Once a croft

This ruinous building sits on the A9 at Dunbeath. It's just opposite the Laidhay Croft Museum but I'm not sure if it is part of the museum as we didn't have time to visit. Actually there are bits of East Sutherland and Caithness which look prosperous but the history of the Clearances is never far away. Not that this croft house was abandoned that long ago. 

A lovely walk on the beach at Brora this morning (second extra) watching the oyster catchers scuttle about and the cormorants dry their wings in the sun. Then up the A9 and out to the lighthouse at Dunnet Head, the most northerly point of mainland Scotland (first extra). At Gills Bay we said cheerio to Scotland and an hour later drove off the Pentalina at St Margaret's Hope.

Tonight we're in Kirkwall before another ferry journey tomorrow. I first visited Orkney in 1971 when I had a summer job in one of the Kirkwall Hotels (THE Kirkwall Hotel in fact). In the much more recent past I've been lucky enough to visit for both work and holidays. But it's five years since we were last in Orkney and that has felt a bit too long a gap. We had planned a holiday last year but various things got in the way and we had to postpone. Fortunately we've been able to reschedule and here we are!

Apologies if I don't get round to commenting much for a day or two.