Orkney Vacation | FindPenguins

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Trip start
July 20, 2019
Orkney Vacation David Reid
Travelling up to the ferry
July 20, 2019 in Scotland ⋅ 🌧 14 °C
Dull and rainy. Was chaotic this morning as I had lost my poly pocket with my booking printouts. Martin found it in the case just while I was reprinting them. Left later than I wanted to as a result. First time we have packed the boot of the new car. Booked on the 13.15 ferry.
Made it to Scrabster with some time to spare. Lovely run up. Stopped at Inverness for breakfast.
The ferry was quite impressive.Read more
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Orkney Vacation David Reid
Exploring on Our First Full Day
July 21, 2019 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
First full day in Kirkwall. After breakfast we cleared up and headed out to Dingieshowe Beach. The ferry company Northlink recommended it in their list of Orkney beaches and had some lovely views there.
After lunch we went to see The Ring Of Brodgar. It is standing stones from The Neolithic Age. Had a lovely walk around it. To the south of the main Orkney island there are 4 smaller islands called Lambholm, Gilmsholm, Burray & South Ronaldsay
On Lambholm there is an Italian chapel.
It was built by Italian POW held there.
The prisoners also helped build the causeway & a statue of Saint George.
The second island Gilmsholm seems to be for sheep only as the road hugs the coast then off again
On South Ronaldsay there is a beach called Sands Of Wright. We finished off the afternoon there. It had more pebbles than the one earlier in the day.Read more
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Orkney Vacation David Reid
Scapa Distillery Tour
July 22, 2019 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
Had a quiet morning while Norma and Emma went swimming.
Quick lunch then out to the distillery for a 2pm tour. It was only Sarah and I with the tour lady. There was no photography rule for all of the tour.
The Still room looks down Scapa Flow. It is where the British fleet anchored during both world wars. The warship The Royal Oak was hit & sank by a German U Boat that had managed to sneak into the estuary. From a crew of 1234 men, 834 were killed or died later of wounds.
The Tour Lady had historical information about the Italian chapel and other events in Orkney.Read more
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Orkney Vacation David Reid
St Magnus Cathedral
July 23, 2019 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
We had booked for an 11 am tour of St Magnus Cathedral. The cathedral is named after a Norwegian Earl of Orkney Magnus who was killed in 1116. Construction was started in 1137 & added to over the next 300 years.
The tour was excellent. It covered 6 upper floors. Lots of small twisty stairwells. Lots of old artefacts. We stopped a floor below the belfry to hear the 12 o' clock chimes then went up to see the bells. Ended up on the outside balcony above the bells. The views over Kirkwall were amazing.
Sarah & I went down to Yesnaby to see a Stack at the coast. The coastline was rugged and impressive but we didn't find the stack. We detoured via Orkney brewery on the way back. Hoping to fit in a tour some time.Read more
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Orkney Vacation David Reid
Skara Brae & Skaill House
July 24, 2019 in Scotland ⋅ 🌧 15 °C
It was heavy rain this morning and some thunder. We had coffee & cake at the visitor centre before Sarah & I visited Skara Brae & Skaill House
Skara Brae is the site of a Neolithic village. Archaeologists have dated the village from 5000 years ago. It was first uncovered by a storm in 1850. Skaill House was the home of William Graham Watt, 7th Laird of Breckness, who unearthed the Skara Brae.
Went to the Orkney brewery for lunch. Missed the last tour of the day but enjoyed sampling their product with lunch.
On the way home, we stopped at The Standing Stones Of Stenness. There are only four stones left from the original twelve, laid out in an ellipse about 32 m (105 ft) diameter.Read more
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Orkney Vacation David Reid
Highland Park Distillery
July 25, 2019 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
Had a quiet morning at the house.
After lunch Norma & Emma went swimming while Sarah and I visited the distillery.
We got a wee dram to start with while watching an introductory video. Then we started the tour but unfortunately it is the quiet season so there was no production happening. We were allowed to take pictures during the tour except inside the Still House.
One thing I saw on this tour that I've not seen before is the malting floor where they air dry the barley. The majority of distilleries don't do their own malting as it is expensive and labour intensive. Highland Park only malt 20% of what they use and buy in the rest.
They don't bottle on site the matured spirit is sent down to Glasgow.Read more
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Orkney Vacation David Reid
Hobbister, Houton & Kirkwall
July 26, 2019 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
We explored some of the South of Orkney this morning. Visited Hobbister where there is a bird reserve and the peat for Highland Park is dug from. Onto to Orphir and Houton. The Houton ferry terminal takes you to other southern islands. We had hoped to visit Hoy. There is a very famous stack there called the Old Man Of Hoy. Went back into Kirkwall for lunch and some shopping. It was a lovely afternoon. It was quieter today as no cruise ships were docked.Read more
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Orkney Vacation David Reid
Leaving Orkney to Peterhead
July 27, 2019 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C
Leaving day. We had breakfast and tidied up. Left the lodge about 9.30 am. Lovely morning. Arrived in Stromness in time to see the ferry arriving.
We saw the Old Man Of Hoy stack as we passed Hoy island. Arrived back in Scabster just on 12.30 pm and headed over to John O'Groats. Took lots of pictures of the signpost. Norma drove from there to Tain, home of Glenmorangie Distillery. Arrived there about 4.40pm. Quick visit to the shop.
I took over for the drive down to Peterhead. Stopped for dinner enroute. Arrived in Peterhead after 9pmRead more
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Orkney Vacation David Reid
Peterhead to Home
July 28, 2019 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
We had breakfast at a local pub as the Travel Lodge didn't do a cooked breakfast.
We had a bright sunshine for the trip home. Our first item of the day was heading to see New Slains Castle. It was more of a baronial house than a castle. A previous owner removed the roof to avoid taxes in 1926 and had fallen into ruin since.
We had hoped to visit Dunottar castle as well but felt we didn't have enough time to see both. Headed down to Aberdeen for a coffee & cake stop. Had trouble finding the place because of the one way system but we eventually parked the car which just happened to be next to one of identical make / model & colour.
We had a pleasant drive back home.Read more
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Trip end
July 28, 2019