Orkney from the air

May 2018

The neolithic remains on Orkney have always fascinated me and this trip allowed me to see, on a single walk, on a single day, the Standing Stones of Stenness, Barnhouse Village, The Ring of Brodgar, the Ness of Brodgar (closed until the digging season of July and August) and further afield Skara Brae. This 7 mile walk through an ancient landscape was rather hard walking, as it used minor roads on a hot day, but was well worthwhile.

In Kirkwall St Magnus' Cathedral has echoes of the nave at Durham, my favourite cathedral. A walk around Kirkwall including the Tankerness Gardens and museum is always interesting, though less so when the town is filled with the cargo from the cruise ships....

And Skara Brae is just fantastic. Hidden from the worrld for so long it's magical that we can see neolithic life even now in the 21st century.

I also walked along the coast at Orphir, which was lovely, and tramped east along the coast to and from my b&b at Craigiefield. All in all I walked more than 20 miles in Orkney and really enjoyed it.