Stone Circles of Orkney Island

WOW! what a magical day. Guess it brought the inner child out in us. Some stones where so huge and thin, it's incredible they weren't broken. Especially since the circle was created around 2500-3000BC.

We walked on water to get to Brough of Birsay. It's a tiny Island that surprisingly really entertained us and gave us a chance to climb instead of walking for a bit. The albino cow family followed us for nearly 200m (when our backs were turned), but stopped whenever we looked at them hmmmmm.

We made the mistake of setting off at 3 o clock in the afternoon, which meant we had the best of the sun, but the 20 mile walk back started at 6 pm. A little late, as after walking for 3.5 hours we had only walked about 6 miles, just as the mist rolled in from the sea, carrying the cold night Orkney chill. As is always the case another couple of Angles appeared from nowhere in a warm cosy Ford to whisk us away to safety. In fact we could write a photo journal of the lifts we have had on Shetland and Orkney. It's the best way to talk at ease with locals, tourists and English Immigrants who are escaping the grime and crime of the mainland.

PUFFINS

The birds with sooooo much character. They spend northern hemisphere summers in Shetland and southern hemisphere summers in New Zealand. This day was horrid, heavy sheets of rain for most of the day - photo doesn't show it, and puffins don't mind...

Afterwards we met a wonderful Scottish man, Ewan, from Glasgow. We snuggled up out of the rain in a traditional Bod (fisherman's hut), drinking tea in front of a HOT log burner. So intoxicated were we to be out of the storm we lost track of time. It was after 9pm when we realised we still had to hitch-hike 20-odd miles to our tent. Luckily Ewan our angel in plain clothes miraculously delivered us right to our soaking wet tent door.

Shetland Cow

Ever ready to pose for the tourist.

Black lamb

How cute's this little black lamb with white tail tip, socks, nose, and crown.

Basking seals

Check it out, 15 or so seals sunbathing on a deserted beach.

P.S. Today is our day off and Santi’s glad to be wearing sandals in the Streets of Lerwick, Shetland.

Fladdabister

Our gorgeous base for 5 nights as we went off walking the southern section of Shetland each day. Plus a very "Sunday" sunday where it didn't stop raining all day, so dutifully we observed the sabbath....confined inside the tent. Roni found a book and embraced the much needed rest. Santi, well, his super active buzz really rebelled to being confined ALL day. How Roni survived his antics was nearly as challenging as being trapped by the weather.

Eshaness on Shetland Island

Camping on Eshaness with dramatic crimson red cliffs out the front door.


Magical cliffs blew us away. This is a hole created by the ocean tunneling 100m inland. This view is taken as the tide washes in to an inland beach, looking through the tunnel out to sea. You can just make out a man staning directly above the hole, and Santi lying on his stomach looking in from the right side.

Glum street bums

So far we have covered two Islands, averaging 18 miles a day over four days, all in the wind and rain. We were so cold and wet. This day we'd just arrived too late for the local shop (with hot teas), there was no waiting room, or even benches to sit on as we waited 3/4hour for our ferry.

All to humble us in prep for seeing a Killer whale from the ferry (presumably why we were the only humans swimming in the bay that day). So excited were we, that we crossed the channel 3 times to watch the whale (and drink HOT soup). Oh and we also saw an otter from the same ferry. Its flipper looked V-E-R-Y similar to a basking shark's fin.

Blister!!!!!!!!!!!!!

From Day 2 Roni's been tending to an extra friend

It begins in Hermaness

Shetlands name sake roam free all over the island, just like sheep or cows.
Enjoying the HOT summer morning. Bring on the tan. We swam with a seal on the most northerly beach in the British Isles, in the North sea. A beautiful start to our second day.

Very protective swooping seaguls. Santi was all cool and calm, I was terrified. They were worse than magpies.

Dreaming our dream

We've made it to the most northern part of Scotland - the Shetland Islands or the home of those cute little ponies. We're way out in no-mans land. More northern than Moscow or southern Greenland, closer to Norway than Scotland, and further from London than Milan is. It's taken us 4days of trains, ferries, and buses; sleeping on hard floors and under florescent lights. Plus the sobering realisation that a Babylon time piece must now become our 2nd best-friend. But we're here, and we're about to start walking/strolling down...down...down, all the way back down to Land's End and the most southern tip of England, and possibly beyond to the Isles of Scilly. With Shetland guaranteed 285 days of rain each year we are guaranteed to be able to test out our footwear solutions for the trip.

There seams to be a theme running through ever piece of literature we have read about walking long distance. Go light! And I'd add, go as light as possible. Some even drill holes in tooth brush handles, well, I can safely say that they are not as mad as they seem. A long walk becomes more enjoyable with a light pack on your back, especially if it isn't really noticeable. Waterproof boots seem to be a bone of contention right now. I believe I have the most water proof boots on the market, and at £150 they had better be, but wow are they heavy. I think if I'd a had my new knowledge I'd spend more time researching lighter boots. As at this moment they weigh a ton after spending almost the last five years in sandals.