A Quiet Day at the Office for the Scarfies

In retrospect it was madness to journey through to Kirkwall this morning in the knowledge that there were 3 cruise ships berthed there. Indeed it was as bad as it could have been with the town filled to overflowing with tourists spilling out long bendy buses travelling at frequent intervals from ship to shore and monopolising buses travelling to the Barriers, the Italian Chapel and the Ring of Brodgar. 
What made me go was the chance to pay a visit to a friend who has a café in Kirkwall. Fortunately there were no cruise passengers involved in the meeting place - they had already had their coffees on board ship.

In contrast I had a peaceful walk in the afternoon round the highways and bye ways of Stromness where I didn’t see a soul, nor did I even hear the oyster catchers. All I heard was the crunch of my footsteps on the gravel path, otherwise, glorious silence and stillness.