Westray Wife

Very early start to get the 7.20am ferry up to Westray for the day. Did at least get a cup of tea and bacon roll on board despite it being a small ferry, and the crossing was very calm and smooth.
Met by Karen and Andy of Westraak tours in their van and we picked up another couple from their B&B and went to their house for coffee and home made rock buns…delicious!
The day saw us exploring amazing rock formations at the cliffs (extra), remains of a Viking longhouse, masses of seabirds starting to nest and lay eggs on other exposed cliffs (extra), an unfinished 16th century castle folly, the site of a Neolithic and Bronze Age village and the heritage centre where this lady, found at the Neolithic village, was on display alongside lots of other items representing the island’s history and its people’s way of life. We had also returned to their house for a delicious lunch of home made soup and local spread of bread, butter, crackers, cheese, smoked mackerel and eggs, followed by home made sticky toffee pudding and cream….delicious!
Throughout the day they told us about Karen’s childhood on the island, and tales of the life and history of the place. A particular story that I liked was about a shipwreck in the early 1700s where the only survivor was a baby later brought up here and called Archie Angel after a piece of wood from the wreck was found with ‘Archangel’ written on it, and his descendants still live here, one in a cottage built from the stones of his original house. Also liked to hear how the less frequent ferry that visited each island in turn travelling round from Kirkwall would have its arrival announced by a wifey whose cottage was closest to the lookout point and would hang a particular cloth on her washing line for the rest of the island to see and know it was soon time to walk down and meet the ferry.
We saw and learnt about so many things that we’d never have done without their expert guidance (how kittiwakes swoop down for mud and grass in the bog behind the cliff to build their nests…only happens for about a week each year and we saw it; how old cottages had been built sideways on to the sea and then gradually extended landward leaving the first structure to keep the animals in, and used flagstones on the roof rather than tiles to avoid the wind tearing them off; how the windmills don’t supply energy to the island and they have huge energy bills; how gannets never used to nest here but do now since climate change/avian flu….etc!)
Collecting another couple from the airport was fun…it’s run by a young couple who, until just before the plane landed, were hanging out the washing and spreading muck on the fields!
A really lovely day…not a glimpse of sunshine and quite cold but at least not particularly windy and no rain, and after another easy ferry crossing we had (overdone) steak supper in the Storehouse in Kirkwall and then home for a cup of tea and bed,
Excellent recommendation Tweedy!