Moorfea

This cottage in Rackwick holds such memories, partly becuse we have appeared a few times in the Visitors' Book. The track to the Old Man of Hoy goes right past this cottage and the owner, Mary McKay was always so welcoming to folk walking past. We once walked in and she was entertaining a party of Japanese folk with cups of tea and Westray Flakey biscuits.

Mary was entertaining in herself. She was born on Gramesay and she had such a great fund of Orcadian tales. We once helped her search the cottage thoroughly for her car keys - never a sign. The next day she phoned us to say she had found them as she'd swept out the ashes - she'd put the keys in the peat fire.

Alas (after a life of ilnesss borne with great spirit and never a word of complaint) Mary died two years ago and the cottage is now shared between her three sons.

Morrfea is the name of the hill, that you have to walk around the shoulder of, to get to the Old Man. Looking through the cottage gate gives a view down to the Candle of the Sneuk which overlooks the Pentland Firth.