ISLAND HOPPING Day - Six
Second day out early before breakfast was served, to catch the ferry from Kirkwall out to Sanday.
I knew where I was planning to go the next day, Sunday, as well but as I was glancing through the guide to the islands I spotted an item about a private island. It said the monks out there welcomed visitors and had an email contact. So I thought it is a bit short notice but might as well try, so using my phone I sent them an email asking would it be possible to visit tomorrow. To my surprise within half an hour I had received a reply, saying yes that it would be possible. That sounded interesting, particularly as it was not on my original list of islands to visit.
Normally during the ferry trips I am outside somewhere on deck, with cameras and keeping an eye out for anything interesting. I knew but was not lucky enough to see them, that there was a Pod of Orcas, Killer Whales, regularly seen in the waters of Scapa Flow. I was not that side of Orkney today, but its always worth paying attention, you never know.
Very often whilst standing on deck you meet other passengers and can have some very interesting conversations. Today I met a couple and got talking, it turned out they were going to Sanday for the weekend, he was giving a talk that night to some community event on there. He was a Marine Mammal Pathologist and it was a fascinating conversation.
Got off the boat and started cycling up the hill away from the harbour, within a mile, saw the first highlight of the day. On a bike, birds and animals seem to be a bit more tolerant of you, allowing you to get closer than if you were walking. I spotted a Merlin, a falcon, similar but slightly smaller than a Kestrel, it was perched on a fence post. As I approached it lazily flew to the next one, it did this about three times giving me great close up views, then crossed the road and did the same thing. It must finally got fed up of me, and flew off to land in the middle of a field. I think it was probably going off for breakfast as it had clutched in its left foot a Swallow it had just caught.
Next stop was one of the three shops on the island for some supplies for the day. Heading north I came across this restored croft. A croft is basically a very small farm, a small house and very little land, just enough to try and scrape a living from the land. Inside this cottage was like walking into yesteryear.
They have done a great job restoring it to how it was, with lots of furniture and artefacts, showing just what a hard life it must have been.
Sanday is probably my favourite Orkney island, and I very much enjoyed re-visiting it. I headed north again to Start Point Lighthouse, situated on a tidal island. Crossed over the rocks and slippery seaweed to get on there, hoping that my guess as to what the tide was doing was correct or I might have got stranded on Sanday overnight. Luckily I did get off again but not before having a good look around the lighthouse. I also surprised, because I was hidden by a wall, and the wind was in my face so it could not hear or smell me, an Otter.
It saw me really close up, turned around and scamped off through the grass and entered the very large pool on Start Point Island. I managed to get a few shots as it was still swimming around in there.
It was a wonderful sunny day and I spent the afternoon cycling around, stopping frequently to take photos as I found things of interest.
Such as Sanday Golf Course, where every green has a barbed wire fence with a little locked gate around it to keep the cattle and sheep off the grass.
It is very near the sea, next to the sand dunes, and as I was photographing the little fences, a lone golfer told me of another hazard of playing golf here.
He reckoned that last week he was hit on the head by a fish that a passing bird dropped.
I have heard Sanday described as a " Giant Sand Dune" and there are miles and miles of the most amazing white sandy beaches on there, on a day like today, it just looked stunning.
Best of all, most of them are totally and utterly deserted, not another person in sight.
Finally it was time to catch the ferry back to Kirkwall, via Stronsay, tomorrows destination. With hindsight I should have jumped ship and found a B&B on the island for the night, just didn't think of that in time.
I did not get off the boat at Stronsay so not included it in todays total.
Islands Visited; Two
Total Visited; Thirteen
Ferries Used; Two
Total Used; Thirteen
Ports Used; Three
Total Different; Twelve
If you wish to see the rest of todays shots just click on the link below..........
http://365project.org/markp/Alternatively/27-06-2015
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