Grass-of-Parnassus

Parnassia palustris


I've chattered on about this beautiful wildflower a lot this week - on Holborn Head in Caithness, then on North Ronaldsay and now on the maritime heathland of North Hill, Papay. Thanks Miranda for keeping the WFW challenge going.

The Papay community hostel is just terrific. So comfortable and tastefully appointed. We have a nice bedroom with a shower room en suite and the use of all the facilities. 


The forecast for this morning was good so we set off to walk round North Hill, an RSPB reserve at the north of the island. It's a walk I've wanted to do for a while. It was less than an 8 mile stretch but my legs are tired. It wasn't hard going though there were a few stiles and the grass was tussocky. The flowers were wonderful to see. Not that many birds though. Fulmars, some eider ducks far away, a lone bonxie, a wren and some wagtails. 


The sea was rough and the cliffs quite high in places. There was no-one else on the hill that we could see but we found a lost mobile phone which we've brought back to the hostel. Hope the owner can be traced. 


I've made a collage of other aspects of the walk. The bird is a great auk - the last one killed here in the nineteenth century for a collector. The penguin of the north and now extinct. The views are just to show the beauty of the island. The slabs of rock are astonishing - weathered by the sea. 


Unfortunately the lovely weather is soon to be replaced by high winds and rain. I'm going out again before they set in. 


The hostel is great but the WiFi is a bit dodgy so I'm not managing much on blip.