Wideford Hill towards Orphir - 25/09/04

Today is a day of changeable weather, with occasional showers. Notdaunted by that, I head off down the Old Finstown Road. It runsparallel to the A965 Kirkwall to Stromness road, but to the southof Wideford Hill. This hill has transmitters on its summit. TheOld Finstown Road is fairly busy, and I'm in the verge quitefrequently. About 3 miles outside Kirkwall, a road goes up the hilltowards the summit of Wideford Hill. The road passes through a load ofmuck outside Heathfield Farm. After ¼ mile and 140 m of ascent, theroad veers sharply left. Nice views here over Scapa Flow. Finalllyarrive on the summit, where the wind blows hard. A shower comesclattering by. Reasonable views, impeded by shower clouds. Can justabout discern Rousay and Westray. Islands to the northeast are obscuredby showers. Can see Duncansby Head on the Scottish mainland to thesoutheast. A plaque near the summit cairn announces that Lerwick is 105miles away to the northeast. Proceed downhill along a track that leadsnorthwest. I leave it to go sharply downhill to Smerquoy Farm. Thensystem of fencing means that I end up in a prickly situation, but Imanage to cross the barbed wire fence. Smerquoy Farm has a duckpond.Once on the main road, I wander up and down the decide to gain thehills in the interior through Lesliedale Farm. I'm probablytrespassing, but am not molested by dogs or owner. Follow a broadfarmtrack, which offers tantalizing views of Burrey Brae Hill. Electricfencing prevents me from going there, and I end up walking back towardsKirkwall for 1 km. Then I become bold and wallow through some mud to afield full of over-friendly cows. I scramble over a wall to escape fromthe creatures and make my way uphill. As I finally crest Burrey Brae,the dark cloud of a shower approaches from the west. The transmitterson the top of Keelylang beckon, but I am unable to reach them. Thereason? Electric fencing. In a heavy downpour, which is actuallyblinding me with stinging rain, I proceed to a junction in the fencingand am forced downhill, to the south. Had I been able to go toKeelylang, I would have gone on to Finstown. Now, I make my way south,through some very tough heathery moorland. The fence accompanies me onthe way, finally petering out near a sheepfarm at Loch of Kirbister. Iam delighted to reach a tarmacked road at a pier on the loch. A bus isdue for Kirkwall at 6 pm. It's now only 5 o'clock, so I hobble slowlyup the road towards Kirkwall. Have a look at the nature reserve atHobbister - not interesting. Entertain myself with cattle and sheepalong the way, when the bus come in the opposite direction. Sit down towait for it to reverse at Orphir, then it carries me back to the YouthHostel along the Old Scapa Road. The showers have relented by now.