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Standing Stones of Stenness
Whalebone Sculpture
We spent a week in Kirkwall marina, using it as a base for exploring the Mainland and southern isles, both by bus and hired car. The wind continued to blow steady and cold from the NE with occasional showers, making the prospect of sailing to the northern isles unattractive for Innes and Janice – city folk not used to the motion of a yacht. Around the town, visiting the cathedral, museum, library, bookshops and supermarkets kept us all occupied. We also had a lengthy fruitless search for a new deck plug for the masthead lights which, despite pre-launch checking, were refusing to work. A temporary repair has now been effected. On Sunday night we had dinner and a very enjoyable evening at the home of friends Ann and Ken, who now live in Kirkwall. It was good to get on the move again as we left the marina early this morning and set course for North Ronaldsay – our first visit to the island, the most northerly in Orkney. There is good anchorage on sand off the pier, but the bay is subject to a constant swell, which is a bit tiresome.