MV Graemsay

Today we visited the old Kirk in Hoy, which is now a heritage centre. We spent some time reading through the folders of information they have there. In particular I enjoyed a project that has been done and turned into an exhibition that had run in the Stromness museum on James Sinclair "the botanist from the Bu" who was a not too distant ancestor. I also found a folder with some family trees which has given me a few more distant family branches to explore, and when I have the chance I will be able to send detailed information of the more recent generations of several families to the archive officer for inclusion in their collection. A nice feeling to be able to contribute as well as do some research.
We had lunch at the little cafe near the pier for the passenger ferry from Moaness to Stromness. This is the only place in North Hoy where food can be purchased!

Today's blip is the passenger ferry MV Graemsay with a background of the Island of Graemsay and the West mainland of Orkney. Its berth is on one of the Stromness piers and it runs between there and the Island of Graemsay and Moaness on Hoy.

We drove the few miles through a valley between the North Hoy hills for an afternoon walking and enjoying the boulder beach at Rackwick on the west side of North Hoy. This little settlement can be seen from the MV Hamnavoe if you know where to look. It is a very picturesque scattering of croft sized farms in a valley that opens out on to the Pentland Firth and looks over to the North coast of the Scottish mainland. The beach is mostly huge boulders that have crashed down from the high cliffs and been rolled in the stormy winter waves into rounded forms.

We spent the latter part of the evening a little way up on of the hills enjoying the view over towards Stromness and the West Mainland of Orkney. Wonderful views !