Isle of Rousay

Today we took the ferry over to the Isle of Rousay as foot passengers, it is a ro-ro ferry so the cars have to back on, the drivers must be old hands at it, as they are very good at backing up. We were met by our guide Patrick, who is Irish, he has only been living on Rousay for 2.5 years but knows everything and everybody. He gave a very well informed tour, toward the end I suggested we stop at his daughter’s pub for a drink and since it was only two miles from the ferry terminal we could walk the rest of the way. The early evening was beautiful with no wind and the change to evening light on a calm sea was wonderful. We stopped in to see one more cairn on the way back to the ferry.


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Before leaving the Orkney mainland, we walked down a country road since we had time before the ferry departed. We came upon a wayward chicken who had escaped from her yard and was making her way down the rock wall. John caught her and put her over the fence where she belonged with the rest of the flock.

Chicken walks the wall



Rock walls are everywhere



Farm buildings



Tingwall Jetty



Isle of Rousay



Old fish houses by the sea



This rock wall is very staight and very long



Midhowe Cairn

This cairn is the largest and longest in Orkney. It is covered by a building to protect it so you get to see the outside walls as it is not covered by grass. The bottom slabs are horizontal while the walls are slabs laid in an angle in a herring-bone fashion.



Midhowe Broch

The Midhowe Broch is situated in a very good defensive position; on one side is the sea, on either side are two natural trenches in the rock filled with sea water and then the builders cut in a ditch in the landward side. This broch is very large and the guide said it was likely three times its current height.












Whisky and Haggis, What Else?

We headed out for dinner to Stromness to the Ferry Inn. Our Belgian friends and John had beer but I decided to have a local whisky, Highland Park. Single malt whisky is very different from any ‘Scotch’ I have ever drank, it is smooth and has layers of flavour. Then we all decided to have ‘Robbie Burns Chicken’ which is a chicken breast stuffed with haggis, wrapped in smoked bacon and served with a white wine and tarragon sauce. Haggis has a very distinctive flavour, quite sharp and has the texture of wet dressing. The dish was very good and we had lots of laughs while having dinner.