We hopped on our tour bus early and made our way to the Orkneys! It is quite a haul, but our tour guide/driver, Helen, is amazing! A fearless lass from Glasgow behind that tour bus wheel, funny, sweet and knowledgeable about all the interesting histories (as well as knowing where all the public toilets are and having extra snacks), we’ve been in very capable hands. The long drive didn’t feel so long because she had loads of stuff to share along the way and stops to take photos or grab a coffee. I’ll let some of the photos speak for themselves since we have seen so much by now I can barely keep track of it all!
Stacks of Duncansby
Stacks of Duncansby
The view at Dunrobin, which is more impressive than the castle
Gardener’s Cottage at Dunrobin
Interesting feather at Dunrobin
Dunrobin Castle
Dunrobin Castle
Scenes from the highest point in Orkney and dinner at the Kirkwall Hotel. Helen took us to the top of Orkney “mainland” island, which she could only do because the weather was so good. Usually it’s too dangerously windy up there and can pull the doors right off the bus, or tip it completely over! It was a scary ride up so I had to just focus inwardly in the bus, but her confidence behind the wheel and me learning how to trust helped me, and it was an incredible view! Then to have a delicious dinner and walk home in the darkness (which made me really stressy because it was utterly dark after the city lights ended, and we got lost, we had to walk in the grass or in the road because there are no sidewalks, and I had to pee. After our grumpiness getting the better of us, I finally just dropped my drawers and peed in the grass on the roadside because no one was coming, and John figured out what the GPS was trying to do. We made it home and went to bed in a bit of a huff, but we both slept well and snuggled in the morning.
It was a fantastic start to our Orkney journey, all in all!
No comments:
Post a Comment