ISLAND HOPPING Day - Eight
Another early, no breakfast dash from the B&B, this was going to be a complicated day. I knew what I wanted to do, but it was not quite that simple. From Tingwall, on Mainland Orkney, Orkney Ferries go to three different islands, by various routes throughout the day. My plan was get to all three islands in a day. Simple !
Not quite. Some of the lunch time sailings to two of the islands only take place by request. You need to phone up the day before, or as it was a Monday by 9am that morning if you wish to use the service.
For my plan to work I needed to request the boats sailed to the islands. I must admit I felt a bit guilty having to ask them to sail, particularly if I was the only passenger, just so I could collect islands.
As I travelled over to Tingwall, hands free I rang the Kirkwall Office to request the boats. I was told I had to ring the Tingwall Office, I said I was on my way there and I would just call into the office. Again simple !
NO ! Arriving in Tingwall, got bike out of the car, and walked over to office. It did not open till 8.30, and my ferry left at 8.20 ! I later learned that the lady who works in there, lives on Rousay and gets to work by using the ferry I was waiting for to take me over to Rousay.
Fortunately I had a weekly pass for the ferries, and when I got on the boat and was asked where I was going to I was able to say I thought Rousay but it might be Egilsay if the lunchtime ferries where not running. I asked if he knew if they would be running. He replied that someone from Egilsay had ordered it, but that he was unreliable and if he was not waiting when they arrived at Egilsay that morning then there was no point in sailing back at lunchtime because he had not left in the morning.
Don't you just love the easy going life up there ? Arriving at Rousay, I got off the boat but left the bike on board as my plan was not to get off here, I just needed to use the phone box if I had no mobile coverage. Luckily my phone worked, called Tingwall office and ordered the ferries I needed. Success !
Got back on the ferry and sailed over to Wyre, got off and let the ferry go over to Egilsay to see if the man was waiting.
Wyre is not a very big island, which was quite lucky as I only had 50 minutes before the ferry came back from Egilsay. I had been to Wyre before and I knew where I was going, I managed to ride every road on the island and still get back in time for the ferry. I took a few photos but would liked to have time to re-visit Cubbie Roo's Castle, built in 1150. As I passed one of the farms there were two lambs wandering in the road. They must have been hand reared and were very tame, just like big puppies, and I soon had them, and a lovely Siamese cat around the bike. One of the lambs spotted my water bottles and tried to suck on the nipple to get a drink.
As the ferry arrived it looked like the man from Egilsay had been waiting, and when we got back to Rousay we both got off. I now had just over 3 hours to cycle round Rousay. Only 14 miles, but very hilly.
I took my time, at one time I came across 5 sheep and 3 lambs on the road, they must have got out of one of the fields. As I approached they ran off in front of me, they kept going for well over a mile, till finally there was an open gate and they ran into the field. I am sure this was not their field and that they were nowhere near where they should have been.
I called into the shop and got some lunch and a few supplies for on Egilsay later as there is no shop there.
When I got back to the harbour to catch my requested ferry, there were a three other people waiting. Now according to the timetable, the ferry should go to Egilsay then Wyre then back to Rousay.
However as Wyre is closer, we called in there to drop off the two walkers first, then continued on to Egilsay to drop me, and the man from there.
Egilsay was the last of the islands that Orkney Ferries service that I had not visited before. Travelled all its two roads, saw a really nice beach, plenty of wild life and went around St. Magnus Kirk. this is one of only two surviving examples of the distinctive round towered churches built by the Vikings. Possibly dating back to 1115.
Soon it was time to catch the ferry back to Tingwall, via Wyre and Rousay, again. Certainly got my moneys worth from my weekly pass today.
Islands Visited; Three
Total Visited; Eighteen
Ferries Used; Eight
Total Used; Twenty Five
Ports Used; Four
Total Different; Seventeen
If you wish to see the rest of todays shots just click on the link below..........
http://365project.org/markp/Alternatively/29-06-2015
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