ORKNEY
I know we’re past the winter solstice and are back on our way towards Spring, but these long, cold winter nights have recently had me dreaming of summer. I can totally see why January is such a popular time in which to book holidays- I have to keep reminding myself that we’ll eventually get to a point in the year where I won’t have to cycle home in the dark.
It therefore seems to be an appropriate time to crack out photographs from last summer, from a trip to the second most northerly archipelago in the UK. I have to say that, had it not been for the other half of Stripy Tapir having grown up there, the Orkney Islands would not have been high on our travel list. But oh my- they were, hands down, one of the most remarkable places I’ve ever been to. The stunning views, the ancient history, the tranquility, the wildlife… Having visited during the longest heatwave the UK has had in living memory, I’m not entirely sure we got a true sense of what it must be like here when the days are short and the wind is howling. But in summer, when the days are so long it barely gets dark, and the bubbling of curlews provides the soundtrack to your evenings, falling in love with this place is pretty easy.
First up on the list of places I wanted to share with you is Marwick Head – one of the largest of the Island’s many seabird colonies.
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We loved Marwick Head so much that I insisted on going there twice – I had to repeat the walk up to the viewpoint that was lined with swathes of pink sea thrift, with great skuas patrolling the cliff edge. The site’s ‘money shot’- of the headland stretching out into the turquoise churning seas, with the tiniest of ledges teeming with guillemots, razorbills and fulmars, was jaw-dropping- but if you keep going, you’re pretty much guaranteed to find a corner with an equally spectacular view that you’ll have all to yourself.
It was from one of these spots that we whiled away an hour watching the birds ride the air currents and fit onto tiniest outcrops of rock. We even stumbled upon a fledgeling pipit (I’m not good enough at birds to say which particular type) who clearly hadn’t yet been taught to be wary of humans; it hopped around our feet for a while before settling down to soak up the sun.
I hope these photographs capture some of the magic of Marwick Head- in all its smelly, swirling, vertiginous glory. If you want to visit yourself, a car is pretty much essential (though you could probably cycle to the car park from Sandwick or Quoyloo). It’s also worth bearing in mind that there aren’t any facilities, so things like a thermos, layers and suncream (if you’re feeling optimistic) are worthwhile to bring. More from Orkney coming up soon đ
