Scotland – Day 8: Orkney Islands
Itinerary
A fascinating day full of adventure. At John o’Groats, board a FERRY for the 45-minute crossing to South Ronaldsay, one of the Orkney Islands, where a local coach and driver-guide await you. Cross the four Churchill Barriers and overlook Scapa Flow, where the German fleet scuttled itself in World War I. Visit the ITALIAN CHAPEL, built by prisoners of war in 1943 from scrap metal, concrete, and other materials. Then, head for SKARA BRAE, where you see the fascinating remains of a 5,000- year-old Neolithic village and visit SKAILL HOUSE. Yet more highlights: the Ring of Brodgar, the Orkneys’ Stonehenge, and finally Kirkwall, the small and picturesque island capital. Return to the mainland by FERRY in the late afternoon.
Getting There
John had been warning us that the weather was looking pretty bad and it was unlikely we would get to visit the Orkney Islands. This was very disappointing, as the reason several of us had chosen this tour over other tours is because it is one of the few, if not the only, tours that actually goes to Orkney. Because the weather is so unpredictable, our plan was to proceed as normal and assume the ferry was running.
Fantastic weather!
After breakfast, we hadn’t heard anything from the ferry company, which is better than a definite no. Being halfway through our trip, Steve (our bus driver) had the day off and we had a relief driver. Unfortunately, he didn’t know the bus well or the bus had an actual problem. At any rate, we returned to the hotel after a few minutes. After alot of fussing, Steve got it working again. Still, bad omen.
By now we were late, so there was no stopping at Dunnet Head, which is the northernmost point of mainland Scotland. But we wouldn’t have been able to see much anyway. Got to the ferry and it was not running. The Trafalgar tour group was stuck too. John didn’t give up. There was a new ferry, the Pentalina that had recently started service so we would try it. He said it was a catamaran, whatever that was. Doris said she had been on one before and it was pretty small. So now John needed a headcount but warned that the journey could be pretty rough. What he failed to mention was how massive the Pentalina was. I think if we’d known that, more people would have gone. But only a handful backed out. They went to the Castle of Mey instead and seemed to quite enjoy it.
Our savior!
The first part of the ferry ride was so calm, I wondered what the fuss was about. Then we got into open water with no land blocking the winds. Lots of ups and downs, but nothing bad. When we got to Kirkwall, the weather was much the same. Really windy, cold, and rainy.
Italian Chapel
First stop was the Italian Chapel. Built by Italian POW’s during WWII, it is a very small, but beautiful piece of art. We stopped for a few minutes; long enough to make a good photo and leave a small donation.
Ruins
Next was Skara Brae. It is the remains of a pre-historic village; around 5,000 years old! There are numerous photos in the gallery. It was difficult to appreciate what we are actually seeing with the yucky weather. Here is where I will drop a very valuable photography hint. If there was one piece of equipment that was more important than anything else, it was my lens hood. It was hugely helpful in keeping the rain off of my lens.
A short walk away is the Skaill House. This was the home of the local Laird (Lord) who discovered Skara Brae. There is a replica of Skara Brae House 1 by the visitor centre which is really good. The centre also has a very nice gift shop and cafe.
Skara Brae - House 1
Lunch was at Plout Kirn. Interesting place. You sit down and instead of ordering they bring out plates of light sandwiches and bowls of soup.
The Ring Of Brodgar was next. More than 300 feet in diameter, it’s rather difficult to get the whole thing in one photo. The best guess for its origin is 2500 to 2000 BC. I only have one photo, due to rain drops on the lens (see above) and, ahem, people in the shot.
Less than a mile away are the Standing Stones of Stenness. Much more compact, at only about 100 feet in diameter.
Kirkwall
Done with the major sightseeing, our final destination was Kirkwall. I think normally we would go inside the St. Magnus Cathedral, but there was a wedding at the time. That was still kind of neat, as it’s more traditional than here. Horse-drawn carriage and a bagpiper. So we just walked around the town for a while.
Finally, another WWII relic, the blockship. During the war, ships were sunk to block German U-boats from attacking Orkney. The photo is a bit blurry due to water drops, since we were inside the bus.
Scotland – Day 7: Dunrobin, Thurso
Itinerary
Continue an unforgettable journey and follow the coast road to majestic DUNROBIN CASTLE, for centuries the seat of the Dukes and Earls of Sutherland. Visit the formal gardens and enjoy a fascinating FALCONRY DISPLAY. Before dinner you may want to join your Tour Director for an optional excursion to a local pub.
Introduction
Now we come to the second half of tour. The towns are much smaller and the hotels are more… interesting. We only had one stop today, Dunrobin Castle. There aren’t many photos, especially since we were not allowed to take photos inside the castle, as is often the case. So we’ll go over some history first, then onto the castle.
One of the most infamous events of Scottish history is the Highland Clearances during the 17th and 18th centuries. At that time, thousands of people made their living via farming, but residing in poor conditions. The short version is that the aristocrats, or landlords, sought to “improve” the plight of the common people by moving them to coastal areas where they would take up fishing instead and live a better life. Whatever. The reality is that these people were forced off their lands, often violently. In their place, was set up more profitable (for the landlords) sheep farming. Convenient.
Driving up through the highlands there are 3 monuments that we ran across pertaining to the Clearances. The first is the Fyrish Monument. Read the link for details. I don’t think our guide mentioned it in detail, if it all. From the pictures I’ve seen, it offers a spectacular view on a clear day. I, however, can only offer this:
Next is a massive statue of the 1st Duke of Sutherland. Again, supposedly the Duke and his wife were appalled by the living conditions and were responsible for thousands of relocations. Consequently, he has become one of the most hated men in Scotland. In 1837, a few years after this death, a 100 ft. statue of him was erected on top a major hill. This monument dominates the skyline, which does not sit well with the locals. Its removal has been attempted multiple times, both legally and illegally. I am not sure how much longer it can stand.
Further north up the road is the small town of Helmsdale. In 2007, The Emigrants Statue was placed here to commemorate the success of the Scottish who survived the Clearances and persevered.
Back to photography. The statue is very scenically placed, right next to the coast. There’s a beautiful stone bridge in nearby, too. The weather was pretty miserable, so only a handful of us braved it to take photos. The following picture alone made it worthwhile.
Dunrobin
The home of the Sutherlands is Dunrobin Castle. Situated on the coast, it is certainly a good representation of the fairytale-like palaces. Much of this is due to the remodel in the mid-1800′s. The castle itself originates from the 14th century, at least.
At this time of year, the sun rises directly behind the castle. Plan your visit accordingly (see above photo). The rear (?) of the castle looks out over the North Sea.
The gardens are amazing. I know I say that every day, but with this much rain, it’s unavoidable. With them in the foreground and the castle in the background, you can’t miss taking a good photo.
Something else you shouldn’t miss is the falconry display performed twice a day. It is much better than anything I’ve ever seen in Texas and includes a wider variety of birds. I will cover this in detail in a later post regarding wildlife.
Giant Rhubarb!
We had a light and very good lunch at the cafe in the castle before getting back on the bus to Thurso.
Thurso
Far up the road is Thurso, the northernmost town on the mainland. It’s a small town, with not a lot to do. We elected to not partake in storytime at the local pub and instead walk around and relax in the room. We did the quick half-mile walk up to the northern coast. That’s pretty neat to look out over sea so far north. We were able to make out what I think was Orkney, our destination for the next day.
Our hotel was the St. Clair. I liked this hotel. While not much to look at on the outside, the inside has been remodeled. The bathrooms look brand new, although I can’t say I’ve ever been in a smaller one. It’s amazing there is room for the door to open. The people were nice, if somewhat overwhelmed by us. The bar was welcoming and wifi is free. The only bad thing about the hotel itself is the plumbing (flushing, I think) is very loud. This is not good when there are dozens of people there. The only bad thing we ran into regarding the town (and John had warned us about this) are the cars. Apparently there is nothing else to do at night, and the kids with no taste put those awful exhausts on their cars and just up and down the streets at night. We have a name for those types of people but I won’t say it :)
This hotel worked well for us and I hope it works well for them, too.
Favorite Thurso sign
Back to Mill’s Pond
On Saturday, we did a quick jaunt down to Mill’s Pond again in search of the Wood Duck. While we didn’t see it, we did come across something surprising: a flock of Cedar Waxwings! Love these guys. Being at the top of a tree, they were too far for a good photo. Great Egret was still hanging around.
Since we were there around sunset, the light turned into that lovely warm glow. I snapped off a quick photo of a Northern Mockingbird just before he took off, which I really like. Doris got one of him actually flying toward the camera, which was pretty neat.
Photography News
I don’t follow the electronics shows with an eagle eye. With respect to cameras, each manufacturer typically announces an obscene number of useless cameras that are no better than the previous generation. I do look for highlights, and this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held at least two significant advantages.
Canon G1 X
Lately, everyone has been jumping on the mirrorless DSLR bandwagon. Canon, it seemed, missed the boat. However, with the new G1 X, they have tossed their hat into the ring. There is one big difference between this and everyone else’s camera: it does not have interchangeable lenses. The lens is a 28-112mm-equivalent. At this point, I was still excited. Until I saw the picture. This thing is not pocketable. That combined with the $800 price tag leaves me wondering. While it will definitely sell, the size and price are holding it back. For $700 or less, you can pick up an entry-level DSLR with better quality. If the G1 X does not fit in your pocket, then why not get something bigger and cheaper? Granted, purse-bearers won’t have this problem. But it remains to see how good the lens is. I am disappointed though.
Fuji X-Pro1
Possibly a more exciting announce is Fuji’s X-Pro1. The sensor has been redesigned to eliminate the need for a low-pass filter! In theory, this means a much sharper image. Fuji is claiming it will even perform better than a full-frame camera. If so, we can only hope this technology will spread out to every other camera. Low-pass filters need to go the way of the dinosaur.
Other News
As Jim pointed out, the Lightroom 4 Beta has been released. This figures, as I had just downloaded the 3.6 trial. I’m also testing DxO Optics Pro 7. I am mainly looking to consolidate my tools. Right now I use 4 tools to process my photos and while it’s quick, it’s annoying. This will become evident once I publish my workflow.
New Year’s Eve Birding
For the last day of the year, I visited a couple of local birding sights. And then one more on a whim. I don’t usually have much luck in the winter, but in the end, I added several birds to my lifetime list. I’m currently pruning photos and move galleries around. Some of these photos may disappear if they are replaced. Again, I only keep the best photos of a certain bird.
Mills Pond
Located in the Well Branch subdivision, you wouldn’t know about Mills Pond without looking at a map, really. Right after getting out of the car, I saw a Wood Duck. Good start! First time I’ve seen one not in a zoo. AFAIK, it was the only one. I took dozens of photos, but here is the first one I took. Still processing the others and will post the good ones later.
Wood Duck
This is likely not a complete list of everything there, but here are the photos I kept.
American Wigeon (green)
Northern Shoveler
American Wigeon (blue)
Lesser Scaup
Cinammon Teal
Great Egret
There are currently 4 photos of the Great Egret in the gallery. It was quite photogenic.
Hornsby Bend
Hornsby was suprisingly eventful, with several new birds for me. Not pictured are a pair of Eastern Bluebirds at the entrance as I have better photos. But it’s only the second time I’ve seen them out there. Also missing is a Rusty Blackbird because I’m not sure that’s what I photographed. While I know they were out there in large quantities, getting a photo was very difficult. The snipe was taken at 600mm (300 + two 1.4x extenders).
Loggerhead Shrike
Ring-billed Gull
Wilson's Snipe
Northern Shoveler
American Kestrel
Walnut Creek Wasterwater Treatment Plant
One of the birders at Hornsby suggested I stop by the Walnut Creek Wasterwater Treatment Plant. I had seen it mentioned before on TPWD’s East Austin Birding Sites, but never looked in on it. Turns out it’s pretty close to Hornsby. Two ducks of interest for me, though I’m not sure what the second one is. I’ve found similar ducks but no exact match. If you know, I would love to hear from you in the comments section.
Pied-billed Grebe
Unknown Duck
