Quiet day in Orkney

It's drizzling as promised, but we spent the morning hanging around inside working anyway. Our house is a typical Orkney shape in that it seems very small on the outside and quite spacious inside. It has huge windows in almost every available space from which we can watch the ducks and chickens. Last night, I saw a curlew hovering over the farm, and this morning, a flock of sparrows came down and seemed to be feeding on the red hot poker flowers that seem so popular in the gardens here.

In the afternoon, we went out, first to the beach for a little while, where we had a good time bothering the local wildlife. Antonia is armed with a seashore sticker book and a nature detective book and she is developing a more precise view of the species she finds: they are not just 'shells', but whelks, or limpets, or periwinkles... Mike and I are trying to use our new camera, but we are not very good at it yet. It has to be said that the weather isn't really doing us any favours, and we don't have a suitable macro lens for close up nature shots. At least I can now recognise an oystercatcher whenever I see it!

It stopped raining while we were at the beach and started again just as we were setting off to visit the local whisky distillery. We've been round whisky distilleries before, but I enjoyed this one. If felt quite small and intimate, and it was interesting to be able to handle the barley, peat, and casks and smell them. I didn't know this before, but all the whisky distilleries are black becase they get covered in an alcohol consuming mould. It's funny to think that there really is an 'angel' drinking the so-called angel's share (the alcohol that evaporates out of the cask), and that it's a tiny black mould. Our guide said this mould is pleasant in summer, but gets quite slimy in winter. Also, we finally got our whisky!!! They gave us a taster and we bought a few small bottles for later.

That's about it, apart from a quick drive around and a bit of shopping. We will start exploring properly tomorrow.

Long journey to Orkney

View from Horrie Farm in Orkney

In various ways, we have worked our way through the whole of Scotland: from the border to Milngavie by train, to Fort William on foot, along the Great Glen to Inverness by coach, then up to Orkney by coach and ferry. After all that walking on the West Highland Way, it feels strange to be sitting on coaches. We had great views all the way, though I have been along Loch Ness before and I find the landscapes around there too banal for my taste. This just means that it looks a lot like the lowlands of Yorkshire where I spent several years of my life. It's very nice really, and probably quite exotic to some people. I think that Mike, for example, finds this area very attractive. We wandered around Inverness a bit in the afternoon. For the last eight days we had no time to do much except walk, wash, eat and sleep. Now that we have nothing much to do I think we're torn between creativity and exhaustion. Antonia and I started thinking of art projects, and we are all thinking (not very enthusiastically) of getting back to a bit of work when we get to Orkney.

Inverness has very good restaurants and we found a nice seafood one for dinner. The food and wine were excellent, but everyone is too tired to talk, and it's pretty tedious just sitting around eating. We might have been better off in a pub, with a football match to entertain us, though I don't think I could stand another plate of chips.

We got up in time for the 7:30 coach to Orkney which took us through beautiful countryside along lochs and firths, across new causeways, where, until a couple of decades ago, we would have had to take ferry crossings. Since this coach doubles as a tour bus, we had some commentary along the way. I was struck by two hilltop monuments, created by the landlords of the areas we passed through. One was ordered by a local lord as a way of keeping his tenants employed during a famine. The story goes that he paid a day-shift to put the monument up in the day, and a night-shift to undo their work - the idea being that they were too proud to just take the money. I couldn't make out what the monument was, but it is apparently a copy of something he had seen in India.

In the other case it was the landlord who had a problem with pride. He had his tenants erect an immense statue of himself as a 'loving' memorial. From a distance, I thought it was one of those statues of Mary that you find in southern europe, and it seemed rather out of place. This earl of Sutherland was not very popular because he was at the forefront of Highland clearances. His county of Sutherland is one of the prettiest we passed through. As we reached Caithness, it really felt a little bit like the ends of the earth. Half the houses are abandoned, and not just very old ones. It is very windy today, and the sheep and cattle, like the remaining houses, have an enduring look about them. Mostly they are lying down in little huddles. There are virtually no trees, except where householders have built fences and walls to nurture them, but not all the land is pasture either. There is a lot of black moor. Off shore, we can see a few drilling rigs, which seem to be keeping the towns going, but our commentator told us that about 150 years ago the area was the centre of a herring boom, and so overpopulated that workers were housed in horrendous conditions.

The impression of delapidation increased when we reached John O'Groats ferry terminal which consists of a few squat buildings for cafes and shops and a ruinous but very over-the-top Victorian Gothic hotel. It was freezing cold, with a strong wind, and I wished I had dressed rather differently. Our ferry, when it arrived, looked so small I thought for a while we were going to have to sit outside, but no.... We were down in the hold, on basic seats that had been bolted to the floor,with our life jackets in nets along the walls. I rather thought I wouldn't be needing mine in any circumstances, as the water would be cold enough to finish me off on contact. Being a smallish boat, our ferry went up and down rather a lot, and before long, dogs and children started getting sick. I advised Antonia to look out of the windows to try to anticipate her motion, and she pulled through, though she looked a bit pale at times. Orkney was a very welcome sight, though it was a bit of a shock when we found out that the crossing we had taken was the shortest possible one. I do know there are much larger and presumably more stable ferries than this coming into Orkney, but this is the one the Inverness bus takes you to.

In fact, we had been able to see Orkney from the mainland, it is so close, but when we actually got our feet on it, it seemed very rich and green and, well, safe. It has a less desolate feel than Caithness, although all the houses are still very sober and plain. When we got to Kirkwall, we found that everything was very close and convenient. We got all our information about what to do around here, an excellent sandwich in a cafe-come-music-centre, our hire car and our shopping, and we found our farm out in the country without any trouble. The only fly in the ointment is that it is bitterly cold here at the moment. It reminds me of the first day we spent in Iceland, when I wondered if were even going to be able to get out of the car. As soon as the wind dropped, it got reasonably warm there, and I think the same will be the case with Orkney. I hope so, because I'm looking forward to just messing around on beaches and archaeological sites and taking short walks. Though, if it rains, there is a pool table here, and plenty of other things to do.

WHW Day 8 - Kinlochleven to Fort William

Total distance: 22.95 km
Start time: 9:00; End time: 17:40
Time spent actually walking: 5 h 24 mins
Time stopped: 3 h 22 mins


It was a long climb out of Kinlochleven but that was pretty much the hardest part of the day. The weather is amazingly fine again, though apparently it has been very wet at home. Once we climbed above the treeline we had another of those long straight walks across moorland where you can see the path for miles. This was one of the longest days of walking, about 23 km in all so we tried to make good time in the morning. We arrived at a point where there had been clear cutting some years ago and had to walk through several kilometres of desolation. The foresters do not really tidy up after themselves, they leave portions of dead trunk standing and rubbish all over the floor. In our part of the world we have a different kind of forestry where they mostly take out individual mature trees or small patches, so we are not used to this. Eventually we got to a section where the forest was still standing, and it gave us an idea of what the whole area would have been like. Of course, these are not natural forests, but they do provide a different habitat. As soon as you get inside, you hear the humming of insects and the call of birds. The forest floor is very dark, but near the paths and clearings there is quite rich greenery (but not many species, it would seem). I am surprised how boggy the ground is as soon as you get off the paths, just about everywhere. It seems that the conifers find it hard to get a firm anchorage, because quite a few of them fall over, taking their shallow roots with them. Of course this creates more clearings, which may be bad for the foresters, but is good for the plants. The mosses here are enormous, and the trunks of the trees are reddish and very Scottish looking.

Until now, I was struck by how different the Highlands are from our own mountains, but here, around Ben Nevis, there is a slightly Alpine look. I think it's partly the sight of the mountains over the conifers, and partly the mountain resort feel of Glen Nevis which is full of holiday homes and campsites. The mountain itself made an appearance after spending most of the day under a cap of cloud.

The end of the walk is a bit of an anti-climax. People who saw each other every day for a week now end up suddenly spread across a wide area around Fort William. We all knew it was going to happen and managed to more or less take photos of each other and say goodbye during today's walk. When we got to the bottom we had to walk along the boring road past our B&B to the self-proclaimed end of the walk sign where we wanted to take a photo, then haul ourselves painfully back. We had plan to celebrate the end of the walk with a whisky, but we got caught out eating in this restaurant which resembled a cafeteria, because it was really too late for Antonia to eat in the bar. It was completely the wrong ambience for celebratory whiskies, so we've put it off till we don't know when... The food was OK at least. Probably the last large meal we can allow ourselves! I must say, I'm going to miss being able to eat Snickers bars every day with impunity, but I don't care if I never see another chip or piece of garlic bread!

WHW Day 7 - Kingshouse to Kinlochleven

Total distance: 14.07 km
Start time: 9:35; End time: 15:55
Time spent actually walking: 4 h 09 mins
Time stopped: 2 h 10 mins


My group are very predictable, in a sort of way. If I tell them they have a long day ahead and need to start by 8:30, they are ready at 9:30. If I tell them it's a really short day and we needn't start till 10:00, they are ready at 9:30. Anyway, I digress....

Another shortish day although it included what passes as a climb up the so-called Devil's Staircase. It was easy enough. I have noticed that the West Highland Way mostly follows the line of old roads, and they always took the easiest way, mostly along the flanks of valleys. If there is a pass to cross, you can guarantee it will be at the lowest point. In the end, we probably dawdled a bit too much at the top, because we found the descent into Kinlochleven a bit tedious. Our book says Kinlochleven is no beauty spot, but we actually like old industrial stuff to look at. The last part of the descent was enlivened by the huge pipes of a hydroelectric system, and our hostel was right opposite the powerplant. This was 19th or early 20th century, so quite a pleasant brick construction.

It was actually the woods around Kinlochleven that I found to be very ordinary and unattractive, but I suppose the valley must be quite sheltered to be allowing them to grow at all. We hung out in the hostel for ages - it was actually quite nice since we had a private room and private bathroom. We eventually wandered down into town where there was a choice of pubs. We ended up watching South Africa lose to Uraguay in the World Cup, and let Antonia have a go at pool, so you could say we got into British pub culture. On the way back, we passed a huge climbing gym, the Ice Factor, and Mike managed to get them to let him in to look at their ice wall, with real ice! It's actually very impressive. You go into this enormously tall fridge with ice absolutely everywhere, it does cost a fortune to keep it cold. Mike and Antonia went back to take some pictures and I think Antonia had a little play in there and was very pleased with it. The climbing gym is not all ice, there are a lot of regular climbing walls as well (and a bar!).

It's hard to believe it will be the last day tomorrow, though it's a long one.

WHW Day 6 - Bridge of Orchy to Kingshouse

Total distance: 19.71 km
Start time: 8:45; End time: 15:45
Time spent actually walking: 5 h 06 mins
Time stopped: 1 h 51 mins


We paid the price of having the laundry done by the hotel staff this morning, because we had to start getting it back and sorting it out, when we should have done that last night. It seemed like it might be one of the harder days of walking and I was very keen to leave by 8:30 am. The only way this was even remotely going to happen was if I sorted it out while the other two had breakfast. I am afraid my colleagues have absolutely no grasp of how long things take, and I'm sure we would have left at 10.30 am if I had just sat back and let them get on with it.

As it turned out, I needn't have worried. We did the walk in double quick time and are relaxing at the Kingshouse Hotel, and, well, waiting for the shower. A few days back, under a railway bridge in the rain, a guy had warned us about the territory after Bridge of Orchy, while giving Antonia a doubting look. I can see what he means, in that if the weather conditions turned wet and windy, it could be horrendous. It is a long, long walk on an old drove road over open, mostly boggy, moorland. It must have been grim work building it, and very helpful when it was made. It's hard to imagine how the cattle got across this mess before that. As we had fine, warm weather, it was really a walk in the park for us. The so-called climbs are a bit of a joke to people who live in the Alps, but this is the kind of landscape I really love, and which makes me remember how closed in our own mountains can feel. We could see for miles and miles across Rannock Moor, so far that the distant mountains really did look blue as they are supposed to. We found a nice breezy spot for lunch off the path to avoid the midges. Antonia was over the moon because we found some insect eating plants (called sundew or drosera), a large feathery moth let her hold if for a while, and she found a dragonfly 'as big as a robin'. She got her feet completely soaked while she was looking for it, but she said it was worth it. We also saw the military jets on their practice runs flying low up the valleys. They make a few passes a day, so it is more entertainment than a nuisance. There were also military cadets out doing some kind of training on bikes, and an old guy sitting at the top of the pass, sunbathing and playing a giant game of draughts. He said his job was to give them a 'safety briefing' (e.g. lecture on not speeding) before they began the descent.

When you see the Kingshouse Hotel in the distance, it's this tiny white thing, dwarfed by the huge spaces. When you get inside it seems like a maze, with more buildings through whichever window you look out of. In decor it reminds me of one of the smarter places my parents would have taken me to stay long, long ago, in the seventies. I am having a bit of a nostalgia trip with that, and don't even mind if I don't make it to the shower and end up washing with a flannel. Also, I am downstairs, in the bar, BY MYSELF, enjoying a glass of wine and some garlic bread, because Antonia and Mike are playing in the room. That is really nice. Antonia's got her endurance up alright, she was frankly giddy for most of the afternoon. There is one thing about Scotland that she really, really likes, and that, I am afraid, is Scot Loos. They are blue portable toilets that you see all over the place and I think if she had her way, Doctor Who's Tardis would get 'upgraded'.

WHW Day 5 - Drymen to Bridge of Orchy

Total distance: 11.39 km
Start time: 9:26; End time: 13:28
Time spent actually walking: 2 h 43 mins
Time stopped: 1 h 00 mins


Hurrah! it's our short day! We need to do laundry so badly! We need to get on the internet so badly! But first, we need to walk at least a little bit.

And it turned out to be a really easy walk, just a stroll along the valley on some old military road. We have green hills on both sides, with very few trees now, a road and a railway for company (hmmm) and it is frankly quite warm! Bridge of Orchy seems to be basically a station and a quite smart hotel with a bunkhouse attached. We are in there! Well actually, we are currently in the lounge of the hotel enjoying the free internet, having just eaten a long and delicious meal. We are looking forward to another one tonight, and we are doing nothing at all but surf the 'net till then. There was a small hitch with the laundry, but I'm afraid it's rather to our advantage, and to the disadvantage of the poor girl in reception. The washing machine in the bunkhouse was broken, so she is doing our horrible, smelly, pongy, disgusting laundry for us... for a small sum of money of course.

WHW Day 4 - Inverarnan to Drymen

Total distance: 18.93 km
Start time: 10:26; End time: 18:00
Time spent actually walking: 4 h 50 mins
Time stopped: 2 h 50 mins


As expected, it is raining today, so we had a big equipment changeover. Antonia and I had been hiking in sandals up to this point, but we have switched to boots and full wet weather gear. It actually wasn't too bad - there were even moments when the sun came out and we wished we hadn't bothered so much. Then the clouds came back, it started to rain again, and we just wished we had more warm things. We also got a particularly late start because Mike was busy explaining to our hosts about grassroots militant internet sourcing for rural areas, then, just as we were about to leave, Antonia discovered a tick. We did make pretty good time once we got started, due to the bad weather and the absence of a pub at midday!

Apart from the rain, we had quite interesting walking over open ground, where the sun kindly came out in time for us to eat a picnic lunch. It started to rain again as we climbed a wooded pass, stopped while we sheltered underneath a railway line for tea and started again as we walked through a windswept valley round an ancient ruined priory with a graveyard. We were quite glad to arrive at our hostel, and even more pleased that it had a really good drying room. Having a packed lunch helped us make better time today, but although it's the first day Mike and I felt we had really healthy stomachs, our feet are definitely starting to get sore. Fortunately it is our short day tomorrow.