rear departure Isle of Skye, Le Champlain We rounded the northern tip of the Scottish mainland and anchored on the western side of the Orkney Islands, where I had fond memories of visiting the windswept islands’ history and Bronze Age ruins, having been there in 1991. I had a less than pleasant experience visiting the Shetlands, but that may have been because it was raining at the time. Extraordinary visit At this time.
Orkney Islands
Stromness
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| Beautiful Stromness with a population of just 2,500 |
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| View from the roofs of Stromness to the lighthouse – we walked through the hills in light rain |
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| At this far northern latitude, the tropical plants are catching my eye and I couldn’t help but notice the warm Gulf Stream in action. |
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| Driving along the coast towards Kirkwall, Le Champlain At anchor |
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| Another view of the mainland – yes, the largest island in the group is called the mainland. |
Kirkwall
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| St George’s Cathedral in Kirkwall is built from ancient red sandstone. |
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The arched entrance to the cathedral
Beautiful colored sandstone blocks |
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Upon closer inspection, we can see what appears to be the result of salt damage.
The salt in the blocks comes from the ocean.
The outer surface of the stone. And salt crystals grow on the rock.
Prying apart grains of sand – that’s salt weathering! |
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| Cathedral nave |
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Near the altar is the grave of the famous Arctic explorer John Ray, with the inscription: “
A brave man who discovered the fate of Arctic explorer Sir John Franklin’s final expedition.
Born in 1813, died in 1893.
Expeditions – 1846-47; 1846-49; 1851-52, 1853-54. For more information on John Rae, click here. |
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| The church grave is empty and he is buried in the churchyard. |
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| Sunset light over St. George’s Cathedral cemetery |
Blogger’s Ring
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| Your final stop will be the Ring of Brodgar, a Neolithic stone circle and UNESCO World Heritage Site. |
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The stones used in the henge are upright slabs of Old Red Sandstone. Read more about this famous stone
The lock unit is here |
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The interior of the circle has never been excavated,
4,000 to 4,500 years ago, roughly the same age as the Giza Pyramids |
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| It originally consisted of 60 stone slabs, of which only 27 remain. |
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It is classified as a ceremonial landscape with other important archaeological sites nearby.
Recently discovered
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This concludes your day trip to the Orkney mainland.
It’s finally time to set sail for Shetland! |
