Marwick Head

Thursday morning I woke with every intention of washing the floors, vacuuming, and doing a load of laundry. Realised I needed to pick up some things at the store, so popped Scout in the car and we drove to Tesco’s with every intention of doing a circle walk around the Peedie Sea, then into the supermarket, then home.

I needed my sunglasses, it was so bright, and I had the window open, it was so warm. So we just kept driving. It was much too nice a day to stay indoors. I had no idea where we were going; normally I pore over the map before we head anywhere out of town. But I just kept following signposts, and turning down lanes.

We passed the Stones of Stenness, the Ring of Brodgar, the Loch of Skiall, and Skara Brae. We went for a walk along Skiall Bay, then drove up towards Birsay. We stopped at the Kitchener Memorial and hiked up the trail to the Nature Preserve and the Cliffs at Marwick. It was an absolutely glorious day, and the views from the hilltop and the cliffs were stunning. I’m not a poet, or a painter, or even a decent photographer, so I can’t begin to do the scenery justice. All I can say is that this is a truly spectacular island. I hope the locals appreciate what they have as much as those of us looking at it with fresh eyes do.

The drive home through Birsay, Abune-the-Hill, Evie, Dounby, and Finstown was equally lovely. We came home to dirty floors, messy carpets, and unwashed towels & sheets, and I didn’t mind at all. What a great day.