Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Islands ahoy!

The Orkney islands, that is…. Tomorrow will be my birthday treat, when DH will drop me at the ferry at Scrabster and head off in our little campervan to do his own thing for the next day and a half. Meanwhile I will let myself be carried across the probably choppy waters of the Pentland Firth to my long-awaited and eagerly-anticipated visit to Sian on her small island of Graemsay.

As usual in this most disappointing of Aprils, the weather forecast isn’t wonderful, but we won’t let that deter us. One can talk and talk in the worst of weather and take advantage of any lulls to get out and walk on the lovely shoreline I’ve seen so often in Sian’s photos.

On Friday, thanks to the vagaries of the ferry timetable, we will spend much of the day on Orkney Mainland before I catch my ferry back to Scrabster and DH. It’s my first visit to Orkney and Sian has kindly offered to show me some of the historic sites (and sights) for which the island is famous. My camera batteries are fully charged and I just can’t wait. J

Image via Google
Posted by at
Labels: , ,

48 comments:

  1. Ray Barnes25 April 2012 at 11:02

    Sounds absolutely lovely Perpetua. I hope you enjoy every minute of it.
    A very happy birthday to you tomorrow. Enjoy!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kathy25 April 2012 at 15:23

      Thanks, Ray. I'm so looking forward to it. My birthday was actually yesterday and spent as always with DH. But we usually find something to do around our birthdays, even if not always on the day itself.

      Delete
  2. Jane and Lance Hattatt25 April 2012 at 11:08

    Hello Perpetua:
    Have camera...will travel!! What an exciting birthday treat this is going to be, we are sure. As you say, whatever the weather, when bloggers get together life will not be dull. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kathy25 April 2012 at 15:27

      Thanks, Jane and Lance. As I said to Ray, the treat doesn't actually coincide with my birthday, which was yesterday, but it still counts. :-) I know we will have a great time and I do hope the weather let me take some decent photos.

      Delete
  3. the fly in the web25 April 2012 at 14:10

    That sounds wonderful...am sitting back in anticipation of the photographs...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kathy25 April 2012 at 15:30

      It should be great fun, Fly and I'll do my very best with the photos. I'm no great photographer, but it will be lovely to be trying to capture a very different landscape from that which surrounds us here. Watch this space....

      Delete
  4. Penelopepiscopal25 April 2012 at 15:31

    Happy Birthday and bon voyage! Love the little boat in your photo! Have a wonderful trip! Never been to the Orkney Islands, so I'm excited about the armchair travel I'll get to do via your photos!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kathy25 April 2012 at 16:31

      Thanks, Penny. The little boat is apparently the small local ferry across to Graemsay. Given the brisk northerly wind which is blowing it could be a lively voyage, but thankfully I'm a good sailor. I'll try to give you the best "first time in the Orkneys" impression I can. :-)

      Delete
  5. The Broad25 April 2012 at 16:19

    Happy belated birthday, Perpetua. Looking forward to hearing about what I am sure will be a wonderful adventure! And I am sending wishes for some wonderful sunshine, too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kathy25 April 2012 at 16:33

      Thanks, Broad. I had a lovely day yesterday and am really looking forward to tomorrow, despite the weather forecast. Sadly it looks like any sunshine is very unlikely to arrive before the weekend, by which time I will be back here. Ah well, one doesn't come to the north of Scotland for the weather....

      Delete
  6. Anonymous25 April 2012 at 18:24

    How exciting! Glad you are a good sailor - the Pentland Firth is not for sissies. I'll be thinking of two of my favourite bloggers having a good natter on Orkney - give Sian my best regards and I hope you have a lovely time! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kathy25 April 2012 at 18:34

      Thanks, DB. Will do. I'm sure we'll have a wonderful time, whatever the weather. I'd already gathered that crossing the Pentland Firth isn't quite like a sail on a loch, but since I managed the long Channel crossing at the tail-end of a hurricane, I'm hoping my confidence won't be proved misplaced tomorrow. :-)

      Delete
    2. Sian28 April 2012 at 20:51

      OOoh yes we had a great time! And your name was mentioned a time or two too ;-)

      Delete
  7. ArtyZen25 April 2012 at 20:30

    Happy Birthday for tomorrow, Perpetua - I'm sure you'll have a wonderful day, regardless of the weather. I have a dear friend on Orkney, she moved there just before we upped sticks to Spain - if you see her, give her my love! Denise Campbell, you can't miss her!

    http://www.castlehillorkney.co.uk/
    Axxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kathy25 April 2012 at 21:26

      Thanks, Annie. It's more a case of birthday yesterday, treat tomorrow, which prolongs the enjoyment. :-) I'm staying overnight with Sian on her tiny island tomorrow and then sightseeing on mainland Orkney on Friday - the best of both worlds.

      Delete
    2. Sian25 April 2012 at 21:56

      And don't look at the webiste before you come or your expectations of accommodation will be raised far above my "rustic" accommodation ;-) With the weather I don't think we'll get to that part of the West Mainland.....sigh....

      Delete
    3. Kathy25 April 2012 at 22:19

      Sian, rustic is what I have at home, so I'm quite happy with it. :-) The forecast seems to be improving a bit, though of course it's much better for the weekend when I'll have been and gone....

      Delete
  8. chaplain.cz25 April 2012 at 20:52

    Hi Perpetua - Like your early commenters here, I'm envious, as I've never got as far north in Scotland as the Orkneys. Ullapool is the furthest north Sybille & I have ever managed. Blogpost & photos ASAP please!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kathy25 April 2012 at 21:34

      I'll do my best, Ricky. :-) It looks like the forecast is improving slightly and it might actually not be raining by the time I get there, with the possibility of some sunny intervals on Friday. That would certainly help with photos, so fingers crossed....

      Delete
  9. Susan Heather25 April 2012 at 21:04

    Belated Happy Birthday and enjoy your visit - look forward to seeing the photos.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kathy25 April 2012 at 21:35

      Thanks, Susan. I'll be taking lots, in the hope I'll get some good ones. Aren't digital cameras wonderful...:-)

      Delete
  10. Molly25 April 2012 at 21:07

    Happy (belated) Birthday Perpetua. Have a wonderful time in Orkney, Those sunset pictures are really beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kathy25 April 2012 at 21:36

      Thanks, Molly. I'm sure I shall and I'm glad you enjoyed Sian's photos of her glorious surroundings.

      Delete
  11. Sian25 April 2012 at 21:53

    I've been doing the weather dance all evening...sigh... so far to no effect...... but we won't let a small thing like weather deter us :-) Looking forward to meeting you off the ferry tomorrow. Oooh adventures in blogging, I love them!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sian25 April 2012 at 21:53

      And of course a belated Happy Birthday! I like to spin my birthday celebrations out over several days. One must savour the good things in life ;-)

      Delete
    2. Kathy25 April 2012 at 22:22

      Thanks, Sian. Hopefully the worst of the rain will be over by tomorrow morning and everything else we can cope with. It sound as though it might be a roughish crossing from Scrabster, but no gale warnings, so I'm quite happy. See you soon. :-))

      Delete
  12. Friko25 April 2012 at 22:36

    Well, there's a treat.
    My valley is in danger of flooding once again, so you might as well be up in cosy, sunny, Scotland.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kathy25 April 2012 at 23:04

      it is indeed, Friko. Cold and windy here, but nothing like the rain you're getting further south. I do hope the floods don't materialise.

      Delete
  13. AstridsSoapbox25 April 2012 at 23:15

    Happy Birthday Perpetua. Sounds like you're going to have a wonderful time with your friend. Takes lots of photos so we can share when you get back. Smiles - Astrid

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kathy25 April 2012 at 23:19

      You just caught me before bedtime, Astrid. I intend to take lots and lots of photos and hope I won't bore everyone with them. Shame we can't have some of your warmth and sunshine to go with them. :-)

      Delete
  14. Janice26 April 2012 at 07:38

    I hope you had a great timne yesterday, and have a wonderful birthday today. I shall raise a glass of minervois red to you at dinner tonight. J. ( Looking forward to all the photos )

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kathy26 April 2012 at 07:49

      I had a lovely birthday, thanks, Janice and the birthday treat trip will be wonderful, I'm sure. I'm very partial to a nice glace of Minervois, so thanks in advance for the toast. :-)

      Delete
  15. Croixblanches26 April 2012 at 13:05

    Have a great trip, Perpetua, and I'm looking forward to seeing the photographs! Oh, and reading about your trip!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kathy27 April 2012 at 23:12

      Thanks, CB. Now home again and had a great time. Photos and account to follow....

      Delete
  16. lifeonthecutoff26 April 2012 at 16:42

    The older I get, the more I like to stretch out the birthday celebrations, Perpetua. It sounds like yours is the whole month long and brings true meaning to many happy returns.

    In spite of the weather's fickleness, I'm sure you had a wonderful time on Orkney and hope you post some pictures and words of your time. Best wishes.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kathy29 April 2012 at 14:25

      I started celebrating on Tuesday, Penny and will round it off with our wedding anniversary on Sunday. With far more birthdays behind me than ahead, I need to make the most of those that remain....:-)

      I had a marvellous time, thanks, and the sun even shone for us, as you will see when I've sorted and posted some photos.

      Delete
  17. Anonymous26 April 2012 at 17:51

    Happy happy birthday, Perpetua! Sounds like you are going to have a wonderful time...I'm a little late in reading, so you may already have enjoyed your special time! I'll look forward to those pictures! Debra

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kathy27 April 2012 at 23:15

      Thanks, Debra. I did indeed have a wonderful time and look forward to telling you all about it as soon as I can.

      Delete
  18. Iain26 April 2012 at 20:12

    Sounds splendid, hope you have(had) a great time. Orkney is quite special I think. Like you we tend to live between European countries France/Sweden/Spain with daughter and grandsprog to anchor us to UK - and many friends, of course.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kathy27 April 2012 at 23:20

      Hello Iaian and welcome to my blog. I did indeed have a splendid time and now understand a little of what makes people love Orkney so much. Glad to meet another traveller enjoying a peripatetic retirement - your trio of countries sounds much more exotic than mine. :-)

      Delete
  19. Niall & Antoinette26 April 2012 at 20:49

    belated Happy Birthday! It sounds absolutely wonderful and really looking forward to seeing your photographs. Orkney is one of the places on our list to get round to visiting [Niall visited it many years ago and thought it was fabulous but I have never been].

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kathy27 April 2012 at 23:17

      Thanks, Antoinette. I thought it was a wonderful place and I think managed to get some pretty good photos. You really must go there one day - you would love it too.

      Delete
  20. Sybil27 April 2012 at 01:12

    Have a wonderful visit with Sian.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kathy27 April 2012 at 23:21

      Hello Sybil and welcome to my blog. I had a really wonderful visit with Sian and can quite see why she loves her small island so much.

      Delete
  21. Annie @ knitsofacto28 April 2012 at 21:20

    Hope you had a fabulous time :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kathy28 April 2012 at 21:55

      Oh, we did, thanks, Annie. Details to follow as soon as I can. :-)

      Delete
  22. JeannetteLS28 April 2012 at 23:06

    Just popped in from Sian's. What a glorious time you both must have had! I've been catching up on your posts for a bit. I love the one about your mom, just before this. Thank you for that entry. It will be fun to see your pictures as well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kathy28 April 2012 at 23:59

      Hello Jeannette and lovely to see you. I'm glad you found time for a bit of catching-up. It's hard to keep up at times....

      Yes, we had the most wonderful time, despite the Arctic temperature. The light was great for photos and I'll post some very soon.

      Delete

I welcome your comments and will always try to respond to them. Thank you for reading.

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)