A Day at the Beach(es)

When planning any excursion now, first I check the weather for the next day. Then, the times for sunrise & sunset (there’s no point in heading out at 2:00 p.m. for an afternoon of hiking when the sun is going to set in less than 90 minutes), then the tides tables (I feel so at-one with nature).

Our favorite beach is Scapa, and not just because it’s beautiful, which it truly is. It’s also because it’s a 7-minute drive from home, and there’s ample and easy parking – often parking at the cutest beaches involves watching for the 7′ x 9′ patch of grass just off the road at the end of a bridge, and either nosing in, which means you will be backing out into oncoming highway traffic later, or hoping there isn’t a long line of cars behind you as you pull up, so you can stop, reverse, and take 6 or 8 runs at squeezing the back end of the car between a stone pillar and a hedge. Also, it is a beach where there is always some sand to walk along, even at high tide, and, best of all, all the other walkers are very friendly dog-owners with dogs that entertain and exhaust Scout. An all round win, win.

Today was no exception – we had a great time: Scout chased oyster catchers and seagulls, I watched the freighters in Scapa Flow, and we had a good, long walk. The weather was so nice (read: cool, grey, but not teeming down), that we headed down to South Ronaldsay to the Murray Arms in St. Margaret’s Hope, one of the few pubs that welcome dogs (and boy did they welcome her – Scout hasn’t been fawned over like that in ages). I ‘seafooded out’ on brown crab, and scallops in seaweed butter, and Scout posed in front of the ‘Creel Christmas Tree’ in the forecourt.

We then headed off to a new beach at Hoxa, called the Sands of Wright (North American place names pale in comparison). It was gorgeous; we had it all to ourselves; and if it weren’t for the dead seal at the high tide mark, the day would have been perfect. I was able to distract Scout before she found it, but I think we’ll wait a while before going back (I really want to know it’s been swept out to sea before we return).

With one small exception, a really great day!

The Murray Arms, St. Margaret’s Hope and The Sands of Wright, Hoxa, South Ronaldsay

2 thoughts on “A Day at the Beach(es)”

  1. I can’t wait to visit and I must say your photo skills are great. In fact you may have just taken over the vaca picture responsibilities!!
    Love the Christmas tree made of traps. Inventive

  2. Your photo skills are great, but I think it is also your model…, in the words of Billy Crystal: “Scout looks Mahvelous!”

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