Monday 27 July 2020

Skailling back...

or "Getting on Marwick".

Last Friday was a peach of a day, much sunnier than forecast and ideal for a walk on the west coast of mainland Orkney. Our Lass and I parked by Skaill Bay and set off towards Marwick along the low clifftops.

Rock Pipit

You've either got or you haven't got... stile!

This sea stack is known variously as Stack of Roo or Castle of Geostic

A portal to another realm

Stack of Roo

A Fulmar family

Risso's Dolphins out to sea
 

Puffins

A parasitic wasp Amblyteles armatorius

Skylark

Looking north towards Marwick Head

A tranquil rockpool with the Atlantic beyond

Our Lass and the Old Man of Hoy

Hoy and a lumpy bit of mainland Scotland

A fish fossil with a limpet shell for scale

Still looking north to Marwick Head

Looking south towards Skaill

Puffins

Puffins

Stack of Roo

It looked to be a glorious day at sea too

A bit like a shield bug, but I don't think it is

Ringed Plover
The there-and-back route was about eight miles and, out of condition as we are, I'm ashamed to say that we slumped into the car exhausted upon our return. On the way home, we stopped off at an Italian restaurant for a takeaway (2 x 12" Vegetarianas and a couple of desserts). 

4 comments:

Alyson said...

Great pictures - You are really lucky to live in such a beautiful place with so much nature on your doorstep.

Imperfect and Tense said...

Alyson, we very are! It hasn't been a bad place to be locked down, but due to necessarily-cancelled plans, we're missing family very much.

Alyson said...

Our good friends are heading up to Orkney soon for a holiday so I'll send a link to your blog. They love the great outdoors so it will inspire them I'm sure.

Imperfect and Tense said...

If they need any help or advice, feel free to pass on my details.