ISLAND HOPPING Day - Four
This Island Hopping trip is not as rigidly planned as the last one, partly because I am looking at the weather forecast as well as the ferry timetables. Some of them I want to go to on a nice day. I was asked at breakfast this morning, where I was off to today. Rousay, I answered. However after the other guests had left the table, I studied the timetables and a new plan formed.
I drove from Kirkwall over to Houton, got my bike out and caught the ferry over to Flotta.
Now up here, everything goes by ferry, and I have travelled with some strange vehicles and cargo before. Today was no exception. Waiting to catch the ferry was a council pick-up truck, a little mini digger, that took ages to drive down the pier and on to the boat. There was also a hearse, complete with coffin, and a large crowd of mourners. They put the hearse at the front of the boat, upon reaching Flotta, I was told to get off, then the Hearse slowly drove off followed by the mourners who got into waiting cars and they headed off to the funeral.
I set off around the island, eventually reaching the Post Office and only shop on the island a 12.05, it shuts on a Thursday at 12.00 for the day. Good job I had something with me to eat then. A couple of notices in the window caught my eye though, one was about the old ladies funeral taking place at 1 o'clock, she used to live on Flotta but had moved to Kirkwall at the time of her death.
Another poster informed me that the bar, which I think was inside the Post Office, and the only one on the island was open 8 pm till 11 pm on a Friday. So if you are looking for a wild boozy party island, maybe Flotta's not for you.
Flotta is actually quite an interesting island, with lots of wildlife, loads of old war time defences, and Flotta Oil Terminal. Opened 1976 to handle North Sea Oil, it has shipped out over two and a half Billion barrels of oil.
Amongst the birdlife I saw on Flotta, two female Hen Harriers must be the highlight.
Back at the ferry terminal for the last ferry of the day, it took me over to Lyness at the south of Hoy for twenty minutes then back across to Houton.
Back at the B&B, quick shower and decided to go out for tea, could not get into my favourite place, its just getting too busy. So just randomly walking around Kirkwall, looking at the menus and then though, oh I will go in here. Two doors, bar or lounge ? Oh, I will go in the lounge, so I walked in and turned left into the room, which is when I discovered there was a private function taking place in there.
Amazingly, it was the wake for the old lady who had been on the ferry going over to Flotta that morning, I recognised several of the mourners.
I wonder what the odds of that happening are.
I walked through and into the bar and had my tea in there.
Photo is a large pile of lobster pots on a pier towards Quoy Ness, in the distance is the flare and part of the Flotta Oil Terminal.
Islands Visited; Two
Total Visited; Nine
Ferries Used; Three
Total Used; Nine
Ports Used; Three
Total Different; Ten
If you wish to see the rest of todays shots just click on the link below..........
http://365project.org/markp/Alternatively/25-06-2015
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