Orphir Bay

What a fabulous day. One that bookended with a deep sea haar blanketing Stromness. In between there was sunshine and blue skies tempered by a keen wind.

The undoubted highlight of the day was visiting Iain@Creel and CMC at Creel HQ where we had been invited for lunch. We finally left after 4.00pm hoping we hadn’t outstayed our welcome. Creel HQ overlooks Scarpa Flow with views which were mesmerising and must change hour by hour and day by day.

We immediately felt very welcome, had a splendid lunch and enjoyed non-stop conversation. (well I did!) We learned much about the area and the people which adds so much your appreciation of a place.

We can’t thank them enough. We left very envious not only of their beautiful home and view but also of their amazing polycrub in which they grow vegetables. The heat steamed up my specs as the door was opened. We really hope to see them next time we visit Orkney and get to explore Hoy.

In the morning we drove to Orphir before turning up at Creel HQ. The Orkneyinga Saga heritage centre was fascinating as was the Round Church in the adjacent cemetery. A good walk along the coast and back inland through a rare area of bluebells completed the circuit.

This evening we went to a Peat Fire Tales storytelling event in nearby Sandwick. The oral tradition of ancient communities fascinate me and this event featured couple of stories about Selkies and Finn Folk which had been recorded in the 19th and 20th centuries before they were lost - and a lot of incidental and background detail about the stories, their context and people.

The storyteller knew her stuff and must have been long practised. Unfortunately, her delivery made it so hard to follow, her voice very quiet at times, so quiet that you lost the thread. The fire was quite smoky too and by the end we were partly kippered.

So we come to the last day tomorrow. We had thought about going to Rousay or Graemsay. Probably end up at the latter as the only ferry to Rousay is very early. Thursday we move on to Sanday for 4 nights which we’re very much looking forward to.