My goodness coaches started arriving very early. Well before 8 am, we assumed a cruise ship must be in and one of the attractions for those on the cruise was the Ring of Brodgar. We thought it might be a good idea to get up because where we had parked was in a grassy area. It did appear to have once been a coach parking bay so in case more coaches arrived, it would be better if we left. But before setting off Ian happened to glance at the back of MB. OMG, what did I say about flies always being around? Not just on the back but sides too and on the windows there looked to be white bugs of some sort. The broom came in handy to sweep quite a few off.
Before 9 we set off, not toward the RSPB Marwick Head as planned, but back to Kirkwall to shop and empty the loo. Nowhere is very far on Orkney, we only had 7 km to do to get back to civilization.
All jobs done, the road we took to get to Marwick Head took us past Corrigall Farm Museum. It was mentioned in one of the brochures that it commemorated a bygone age of farming and we both wanted to see that. But down this narrow track for a mile, we reached, what looked like, a car park. So very quiet we wondered if not many tourists made it this far. But no, the place was closed and would be for the whole of 2024!!!! Typical!
On the way to Marwick lots of cars parked in a layby. A quick look at the map showed a bird hide to be nearby. Blast, not a space to be seen so we had to leave that for another day.
Finally at our destination and once again we wondered where to park. Cars had followed us down so Ian had to move MB forward. This proved in our favour because while those other cars sorted themselves out, a car right by us left. It was long enough for MB to back into. By the parking spot was another of those cake cupboards. That would do and maybe we could get a cake too.
Unfortunately, there was nothing inside, we must have been too late for the goodies. It must be very popular because cars pulled up to check the contents only to turn away disappointed. A very lucrative business for Ann.
What we did was go for a walk. A memorial to Kitchener & HMS Hampshire was seen high on a hill. The day was glorious, one of the warmest and driest days we have had. Off came the jeans and woolly jumper and on went T-Shirt and shorts. Ian took a photo of me as we set off for the memorial.
The walk started easy although the track was uneven and stony. Once on the grass, the ascent began, it didn't seem too bad but the nearer the top we got the more difficult the terrain. and by the time we reached the top, I was knackered! We did stop several times to admire the views, well that was my excuse to take a breather.
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| Hard bit |
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| A bit too near to the edge! |
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| The easy bit |
We were away from MB for three hours, got chatting to several bird enthusiasts, and sat by the cliff edge watching the birds. This was also an RSPB reserve, the cliffs were full of Kittiwakes, Fulmer's, Razer Bills, Guillemots, but hardly any Puffins. I was surprised to see three, they must have found some nooks and crannies to nest in.
When we reached the memorial, a board explained all about the sinking of HMS Hampshire and about Lord Kitchener himself. It makes interesting reading. Also The Orkney Heritage Society raised funds and erected a new memorial wall next to the Kitchener memorial. All those names, over 700 and a Jamieson too. Wrong spelling though so not one of our ancestors.
The walk back was hard on us both and at one challenging, uneven bit, Ian felt a shooting pain in his knee. He had to hobble back but it was very slow going!
Because the afternoon was getting on, we decided to stay at this car park. It was shown as a Park4Night and staying to rest Ian's knee was the best option. Rain has been forecast for tomorrow and we had hoped to go to Brough of Birsay. It is an island at high tide but joined to the mainland at low tide via a sand bar. That will be a decision for tomorrow, then.
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