the Stones of Stenness, a hop and a step from the junction. These stones, only 4 of them, stand in a circle in alignment with Ward Hill on Hoy. At the winter solstice, the sun sets behind Ward Hill when viewed from that circle. The sheep within the circle were oblivious to that. When the allotted 15 minutes were up, we were herded on board the wee bus and transported a mile up the road to the Ring of Brodgar. This is a much larger monument, consisting of a circle of about thirty stones. One had been split in two by a lightning strike in June 1980. A sort-of heelstone stands to the southeast, and another stone is set apart to the northwest. We were allowed about 30 minutes to roam the circle, diameter 100 m, before rejoining the bus. Fairly sunny today. Next stop is the very ancient site of Skara Brae, on the west coast of Mainland, 6 miles north of Stromness. It dates back 5,500 years, and consists of a number of homesteads. Before I visit the actual excavations, I have to buy some maps and a cup of tea in the Visitor Centre. Also a disposable camera. Adjacent to the centre, there is a replica homestead from that era. It's very low, doorways only 4 feet high - I'm 6 feet! Interesting. Walked out along a path which was a walk back through time. From the present 2004 AD it went back to 3500 BC. Informations officers were at hand to explain. The homesteads are protected from encroachment by the sea by a strong seawall. It was erosion that caused them to be exposed in the first place. Some bits were already lost to the sea. After Skara Brae, I went on to nearby Skaill House, a former residence to the bishopric of Orkney. It contrasts sharply with the nearby ancient site. By the time I'm finished, I pick up my rucksack and head back to the bus. This returns me to Kirkwall via the other two site, which I don't really bother getting back into. The Ring is more intensively visited, and there is a coachparty of Dutch wrinklies at Stenness. They are herded off and on the Orkney buses coach. We head past Tormiston Mill and Maeshowe to Kirkwall. Do my bit of shopping for the next day and a bit, then head for the ferry terminal. You can't buy tickets ashore, they are sold on board the ferry. My ferry goes to Westray direct. You board via the vehicle ramp, leave your luggage in the locker on the vehicle deck, accept a boardingcard and head upstairs. It's a bit blustery today, so I position myself on the starboard (righthand) deck, well covered. We set off north past Shapinsay, which I first visited in 1990. See the quaint shape of Balfour Castle slowly moving out of sight. St Magnus, a conspicuous shape on the Kirkwall skyline, slowly recedes behind the vessel. We go closely inshore, halfway up the westcoast of Shapinsay, this to avoid a shallows. The ferry blows its horn at a party of walkers on shore, who are practically within hailing distance. Off the northwestern cape of Shapinsay, we can see several northern isles, as we pass the buoy for Galt Skerry. To the east lies an island with a few windturbines, which is Stronsay. To the northeast rise the barren moors on Eday. Eday's ferryterminal is on the far (that is: eastern) side of the island. Off its southern cape, the tides meet from about four different directions, so it gets very lively. The ferry sails the length of Eday's western shore, which show only a few houses. About halfway up, we encounter a stretch of very choppy waters, with many white riders. Past the north end lies Faray, which is uninhabited. At 6 o'clock, we are 'suddenly' at Rapness, the ferry terminal for Westray. I disembark and try to locate the minibus that is to take me to the next ferry, which departs from Pierowall, 7 miles to the north. Squeeze all my stuff on board and shell out £2 for the trip. We hare down a very straight but quite bumpy road. past an austere looking church and into Pierowall. We circle the bay and finally arrive on the quayside. My next transport, the Golden Mariana, is already waiting, and as soon as I'm on board, the crew cast off. Have a chat to the master and mate beforehand. We set off at 6.50 for the 23-minute crossing. Although it was bumpy on the way in from Kirkwall, the sound between Westray and Papa Westray is not too bad. At 7.13, we tie up alongside the quay at Papa Westray - which I'll refer to as Papay from this point onwards. I make an awkward step to the stairs, and am met at the top by the genial warden of the youth hostel at Holland. We drive there at a rate of knots, and duly arrive at Beltane House at 7.30 There is this cat, a beautiful ginger tom and a blackbird which always wants to go inside. The bird isn't allowed in, because once inside it suffers a panic attackand defaecates all over the place. Beltane is part youth hostel, part B&B. It has two dorms, one of which already has someone in it. This is a chap who tells me he's there for a month to watch birds. Hmm. It's September, not much to be seen in terms of birds. The kitchen is pokey and poorly equipped as far as pans and cutlery is concerned. I manage to cut myself on the baked-beans can, as a result of that crappy can-opener. Have my meal in Paul's company. Weird fellow. The concepts of table manners and proper food (:-x see my baked beans) are beyond him. I take myself off on a walk after supper and head down the road in an easterly direction. It's getting dark at 8.30, and I can see a lighthouse winking away to the east. This should be either North Ronaldsay or Sanday. I go as far as the shore, where I find a small harbour with some ruinous boats pulled up beyond the slipway. Carry on up the road parallel to the shore, and listen to the waves lapping on the shore behind the dunes. Return the way I came and head back to Beltane, where not much is happening.

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