I knew I would visit the puffins every day! Today I was on my own, and started seeing my little friends just a few feet past the old ruinous mill where the Castle O’Burrian walk begins.
The old mill where we park to see PUFFINS!Hello!Today, I started seeing them along the walk to the Castle.Coming in for a landing!
A neighborhood of Puffins.First there was one.Then there were three.Amongst the wildflowers.One of my favorite of many, many favorite photos.
Puffins just puffining. I love their waddly little walks. There’s some afloat as well!Me and my friends.SO MANY FRIENDS!Puffin yawn.In their habitat.The wind was carrying the scent of dead whale a lot more strongly today.
Get a room, you two!An adorable threesome.One, many, nice shot of their habitat.*Yawn*Very round.They are so pretty with the flowers.Looka me, I can fly!Hello! You are pretty, too!Walking back to the car, still more puffins. Lots on land, as it was pretty windy.
Thought I might see what was on the other side of Westray, so drove past the ferry terminal. Really pretty little beach and views to Rousay.
Path to a little beach near the ferry terminalRing neck ploverRousay in the distance.Longhouse? or just long house? Most likely just the remains of a croft or barn. There were steps down into it and a very nice bench for sitting. But the farm up the road was pretty smelly, so I didn’t stay long. Love the creamy aqua of the sea.
Headed back home for lunch and further adventures with David. We drove to town, and walked from there to Grobust Beach, which I had read was the one of the prettiest places on the island. It was.
The long grass here is called machair, and mostly found in the Hebrides and west coast of Scotland, but not so much on Orkney and Shetland. The key for machair is the combination of shell-rich sand, strong winds, rainfall, salt spray, and traditional low-intensity farming, a combination that is more prevalent in the Hebrides.
Such wonderful geology.Windy but gorgeous day.Kelp patterns and textures.Seriously beautiful white sand beach.A lovely shelter Just wow. Machair, beach, ocean, sky — all perfectly beautiful.
Noltland Castle. Built by a pretty bad man, Gilbert Balfour. Everyone hated him, so he really need to protec and defend himself.
Some of the same rose sandstone as seen in St. Magnus.Ahhh stonework!Superb view, though!A timeline of the castle and Gilbert Balfour.
We were sort of set to eat at a cafe in town, but it just happened that we were in Pierowall on a rare day when Jacks Chippy was open. We were hoping to have a sit down, but it wasn’t that kind of place, so we enjoyed a blustery meal al fresco. Apparently, you need to be familiar with the workings of the place before going in. Very, very confusing; I was glad there wasn’t a long line behind us.
We enjoyed Jack’s Chippie, but it was really confusing to order.But YUM! So many chips. And my only Irn Bru of the trip! We had another type of bru as well.My guy and his fry.
Debkakes in the UK 2025 