Busy day on Orkney + meal @Seaview in John O'Groats

Public Bar @Seaview Hotel, John O'Groats 

Long day on Orkney – photos to follow. Back in John O'Groats in time for a relaxed dinner at the Seaview Hotel in John O'Groats. The bar boasts 100 different whiskies and a large selection of gins including Rock Rose, which is locally distilled at Dunnet. 

Photos of Orkney to be added.    

Orkney: Rackwick Bay on Hoy

Rackwick Bay with cottages and the imposing cliffs (above and below)

  

Map of the bay and its dwellings 

 Some of the scattered cottages

We spent Friday on the island of Hoy to the west/south west of the 'mainland' of Orkney. The northern part of the island is quite wild, hilly with little habitation, while the south is much flatter and more fertile and where the majority of the population live. The island has a population of 400.

We saw most of the island and thought that the isolated bay of Rackwick on the west coast was the most beautiful spot. The Old Man of Hoy (a sea stack) is relatively close – three miles north – to Rackwick but unfortunately we didn't have time to walk there as the return journey takes around three hours. Rackwick is certainly a peaceful place if you want to get away from the rush of modern day life.   

 

 Looking southwards to the 'continent' of Scotland

 

Stony beach and cliff

 Grass covered dwellings

Burnmouth Cottage

 Burnmouth Cottage close to the seashore 

Sign on cottage wall

 Inside Burnmouth Cottage (above and below)

 Sketch map pinned to one of the cottage walls

 

Other side of Burnmouth Cottage

 Cottage with stone roof

Stone cottage with cliffs in background

 Metal lump and landscape

Thatched cottage

Footpath sign to Hoy – no road access

 

Towards the Old Man of Hoy (above and below)

 

'Garbo' hut on way to Rackwick  (above and below) 
 No problem with noisy neighbours!

Orkney: Yvonne Harrold and Brinkies guest house

Yvonne Harrold@ the entrance to Brinkies 

 The stone clad front to Brinkies 

During our five day stay on Orkney we stayed at Brinkies Guest House above Stromness, which is run by Yvonne Harrold. We had a very enjoyable and comfortable stay and were very well looked after by the welcoming and enthusiastic Yvonne. Breakfast consisted of a wide range of Orkney products including salmon, herring and cheeses plus Yvonne's fine home baking. 

We would certainly go back.  

One of the views from Brinkies (above and below) down to Stromness with the island of Graemsay and then Hoy in the background

Another view from Brinkies looking towards Hoy – bare land in background

Hoy: memorial to crew of Longhope lifeboat lost on 17th March 1969

Memorial to crew of the lifeboat TGB

Looking across to lighthouse

 Plaque to crew of the Longhope lifeboat who were killed on 17th March 1969

 Chapel@the cemetery

Anchor of the SS Victoria: at the nearby lifeboat museum 

Orkney: Skara Brae

 

5000 year walk 

 

Replica of a neolthic hut@Skara Brae

Lobster and fish for tea! 

The hut 

Plan of the site 

 

The site 

Early houses 

Neolthic huts (above and below)

 

 The shoreline

 Shore@Skara (above and below)