Orkney Skies

For today’s blog post I’m handing over to my daughter, Isla, who has just returned from a trip to Orkney with some wonderful photographs. 

Until this summer, the sum total of my Orkney knowledge was that it was somewhere up north, and that it had something to do with archaeology. Having now spent a week there, I still don’t know as much about the place as I should, but I can’t wait to go back to find out more.

The sky feels huge in Orkney: the hills are bare of trees and the clouds layer high above, allowing you to see for miles. This post is all about the moods of Orkney (though I was lucky enough to miss out on Orkney’s temper), and I’ll be writing another post soon that includes some of the more detailed shots that I took during my stay.

The other thing that makes Orkney special is the people – though I was only there for a very brief time, I was adopted with incredible warmth. Thank you to everyone (I’m looking at you Margaret, Rae, Jim, Lilian, Donald and Stella!), and especially to Bi, my host and friend.

The Island of Hoy is the first sight of Orkney to greet visitors arriving on the ferry. 

Aboard the ferry – dramatic interplay between sun and stormy clouds.

Sunset over the beach –  the light seems almost to render the water solid.

The Standing Stones of Stenness outlined against the sunset.

A shot that made me smile – flammable Orcadian cows. 

Sunset and clouds across a loch.

Sun breaking through the clouds at Kirbuster Farm Museum.

Sunset over the Brough of Birsay, with a cow-parsley sized person. 

Sunset clouds over the Brough.

The sun dipping over the horizon with streaked clouds overhead.

The somber grey of Skaill House against a moody sky.

The Brough of Birsay rising from the mist. 

About these ads