Just for a change we had a day with no archeology. This may have been partly due to my not checking the tide times before we went to The Brough of Birsay so that we could not go over tot the viking site. The causeway across is only passable for 2 hours either side of low tide.
It is a nice place anyway and we have seen plenty of ruins so it doesn't matter if we miss one. Instead we had a stroll from The Brough to Skipi Geo just down the coast a bit.
I had never been down there before. I knew that the fishermans hut which is in the background of the photo, was there and the whale bone that is on so many postcards but I had no idea about the boat nousts. These are the boathaped trenches that have additionally been built up to form safe places for boats even in winter storms. It must have been a hell of a job dragging them right up there though but I suppose that it was easier than building a new boat if your old one got smashed in the storms.
John and Alex somehow insinuated themselves into the photo but the camera is still OK.
Today's title is a bit of a lie as we did stop at the Earls Palace in Birsay on the way back but really only because thay have a toilet there and except for Alex, we are of that age. Then we went to Barony Mills, another place that I have been promising myself that I would go to but have never got to yet. I like water mills and have visited a few but this one was one of the best. The enjoyment was made so much better by the miller who was so obviously totally engrosed by his job. He was an ex salesman but had started his apprentiship at the mill almost 5 years ago and had almost finished his training. It has kept it in the family as I think that his father and grandfather were also millers at this mill.
He was very enthusiastic about his mill and even let Alex start the wheel and machinery going.
The mill is not just a tourist attraction but works commercially producing flour that is sold at shops throughout Orkney, even I think in the dreaded Tesco's. I have used one of their flours, made from Bere, an early type of barley. It adds a beautiful taste to bread but as it is a bit heavy it makes the bread not rise as well as normal. I found that if st used a maximum of 20% bere meal then I got a nice tasting loaf and it was not to heavy.
Baking lesson over.
On the way back home we stopped off at The Loons RSPB hide. There was nothing except the normal birds around but as I have said before, I like it and it was pleasant just sitting there for half an hour doing nothing except looking about.
In the evening John and Alex treated us to a meal at The Skerries. we are getting to be regulars there as visitors who offer to take us for a meal always get taken there. Mainly because it is nice and informal and they do really good seafood. Apparently the cook was off sick and Hamish was doing the cooking. I was impressed. The food was as good as usual so 10 out of 10 to Hamish. There was apparently a bit of friction in the kitchen though and Carol said that although they never argue they had a good row. It just goes to show that you shouldn't make men do the cooking.
On the way down to The Skerries we saw a stoat run accross the road in front of us. There are not supposed to be stoats in Orkney but over the past year or so a few have been seen. The RSPB has trapped some and where we saw one was only a mile or so from where thay have been trapped previously. Thgeneral consensus is that they have come over in bales of imported hay or something like that. Anyway I have reported it to the RSPB and they are going to set more traps. With all the ground nexting birds up here stoats would be a real threat. We have hedgehogs but it is probably to late to do much about them as they are everywhere.
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