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MSC Magnifica

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Sun, 24 Apr 2022 22:10:22 GMT

My first German language tour for two years

Today 24th April I had another peedie (little) milestone post COVID. I had my first German language Kirkwall Walking tour from the MSC Magnifica. I practiced my German for a day or two before, but it is fair to say there is room for improvement?!

A new season begins

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Sun, 03 Apr 2022 21:33:31 GMT

Today I had two tours to the Ring of Brodgar with American visitors from the Viking Venus. This was my first tour of the 2022 season and the weather was less then kind. My voice was shredded with talking so long. This is a bummer as I pick up a three day Harmony tour tomorrow.

Last Tour of 2021

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Fri, 31 Dec 2021 21:20:10 GMT

A Harmony Coach Holidays Hogmanay Tour

An early start this morning at 8.30am to make full use of the limited daylight. In the morning we visited the Broch of Gurness, the Earl's Palace and Skara Brae. Then after lunch, it was the Ring of Brodgar, the Stones of Stenness and then back to Kirkwall via John Hamilton's stone pick-up.

Christmas Day in Kirkwall 2021

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Sun, 26 Dec 2021 18:12:36 GMT

Normally in Kirkwall Orkney the Mens' Ba is thrown up at 1 o'clock on Christmas Day. Due to COVID this years games were again cancelled. However this lady took her father's Ba down to Broad Street, to display. A few die hard Ba players were down on the street to admire it.

I start feeding my cattle.

Sat, 27 Nov 2021 17:17:31 GMT

After Storm Arwen we now have an icy blast

After Storm Arwen we now have an icy blast, which means I have to start feeding my cattle. This is later than normal, due to a mild Orkney Autumn. However I am short of silage, due to the very dry summer and therefore would have liked to put off feeding for a week or so yet.

Another Harmony Tour

Mon, 11 Oct 2021 16:43:35 GMT

It’s Monday, so it must be another Harmony Coach Holiday tour and the weather looks like it’s going to be good?!

The weekend means it's a Harmony tour

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Sun, 29 Aug 2021 17:39:46 GMT

I just finished another lovely Harmony Coach Holiday tour, with another great bunch of folks. There were quite a few folk from the North East of Scotland this time. I only have three more of them to go in 2021 sob, sob! But on the bright side the next one begins on Wednesday!

Marella Explorer 2

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 22:00:20 GMT

Today I had two tours to Skara Brae, Skaill House and the Ring of Brodgar, from the Marella Explorer 2

MV Celebrity Silhouette

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Tue, 24 Aug 2021 22:13:37 GMT

Today I had two tours across the barriers to the Italian Chapel and back along St Magnus Cathedral from MV Celebrity Silhouette.

Another Harmony Coach Holidays Tour ends

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Mon, 23 Aug 2021 19:41:51 GMT

Today I said goodbye to my Harmony Coach Holiday Tour after visiting the Earls Palace Birsay and the Broch of Gurness in the West Mainland of Orkney

A Stone Chevy Pick-up Truck

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Sun, 22 Aug 2021 22:32:38 GMT

This is something I've been taking the Harmony Coach Holidays tours past recently. During lockdown an Orkney stonemason, called John Hamilton built a full-sized replica of a 1950s American Chevy pick-up in stone. John and his pick-up have been in the Scottish Sun newspaper twice. He is in the process of setting it up as a charity attraction for MacMillan Cancer Research and two local Orkney charities. The guests seem to like it and put their loose change in John's collection box.

Anthem of the Seas

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Wed, 18 Aug 2021 21:14:25 GMT

Today I had two Leisurely North Coastal Tours from the MV Anthem of the Seas.

Marella Explorer

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Tue, 17 Aug 2021 20:45:33 GMT

Today was my second day guiding passengers from a cruise Liner post COVID. I did two Kirkwall Walking Tours from MV Marella Explorer.

Another Harmony Coach Holidays Tour

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Sat, 14 Aug 2021 06:52:13 GMT

I just finished another Harmony Coach Holidays Tour, with the legend that is Andy Whyte! I don't think I have ever laughed so much working with a coach driver.

A Busy Weekend

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Sun, 08 Aug 2021 18:36:54 GMT

Friday and yesterday I had another Harmony Coach tour and today I had a private "Heart of Neolithic Orkney" tour, with the Pattens, a Father and son, from Cambridge. While we were at Skara Brae we saw the Model T Ford group that are visiting Orkney at the moment. All said a busy weekend?!

MV Marella Explorer 2

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Wed, 04 Aug 2021 21:47:53 GMT

My first Cruise ship since Lock-down

Today was a big step back to normality for me with two coach tours from the cruise ship MV Marella Explorer 2. at Hatston The tours were a bit different with COVID protocols in force, but despite that It was good to be back at "bread and butter" guiding again.

Last field of Silage done for 2021

Tue, 27 Jul 2021 16:54:20 GMT

And then there was one

T hat's the last of the silage in that will feed our cattle over the winter. I wish I could say it was a bumper crop, but yields are down around a half. This is due to the very dry summer we have experienced in Orkney this year.

Last Calf of the season

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Wed, 21 Jul 2021 22:38:58 GMT

I came home from my tour today and did a tag, jag and debag on our last calf of the season. I'll keep him and his mum in for a couple of days and then put them out on the grass. Then we might get a couple of days in Inverness before the tourist guiding season gets busy in August.

Another Tour

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Wed, 21 Jul 2021 22:36:41 GMT

I had another Harmony Coach Holiday tour today. We were at the stone circles at Brodgar and Stenness. We also visited the cliffs at Yesnaby and the Neolithic village of Skara Brae. While I was away my wife texted me to say our last cow had calved, so all in all a very good day!

Back to work

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Fri, 16 Jul 2021 20:28:46 GMT

My first coach tour since 2019 with a lovely group from Harmony Coach Holidays!

It's official Orkney is the best!

Tue, 01 Jun 2021 08:56:08 GMT

The ancient standing stones and neolithic settlements of Orkney have earned it the title of best Scottish island, according to a survey from Which ?

Readers were asked to rate 14 of the biggest of the hundreds of islands in Scotland’s waters, with 10 of them receiving an impressive visitor score of 80% or more.

In first place, Orkney – which is actually made up of around 70 islands of which 20 or so are inhabited - was the only one to receive five stars for its tourist attractions. Visitors were particularly taken with its prehistoric sites which are among the finest and best preserved in the British Isles.

They include the stone age settlement of Skara Brae; the spectacular ring of standing stones known as the Ring of Brodgar; and the chambered burial cairn of Maeshowe. All three form part of the Unesco world heritage site known as the Heart of Neolithic Orkney . The island was also praised for its dramatic scenery and secluded sandy beaches.

Yesnaby

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Sun, 02 May 2021 11:40:53 GMT

Orkney's Spectacular Atlantic Coast

Yesterday in preparation for guiding to recommence I visited Yesnaby on the Atlantic coast of Orkney. The cliffs are home to the very rare and tiny Scottish Primrose. In times gone by Yesnaby also had a quarry producing what were considered the finest mill stones in Orkney, traces of which can still be seen.

A pair of Puffins at Marwick Head

Tue, 14 Jul 2020 10:39:52 GMT

My wife Jane photographed these pair of Puffins at Marwick Head, Birsay Orkney yesterday evening. Puffins form long-term relationships and lay a single egg. Both parents incubate the egg and feed the chick. Puffins are able to hold several small fish at a time, crosswise in their bill, rather than regurgitating swallowed fish. This allows them to take longer trips since they can come back with more food energy for their chick than a bird that can only carry one fish at a time. This behavior is made possible by the unique hinging mechanism of their beak, which allows the upper and lower biting edges to meet at any of a number of angles.

Silage done!

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Thu, 11 Jun 2020 23:08:08 GMT

Yeah! Yesterday last calf and today last bale of silage taken in. Furthermore my tractor, which my father purchased new in 1973 did not breakdown! How good is that?

Last calf of the year

Wed, 10 Jun 2020 17:32:30 GMT

Hurrah! This peedie (little) chap arrived yesterday and therefore the calving season for 2020 is over. The novelty of getting up in the middle of the night was wearing a bit thin.

Orkney is the best!

Sat, 01 Feb 2020 14:37:18 GMT

Orkney has been crowned Scotland’s best place to live for the eighth year in a row, according to the Bank of Scotland Quality of Life survey 2020. Orkney maintained its' position thanks to high employment levels, low crime rate, strong exam results, smaller primary class sizes and good health and happiness scores. As a result of an updated survey methodology including a number of new metrics, Glasgow’s East Renfrewshire has moved into the prestigious second place (up from 13th), with Shetland down one place to third, with East Dunbartonshire fourth (up six places), and Edinburgh fifth (up 15 places).

The top five Scottish locations also appear in the UK top 100, with Orkney the highest placed Scottish area. At a UK level, East Hertfordshire in the East of England took the top spot overall this year, followed by Fareham and Hart, both in South East. Orkney came in 18th overall.

Very High Tide at Kirkwall

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Tue, 14 Jan 2020 15:30:29 GMT

Kirkwall's new Flood Protection system was used today 14th Jan. The openings on the seafront were closed for high tide at noon. Thankfully the wind at Kirkwall was southerly and so was quite sheltered. Other parts of Orkney ie St Margaret's Hope and St Mary's suffered flooding.

2019 Christmas day Ba Winner Erland Hutchison

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Thu, 26 Dec 2019 23:08:36 GMT

The "Kirkwall Ba Game", is a traditional game of street football, played through the streets of Kirkwall, on Christmas day and New Years day. The two sides are the Uppies and the Doonies, or more correctly, "Up-the-Gates" and "Doon-the-Gates" from Norse gata (path or road). The ball, or Ba is thrown up from the Merket Cross, in front of St Magnus Cathedral at 13.00. The Doonies' goal is the sea, normally within the Basin of the Harbour, but so long as it lands in Kirkwall Bay, the Ba has gone doon. The Uppies must round the Lang, or Mackinson's corner at the junction of Main Street with New Scapa Road, opposite the Catholic Church. This was the site of the old town gates in bygone times. Once the Ba has been gone Up or Doon, lengthy argument ensues among players on the winning side, before a winner is chosen. The winner is awarded the Ba itself and when then he is normally carried shoulder-high from the goal by his teammates. Yesterday's game lasted over 6 hours and after the Doonies took the Ba to the Harbour, Erland Hutchison was declared winner.

The Shortest Day

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Sun, 22 Dec 2019 15:31:19 GMT

Sunset on the shortest day 3.30pm overlooking Scapa Flow and the Churchill Barriers, below my farm in Orkney This is where U47 entered the RN base to sink HMS Royal Oak on 13/14th Oct 1939 during WW2.

Grey Seals in Orkney

Fri, 01 Nov 2019 18:40:36 GMT

This is a good time to see Grey Seal pups in Orkney, where they are born Sept to Dec. Please keep your distance though, as the mother seals may abandon their pups if disturbed. The milk of the Grey Seals is up to 60% fat and within a month or so they shed their white fur, grow their adult fur and leave for sea to fend for themselves.

The sinking of HMS Royal Oak

Sun, 13 Oct 2019 20:22:43 GMT

U 47 entered Scapa Flow through Kirk Sound

Just before midnight on 13th October 1939, a German submarine U47, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Günther Prien, penetrated the Royal Navy base at Scapa Flow, in Orkney and sank the British battleship HMS Royal Oak. Prien returned to Germany to instant fame. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, personally by Adolf Hitler, the first sailor of the U-boat service and the second member of the Kriegsmarine to receive this award. Prien received the nickname Der Stier von Scapa Flow ( "The Bull of Scapa Flow" ); the emblem of a snorting bull was painted on the conning tower of U-47 and soon became the emblem of the entire 7th U Boat Flotilla. 835 sailors died with HMS Royal Oak, including Rear-Admiral Henry Blagrove, commander of the 2nd Battle Squadron. Over one hundred of the dead were Boy Seamen, not yet 18 years old, the largest ever such loss in a single Royal Navy action.

Kept secret by the German naval command was the fact that Prien had fired a total of seven torpedoes at his target, of which five failed because of long-standing problems with their depth steering and their magnetic detonator systems. These problems continued to bedevil the German submariners for a long time and particularly during the German invasion of Norway, when the U-boats were unable to keep the Royal Navy at bay. Prien narrated the attack in the book Mein Weg nach Scapa Flow (1940, Deutscher Verlag Berlin).

The MV Alfred has arrived

Wed, 09 Oct 2019 10:19:55 GMT

Scotland's newest and most environmentally friendly ferry

MV Alfred will be sailing on the Gill's Bay - St Margaret's Hope service, from early November 2019. So if you're planning a trip to Orkney with a car next year, this is good news for you. The current vessel MV Pentalina, operated by Pentland Ferries, has a capacity of 350 passengers and 58 cars. This will be increased by the new ferry MV Alfred, to 430 passengers and 98 cars. Pentland Ferries managing director Andrew Banks said: ‘This is the most environmentally friendly ferry of its kind in Scotland and its low fuel consumption makes it the greenest way to travel to Orkney.

St Peter’s Kirk, Orkney

Thu, 03 Oct 2019 16:09:16 GMT

Here in Orkney we have all sorts of accommodation, to stay in, from Castles to Camping Barns and most things in between. This even includes Champing, that is to say camping in a redundant church. St Peter’s Kirk was built in 1836-7 as the Parish Church of Sandwick, replacing a series of older churches on the site. In 1834, the rebuilding of the kirk was proposed by the Minister, the Reverend Charles Clouston, who argued that the current kirk was “ruinous and incapable of accommodating the population of the Parish.” However, it was not until 1836 that work began, largely due to an unsuccessful campaign by Clouston to resite the kirk at the geographical centre of his Parish.

The kirk was completed in June of 1837 and contained seating for 544 people, half the adult population of the parish. Worship was held on a regular basis until 1935 when the union of the Church of Scotland and the United Free Church took place. Thereafter, worship alternated between St Peter’s and the former United Free Church at Quoyloo, two miles distant. Increasingly though, Quoyloo became the preferred place for regular worship, due mainly to its more convenient location, better facilities and manageable size. By the 1960s, St Peter’s was used only for occasional worship and by the 1970s, only funerals were taking place there. The last recorded use of the building was a funeral in 1984.

Required after 1935 to finance the running of both Quoyloo and St Peter’s, and with rural depopulation taking its toll on available income, the congregation were forced to prioritise. For several decades only essential repairs were carried out to St Peter’s and by the 1980s even these had ceased. In 1988 a report by the Presbytery of Orkney advised that St Peter’s was a liability, and recommended that the congregation should seek consent for demolition. In 1993 St Peter’s Kirk was placed on the Scottish Civic Trust’s Buildings at Risk register where it was described as “disused and in a worsening state of repair.” In 1998, after identifying St Peter’s as a building of local and national significance, the SRCT acquired the kirk for preservation from the Church of Scotland General Trustees for £1.

Raising the £250,000 necessary to repair and conserve St Peter’s was a huge undertaking but, convinced of the importance of the building to the heritage of Orkney and Scotland, the SRCT embarked on four years of fundraising. In May 2002, with funding from Orkney Islands Council, Orkney Enterprise, the Heritage Lottery Fund, Historic Scotland and others, work began, finishing ten months later in March 2003. The Trust’s instruction to Kirkwall architects, Pentarq, and local firm, Orkney Builders (Contractors) Ltd. was that, in accordance with best conservation practice, the historic fabric should be respected in order to preserve the character of the building. Throughout the project, repair, rather than replacement, was the watchword. In May 2003, St Peter’s was officially opened by HRH The Duke of Gloucester. It now attracts many visitors and hosts concerts and other events. The kirk is also used for weddings. The Friends of St Peter’s Kirk care for the kirk on a day-to-day basis.

Last Liner of the season

Sat, 21 Sep 2019 14:13:50 GMT

Today’s visitor at Hatston Seabourn Ovation, brings my cruise liner guiding season to an end. There are 4 more cruise liners booked to visit Orkney, but I'm currently not booked for any of them. Today I visited the Ring of Brodgar and Skara Brae, with 29 mostly North Americans.

Norwegian Spirit

Thu, 19 Sep 2019 13:07:35 GMT

Today the Norwegian Spirit lay in Kirkwall Bay landing passengers by tender. I had 45 mainly Americans on a South Isles Panoramic Tour. We had stops at the Italian Chapel, Olad Summit and the Hup. The local Community Hall in the Hup opened a little pop-up cafe for the visitors.

The Blockships of Scapa Flow

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Tue, 17 Sep 2019 08:04:14 GMT

Many Blockships were placed during WW1, after the German Submarine U-18 entered Scapa Flow. U-18 followed a steamer through the Hoxa Sound boom on 23 Nov 1914. Luckily a sharp eyed RN lookout spotted her periscope and she was rammed and sunk. On 28 Oct 1918 a second German submarine UB-116 was sunk by a remote-controlled mine, while trying to penetrate the defences of Scapa Flow. There is a useful little map on the floor of the Fossil Centre Museum in Burray. It shows the position and names of the Blockships and other wrecks in and around Scapa Flow.

A windy day in Orkney

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Sun, 15 Sep 2019 21:08:40 GMT

Today I had another step-on tour with a lovely couple from Canterbury. It was very windy when we went to Marwick Head in Birsay, to visit Kitchener's Memorial. As you can see from the straw that had blown from a farmer's barley field, into the carpark. There was even a little tornado in the field whipping up the straw.

A "Step-on Tour"

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 20:38:21 GMT

Today as the guiding season in Orkney winds down I had a private "step-on" tour with 2 lovely US couples from Virginia and Colorado. We went to the stone circles, Skara Brae and the Italian Chapel. "Step-on" means I don't use my own vehicle as I don't have a private hire licence.

AIDAcara

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Thu, 12 Sep 2019 19:46:34 GMT

Today’s visitor at Hatston AIDAcara, on a rather driech morning. I had a lovely bunch of German visitors on Die Inselhauptstadt zu Fuß erkunden, or a Kirkwall Walking Tour. I expect this to be my last German language tour of the season, unless I receive any last minute bookings.

Marella Explorer

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Sun, 08 Sep 2019 16:17:42 GMT

Today’s visitor at Hatston the Marella Explorer. I had a lovely couple, Pete and Veronica, from Southampton on a private Kirkwall Walking Tour today.

This evenings entertainment

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Sat, 07 Sep 2019 18:40:52 GMT

This evening we had a pod of either whales or dolphins giving us a show below our farm at Roseness in the east end of Holm.

Columbus

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Fri, 06 Sep 2019 17:40:04 GMT

Today’s visitor at Hatston was the Columbus. I had an Orkney Highlights Tour with 32 Russian speaking guests from her, which was a first for me. This was thanks to my friend Steve Rhodes from Hoy, who was hob-nobing with royalty on the Longhope Lifeboat and asked me to stand in for him.

Vasco Da Gama

Wed, 04 Sep 2019 21:22:17 GMT

Today’s visitor at Hatston the Vasco Da Gama. The passengers were a mixture of English and German speakers. I had a German language Kirkwall Walking Tour, from her this afternoon.

AIDAluna

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Sun, 01 Sep 2019 14:52:52 GMT

Yesterday I had two German speaking tours from AIDAluna. In the morning a Panoramafahrt über die Orkney-Insel and in the afternoon Die Inselhauptstadt zu Fuß erkunden. The weather was very wet, so I altered the Kirkwall Walking Tour in the afternoon to suit the weather conditions. The photograph is from an earlier visit of AIDAluna on the 12th July, when the weather was a little kinder to us.

MSC Orchestra

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Thu, 29 Aug 2019 14:38:27 GMT

Today’s visitor at Hatston MSC Orchestra. With just over 2500 passengers Kirkwall was busy. I had a Kirkwall Walking Tour with 12 German speaking visitors. The weather forecast was not great and we got one shower, but thankfully the rain didn't come to very much.

The European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC)

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Tue, 27 Aug 2019 11:18:39 GMT

Since 2003, Orkney has been home to EMEC, The European Marine Energy Centre. It is a world centre providing developers of wave and tidal energy converters, with open-sea testing facilities. The wave energy converter shown is a 500kW Penguin 2 made by Wello Oy, a Finnish company. The Penguin was installed at Billia Croo in March 2017 as part of the Horizon 2020 funded Clean Energy From Ocean Waves (CEFOW) research project coordinated by Fortum. The Penguin remained on site for over two years, surviving numerous storms including wave heights of up to 18.7 m experienced during storm Caroline.

Mein Schiff 3

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Mon, 26 Aug 2019 22:19:55 GMT

Today’s visitor at Hatston, with 2500 German speaking passengers, “Mein Schiff 3”. She appeared from the mist this morning, but thankfully the day gradually improved. I had a Kirkwall Schätze zu Fuß erkunden in the morning and a Panoramafahrt über die Insel in the afternoon.

Kirkwall busy with three Liners in one day

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Thu, 22 Aug 2019 16:28:55 GMT

Today I had a German language Kirkwall Walking Tour from the AIDAcara, on the right of the picture. My German was a little rusty, as it was my first German language tour since 3rd August. Kirkwall was busy as the Hamburg was also lying at Hatston and the Viking Sun at anchor in Kirkwall Bay.

St Margaret's Hope

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Sat, 17 Aug 2019 18:45:46 GMT

Today was the Festival of the Horse in St Margaret's Hope. This was followed by the South Ronaldsay Boys' ploughing match, at the Sands o Wright. St Margaret's Hope is known as the "Hup" by Orcadians, which means a shallow bay in old Norse.

Seven Seas Navigator

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Fri, 16 Aug 2019 17:14:17 GMT

Today’s visitor at Hatston the Seven Seas Navigator. I had a Small Group of nine visitors on a North Orkney Exploration tour. The weather, it has to be said was less then kind and when we were in Stromness for a stop, no one wanted to get off! Thankfully it dried up later.

Rotterdam

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Wed, 14 Aug 2019 18:12:08 GMT

Our visitor at Hatston today from the Holland America Line the Rotterdam. I had a tour to Skara Brae & Skaill House with a mixture of North American and Dutch passengers.

Crown Princess

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Mon, 12 Aug 2019 17:20:34 GMT

Today we had the Crown Princess at anchor in Kirkwall Bay and it's passengers were landed at Kirkwall Pier by tender. I had 2 coach tours, an Orkney Island Drive in the morning and a West Mainland Sightseeing Tour in the afternoon. The passengers were mostly from North America.

County Show Day in Orkney

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Sun, 11 Aug 2019 04:36:27 GMT

The premier Agricultural event in Orkney

On Saturday 10th August the Orkney County Show, was held at the Bignold Park in Kirkwall. It rained the night before, so it was a little bit muddy underfoot. The day was overcast, but dry and the crowds turned out to celebrate Orkney's premier agricultural event and to herald the end of summer.

Dounby Show

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Fri, 09 Aug 2019 07:30:00 GMT

Thursday 8th August was the Dounby or West Mainland Agricultural Show. This was the second biggest Agricultural Show in Orkney next to the County Show. The farmers from the West Mainland of Orkney showed off the best of their animals, hoping to win prices, including the coveted "Champion of the Yard".

Nautica

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Wed, 07 Aug 2019 17:11:06 GMT

I had a South Island Panoramic tour to St Margaret's Hope and the Italian Chapel, from the Nautica today. My coach and driver were from OCTO, or the Orkney Community Transport Organisation, a Community Interest Company here in Orkney.

Magellan

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Tue, 06 Aug 2019 14:26:34 GMT

Today I had a Leisurely Orkney coach tour to the South Isles. The visitors landed from the Magellan by tender and were mostly from the UK and Ireland. We had stops at St Margaret's Hope, the 3rd Barrier and the Italian Chapel. The day starter with a thick sea mist, but cleared a bit by mid morning.

The Birsay Whalebone

Mon, 05 Aug 2019 14:40:20 GMT

In Birsay on the Point of Nether Queena, stands a whalebone sculpture. In the 1870s a whale came ashore and the local men of the Northside bought the carcass from the receiver of wrecks. They cut much of it up to sell the blubber, but they couldn't roll the whale over to get at the blubber on the underside, as they didn't have lifting equipment. The local folk of the Northside didn't loose money on the whale, as selling whale oil was very lucrative at the time, but there was great disappointment surrounding the enterprise. The remains of the whale were left for some time and one can only imagine the smell! Parts of the whale were washed away and many bones would have been ground up for fertiliser. The whalebone sculpture wasn't erected till at least 1880, four or five years after the whale was washed ashore. The families in the area were Spences, Mowats, Johnstons and Taylors, but who exactly erected the Whalebone sculpture is not recorded. The post is part of the jawbone and the top or crossbar of the whalebone sculpture is the back of the skull.

Dr John Rae

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Sat, 03 Aug 2019 21:31:41 GMT

A picture of Dr John Rae, the Orcadian Artic explorer, born at the Hall of Clestrain in Orphir. This photograph was taken in 1892, an year before he died on 22 July 1893 (aged 79).

Costa Mediterranea

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Sat, 03 Aug 2019 18:17:12 GMT

Today I had a German speaking Kirkwall walking tour from Costa Mediterranea, which was lying in Kirkwall Bay and dropped the passengers by tender at Kirkwall Pier. There were several French speakers on the tour and my translator was very thorough and gave me a little German exam before she worked with me. I'm glad to say I passed!

AIDAcara

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Thu, 01 Aug 2019 20:43:00 GMT

Today’s visitor at Hatston was AIDAcara, from which I had 2 German language tours. In the morning Die Inselhauptstadt zu Fuß erkunden, or a Kirkwall Walking Tour and in the afternoon Naturschutzgebiete von Orkney, or a Nature Reserve Walking Tour.

AIDAluna

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Wed, 31 Jul 2019 15:54:55 GMT

Emerging from the morning mist, today’s visitor at Hatston, AIDAluna. I had 2 Die Inselhauptstadt zu Fuß erkunden, or Kirkwall Walking Tours, with German visitors.

Primula Scotica

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Mon, 29 Jul 2019 17:03:27 GMT

Primula scotica, commonly known as Scottish primrose, is a species of flowering plant in the primrose family, Primulaceae. It is endemic to the north coast of Scotland, including Sutherland, Caithness and Orkney. It is most closely related to Primula scandinavica that occurs in Norway and north-west Sweden, and more distantly to the Arctic species Primula stricta. Primula scotica is easily distinguished from other British primulas by its bluish purple flowers. It flowers in May and often has a second flowering in July. It can be seen on the sea cliffs at Yesnaby, on the west coast of Orkney's West Mainland. I placed the tip of my car keys alongside to give an idea how small it is.

Orkney at it's best

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Sun, 28 Jul 2019 13:54:52 GMT

The Marella Explorer landing her passengers by tender at Kirkwall

Today I had a Ring of Brodgar & North Orkney Discovery tour from the Marella Explorer. She was anchored in Kirkwall Bay and landed her passengers by tender. The weather was absolutely beautiful and showed Orkney off at it's best.

Seabourn Quest

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Thu, 25 Jul 2019 10:20:34 GMT

This morning I picked up 49 passengers from the Seabourn Quest, from the Geo slipway in Deerness and transferred them by coach to their ship at Hatston. They had been visiting the RSPB nature reserve on the small uninhabited island of Copinsay, by Zodiak boats.

The Ness of Brodgar

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Wed, 24 Jul 2019 20:59:04 GMT

Today I took a group from the Hebridean Princess to the Ness of Brodgar, where the Site Director Nick Card gave a fascinating talk to us. The Ness of Brodgar is the name of the thin strip of land, in the West Mainland of Orkney, that separates the lochs of Harray and Stenness. Part of the Heart of Neolithic Orkney UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Ness is covered in, and surrounded by archaeology and, until the beginning of the 21st century, was best-known as the location of the Ring of Brodgar. In 2002, that changed. On the south-eastern end of the isthmus, excavation has revealed a massive complex of monumental Neolithic buildings along with associated “artwork”, pottery, bones and stone tools.

Disney Magic

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Tue, 23 Jul 2019 21:02:53 GMT

Kirkwall City Pipe Band playing for an appreciative audience on the Disney Magic this afternoon before she left. I had two tours today from her, of North Americans, firstly to South Ronaldsay in the morning and then a Kirkwall Walking Tour in the afternoon.

Silage Finished

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Fri, 19 Jul 2019 20:02:53 GMT

Last of the silage in, so it’s officially “Beer o’clock"!! Lol

MSC Orchestra

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Wed, 17 Jul 2019 13:48:15 GMT

Today’s visitor at Hatston MSC Orchestra, at 293.8m and with 2550 passengers she’s big. I had a German language Kirkwall Walking Tour off her today.

Orkney best European Cruise Destination

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Wed, 17 Jul 2019 07:16:38 GMT

Orkney voted Top rated Cruise destination 2019, by Cruise Critic. Evidently we have excellent tour guides, ah shucks!

The Astoria

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Tue, 16 Jul 2019 19:33:22 GMT

I had a lovely bunch of French visitors today, from the Astoria. We visited the Ring of Brodgar and Skara Brae on a tour.

A brand new Liner The Spirit of Discovery

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Sun, 14 Jul 2019 16:34:35 GMT

Today’s visitor at Hatston on her maiden voyage was the Spirit of Discovery. I had a wildlife tour to Marwick Head in Birsay and amongst my group was Dr Robert Winston.

Kirkwall City Pipe Band sounding good at 100

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Sat, 13 Jul 2019 19:59:14 GMT

Kirkwall City Pipe Band were on parade in Broad Street tonight. Cecil the Drum Major is looking good out front with the big stick. He might not have been there 100 years ago, when the Kirkwall City Pipe Band was formed, but he's been there for a good few now.

Guten Morgen Meine Freunde

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Fri, 12 Jul 2019 18:20:52 GMT

Today’s visitor at Hatston Aidaluna “Guten Morgen” to the passengers aboard. I had two German language Kirkwall Walking Tours today off her.

Wednesday, a day of two halves

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Thu, 11 Jul 2019 07:52:21 GMT

Yesterday’s visitor at Hatston the Saga Sapphire. Wednesday started with Mist in the morning, but turned into a glorious sunny day. I had two groups of mainly British visitors on a panoramic tour of the West Mainland in the morning and the South Isles in the afternoon.

Orkney's stunning Atlantic coast

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Tue, 09 Jul 2019 08:51:01 GMT

Yesterday Monday I had two Kirkwall Walking Tours from Mein Schiff 5. Then in the evening I had a fantastic wildlife tour to the RSPB Bird Reserve at Marwick Head in Birsay. There we enjoyed the beautiful Atlantic Coast of Orkney. All my tours were with German speaking guests.

Crown Princess at Hatston

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Sun, 07 Jul 2019 20:32:17 GMT

Today"s visitor at Hatston was Crown Princess. I had two tours in the West Mainland, with mostly North Americans. My voice has nearly gone and that's depressing because it's going to be busy tomorrow as well!

My Viking Cousins

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Sat, 06 Jul 2019 17:12:15 GMT

"Tusen takk min norske fettere"

I had a lovely bunch of Norwegians off the Magellan at Skara Brae today. "tusen takk min norske fettere" A thousand thanks my Norwegian cousins. I told them if they checked out my website they would see their photograph this evening.

Last night's arrival

Fri, 05 Jul 2019 10:55:54 GMT

Last night's arrival was a little boy, only two more cows left to calf! Yeah

Marco Polo

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Wed, 03 Jul 2019 16:27:49 GMT

Yesterday Tuesday, I did a Kirkwall Walking Tour with a small group of nine passengers from the Marco Polo, that landed by tender at Kirkwall pier.

Bibby's of Ingleton coach tour

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Wed, 03 Jul 2019 16:23:09 GMT

Sunday afternoon I joined up for a Coach tour with Bibby's of Ingleton, in Lancashire. We did a Kirkwall Walking Tour and a distillery tour of Highland Park . Then on Monday morning we visited Skarabrae and Orkney's two stone circles. Then after lunch we visited the Italian Chapel on Lamb Holm and then the Tomb of the Eagles in South Ronaldsay.

A Misty Sunday

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Wed, 03 Jul 2019 16:13:10 GMT

Sunday morning I had a coach tour of mostly North Americans from the Norwegian Spirit. The morning started with thick fog, but cleared up by mid morning.

Silage time on the farm

Wed, 03 Jul 2019 16:10:49 GMT

Saturday I had the first of my silage baled by a contractor. This is what I will feed to my cattle next winter till the grass starts growing again in the spring.

Another Ship in Kirkwall Bay

Wed, 26 Jun 2019 20:27:36 GMT

It was busy at Kirkwall Pier today I picked up a German language Kirkwall Walking Tour from the AIDAaura and the Viking Jupiter was landing at the other side of the pontoon

Two ships in Kirkwall today

Tue, 25 Jun 2019 18:35:11 GMT

MSC Orchestra and Aidaluna had 4500 passengers between them.

Two visitors today MSC Orchestra in the bay landing by tender and Aidaluna at Hatston. Busy in Kirkwall, all the shopkeepers were smiling! I had 2 German language Kirkwall Walking tours.

Two unusual tours

Mon, 24 Jun 2019 21:19:39 GMT

I took a group of mostly Italians to Maeshowe

I had two unusual tours from the Costa Mediterrenea today. This morning I had a two language Kirkwall Walking Tour in English and German, a first for me. Then this afternoon I took a group of mostly Italians to Maeshowe, the Neolithic Tomb, not a place I take tours often.

A dangerous relic of Orkney's Wartime past

Mon, 24 Jun 2019 08:35:56 GMT

A Royal Navy bomb disposal team has been sent to Orkney to deal with a WW2 torpedo found in Scapa Flow. They placed explosive charges next to the torpedo and carried out a controlled explosion to remove the threat to shipping.

Whisky Galore!

Sun, 23 Jun 2019 17:43:43 GMT

Today I took a tour to the Scapa Distillery from the Magellan

Today I had a tour with 30 visitors off the Magellan. We visited the Scapa distillery and then went on to the Italian Chapel. I think the Scapa whisky was very popular judging by the number of bottles carried back to the coach!

The P & O liner Oriana

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Sat, 22 Jun 2019 21:59:48 GMT

Today I had a Kirkwall Walking tour in the morning with passengers from the Oriana and then an Orkney Panoramic tour in the afternoon. A great bunch, mostly from the UK and the weather was kind to us while we were out on tour.

The German fleet scuttles in Scapa Flow

Fri, 21 Jun 2019 08:05:45 GMT

This day 100 years ago 74 ships of the German High Seas Fleet (Hochseeflotte) scuttled, in Scapa Flow, on the orders of their commander Rear Admiral (Konteradmiral) Ludwig von Reuter.

The scuttling of the German fleet took place at the Royal Navy's base at Scapa Flow, in Orkney, after the First World War. The High Seas Fleet was interned there under the terms of the Armistice whilst negotiations took place over the fate of the ships. Fearing that all of the ships would be seized and divided amongst the allied powers Rear Admiral Von Reuter decided to scuttle the fleet.

The scuttling was carried out on 21 June 1919. Intervening British guard ships were able to beach a number of the ships, but 52 of the 74 interned vessels sank. Nine German sailors were shot and killed and sixteen wounded by the Royal Navy in the confusion that day. Many of the wrecks were salvaged over the next two decades and were towed away for scrapping Those that remain are popular diving sites.

Today's visitor at Hatston

Thu, 20 Jun 2019 19:59:08 GMT

Today I did 2 German speaking Kirkwall Walking Tours or "Kirkwalls Schätze zu Fuß erkunden", from Mein Schiff 3

The Queen Victoria at Hatston

Mon, 10 Jun 2019 15:43:35 GMT

On Sunday 9th June I had two Kirkwall Walking Tours with passengers from the Queen Victoria. The weather was kind to us and although dull it didn't rain as forecast.

MSC Preziosa

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Tue, 04 Jun 2019 12:22:38 GMT

Our biggest visitor of the season

I had a German language Kirkwall walking tour today. This was from our biggest visitor of the season, MSC Preziosa, with 4345 passengers onboard.

Post Natal Care

Wed, 29 May 2019 12:41:37 GMT

Yesterday's little girl is not as full of bounce as I would like, so I got mum in and milked 3 pints of colostrum from her. The calf wasn't keen on sucking, so I used a drenching gun to squirt it down her throat. Colostrum is essential, as it has antibodies a newborn calf needs. Hopefully that will do the trick, as with this mornings twins, space is at a premium.

Meet Danny and Arnie

Wed, 29 May 2019 07:44:16 GMT

Went out to check the cows this morning and found we had a pair of twins

A new arrival on the farm

Tue, 28 May 2019 12:12:50 GMT

This is the half way point of this year's calving

Yeah! That's us reached the half way point in this year's calving, with this wee girl. My touring gets busy from now on, so a bit more of a problem to be on hand in case of a difficult calving.

Yesterday's Tour

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Thu, 23 May 2019 08:48:25 GMT

German visitors disembarking from MV AIDAluna, at Hatston Pier

My tour yesterday was taking a group of German speaking visitors, from MV Aida Luna, on a Kirkwall walking tour, or "Die Inselhauptstadt zu Fuß erkunden". Another chance to practice my German language skills!

Roadworks turn up part of Kirkwall Castle

Thu, 04 Apr 2019 18:27:51 GMT

When you dig up the street in central Kirkwall you are bound to uncover history

It was a novelty today doing a Kirkwall walking tour when I was able to point out a substantial chunk of Kirkwall Castle to my group. This was made possible by roadworks on the corner of Broad Street and Castle Street uncovering part of the foundations of Kirkwall Castle. The Castle was built by Earl Henry Sinclair in the 1380s when he was made Earl of Orkney by the Norwegian King. The Earl of Caithness destroyed the castle when it was used by Robert Stewart as a base for his rebellion in 1614. This rebellion was in support of Robert's father "Black Pate" or Earl Patrick Stewart, who was removed by the Scottish King James 6th, for his crimes. In the 1860s the final ruins of the castle were removed to widen the approaches to Albert Street. This was one of the few times bits of the Castle have been uncovered since then.

Meine erste deutschsprachige Tour

Thu, 04 Apr 2019 17:58:50 GMT

On Tuesday 2nd April 2019 I took my first German language tour

Over the winter of 2018/2019 I have been brushing up on my German language skills. I attended a German course, here in Orkney, run by one of our German speaking guides, Karin Thomson. This culminated on Tuesday 2nd April 2019, when I took my first German language tour. I took a group of 25 German speakers, from the MV AIDAaura, on a Kirkwall Walking Tour.

Grey Seals in Orkney

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Sat, 20 Oct 2018 16:52:19 GMT

Having a spot of lunch on a Saturday afternoon

A newly born Grey Seal pup suckling it's mother, on an Orkney beach. Photo taken by my wife with a tele-photo lense, on a cliff overlooking the beach, over 100m away, so as not to disturb them.

James Isbister

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Thu, 20 Sep 2018 20:52:59 GMT

The first British civilian casualty of WWII

James Isbister from Stenness was the first British civilian casualty of WWII. He died on 16th March 1940, after a Junkers Ju 88 returning from a raid on the naval base of Scapa Flow jettisoned its remaining bombs near his home at the Brig o Waithe in Stenness in Orkney.

Sunday's Tour

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Sun, 16 Sep 2018 16:29:28 GMT

A hike from Yesnaby to Skara Brae

Today, another guide Thelma and I had 32 German’s from the Europa2 on a hike from Yesnaby to Skara Brae. The wind was”brisk” to say the least but the rain wasn’t too bad!

Der Stier von Scapa Flow

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Wed, 12 Sep 2018 19:13:17 GMT

After sinking HMS Royal Oak, a snorting bull was painted on U-47's conning tower

On the night of 13/14 October 1939, Kapitänleutnant Gunther Prien's U-boat penetrated the Royal Navy's primary base, Scapa Flow and sank the battleship Royal Oak. He returned to Germany to instant fame. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, personally by Adolf Hitler, the first sailor of the U-boat service and only the second member of the Kriegsmarine to receive this award. Prien received the nickname Der Stier von Scapa Flow ("The Bull of Scapa Flow"); the emblem of a snorting bull was painted on the conning tower of U-47 and soon became the emblem of the entire 7th U-boat Flotilla.

Today's Ship

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Mon, 10 Sep 2018 15:48:40 GMT

MV AIDAdiva coming into Hatston pier at Kirkwall today

I took a group of German visitors to Yesnaby and the Ring of Brodgar today from the MV AIDAdiva

Saturday night's entertainment

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Sun, 09 Sep 2018 09:28:53 GMT

Kirkwall City Pipe Band's last parade on Broad Street of the summer

We went to see the last summer outing o' the Kirkwall City Pipe Band on Saturday night in Broad Street.

Royal Princess

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 17:28:10 GMT

Today's visitor at Hatston

I had two tours today with mostly North American visitors from the Royal Princess

Today's Gig

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Sat, 01 Sep 2018 15:19:33 GMT

I had a coach tour off the Norwegian Jade today

Today's Gig 55 people off the Norwegian Jade, one of the biggest tours I've ever done! A bit of a pack at Skaill House!

William Graham Watt

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Thu, 30 Aug 2018 15:33:06 GMT

William Watt discovered Skara Brae after a storm in 1850

The 7th Laird of Skaill House (Breckness Estate), was William Graham Watt who served as Laird for 56 years. William Watt discovered Skara Brae after a storm in 1850 and excavated 4 houses in the Neolithic village. He was said to be a generous landlord and entertained liberally. Notably his guests included Lady Jane Franklin, wife of Sir John Franklin who had sailed from Stromness in 1845 on his fatal voyage to discover the North West Passage.

The Spitsbergen

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Sat, 25 Aug 2018 19:17:17 GMT

This is an expedition ship that often goes up into the Artic

Today I helped take a group of Swiss visitors to Skara Brae in the morning and on a Kirkwall Walking Tour in the afternoon. They were German speakers and I was shadowing Karin Thomson a German speaking guide. I was trying to practice and generally improve my schoolboy German, with a view to guiding in German. I must have done something right because I received a bar of Swiss chocolate, from one of the guests!

The Appiehouse Stone

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Wed, 15 Aug 2018 13:59:56 GMT

Found set in the floor of a Sanday House since the 17th Century

The 9th century Pictish Appiehouse Stone was found in the floor of a house on the Orkney island of Sanday. It features a carved cross, mysterious animals and some Celtic-like spirals. The stone, after conservation by Historic Environment Scotland, in Edinburgh is now going on display in the Sanday Heritage Centre.

County Show is a busy day in Kirkwall

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Sat, 11 Aug 2018 17:18:31 GMT

The Kirkwall City Pipe Band march down from the Bignold Park

The County Show is held in Kirkwall's Bignold Park, on the second Saturday in August. It's the largest of the Agricultural Shows held in Orkney every year and is always a busy day in Kirkwall. It traditionally marks the end of Summer in Orkney, as the Schools go back shortly afterwards.

Wednesday's Gig

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Thu, 26 Jul 2018 07:53:18 GMT

Messing about with a Drone

My gig today was taking a film crew around taking footage for a Cruise Line promotional film. Great fun messing around with a drone at the Italian Chapel and Skaill House.

All in a weekends work

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Mon, 02 Jul 2018 09:06:12 GMT

Below Mr Paul Martin enjoys a talk at "The Tomb of the Eagles"

You just never know what you’re going to get in this guiding lark. I answered a website notification looking for a step-on guide 30 June-1 July, for an extended Canadian family group. When I met them at their hotel the driver told me the grandparents were the Rt Hon Paul Martin, former Prime Minister of Canada 2003-2006 and his wife, so no pressure! We did the big 4 sites in the West Mainland on Saturday and on Sunday we did the South Isles and Kirkwall. They threw in a fast-ball on Sunday morning, when they asked to visit an Orkney chair maker, but 4 phone calls later sorted! Many thanks to Jackie Miller and his wife for hosting us at their Scapa Crafts workshop in Kirkwall, at very short notice.

Skara Brae

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Thu, 21 Jun 2018 18:02:48 GMT

Not a bad place to work.

My tour yesterday Wednesday 20th June was to Skara Brae with folk off the Marco Polo

Todays Tour

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Sun, 17 Jun 2018 20:18:19 GMT

Visitors from Arran

I took these ladies from Arran on a Kirkwall Walking Tour today. I discovered several of them had children that produced some of the Artwork behind them in 1987 in St Magnus Cathedral

The latest Arrival

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Thu, 07 Jun 2018 10:32:00 GMT

This little heifer arrived overnight

Nothing at 4.00 am when I went out to check, but new calf up and sucking at breakfast time, when I next went out. Although Mum is looking less then happy, she was actually calmer then many cows. On average thirty farmers die in work related accidents per annum and of those two farmers are killed by cattle. Calving is a particularly dangerous time as the cow has extra hormones surging through her body and is very protective of her calf. As a rule of thumb I don't get between mother and calf and I remove the calf to a safe area to"Tag, Jag and Debag". This picture was taken when Mother and daughter were reunited.

New Arrival

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Sun, 03 Jun 2018 21:50:47 GMT

Our first calf of the season

On 1st June we got our first calf of the season, a little black heifer. By law all cattle that may enter the food-chain have to be double tagged and registered with the British Cattle Movement Service. Our second calf was a lot sadder affair as it was born dead after the vet calved it. It was huge and had been dead several days the vet reackoned.

St Magnus Cathedral

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Sun, 20 May 2018 08:32:05 GMT

Known as "The Light of the North"

St. Magnus Cathedral dominates the skyline of Kirkwall, it is the most northerly cathedral in Britain. Construction began in 1137, and it was added to over the next three hundred years. A mixture of Romanesque and Gothic architecture built for the bishops of Orkney when the islands were ruled by the Norse Earls of Orkney. It is owned not by the church, but by the burgh of Kirkwall as a result of an act of King James III of Scotland following Orkney's annexation by the Scottish Crown in 1468. It has its own dungeon, where mainly witches were held before execution. The first bishop, to have his seat there was William the Old, and the diocese was under the authority of the Archbishop of Nidaros in Norway. It was for Bishop William that the nearby Bishop's Palace was built, from where this picture was taken.

Today at the office

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Fri, 18 May 2018 20:32:10 GMT

The Cunard liner Queen Victoria was at Kirkwall today

I had a coach load of passengers from the Cunard Liner Queen Victoria on an Orkney Panoramic tour around the West Mainland of Orkney today. We had stops at Stromness and the Brough of Birsay, as well as drive-bys of Scapa Flow and the two neolithic stone circles.

Captain "Ted" Fresson OBE

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Tue, 08 May 2018 15:24:25 GMT

British Civil Aviation Pioneer

Captain Ernest Edmund "Ted" Fresson, OBE, lived from 20 September 1891 to 25 September 1963. He was a pioneer aviator who is primarily remembered for establishing Highland Airways, which inaugurated a passenger service between Inverness, Wick and Kirkwall on 8 May 1933, 85 years ago today. This memorial to him, stands outside the main entrance to Kirkwall Airport.

One way to get Orkney Produce back home

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Tue, 17 Apr 2018 12:53:20 GMT

When flying home it's often difficult to take bottles of spirits with you

Even on internal flights to and from Orkney, security is tight and carrying liquids in hand luggage, is very restricted. This can make it difficult to carry home a bottle of your favourite Orkney tipple. In your checked luggage there are also limits on carrying alcoholic beverages with alcohol content between 24% and 70%, usually 5L per person. On top of that, if a bottle breaks in your suitcase, your luggage is ruined. Inverness Airport, which is popular place to take a connecting flight to and from Orkney, has a well stocked shop airside, where you can buy a very good selection of Scotch Whisky and other spirits, including the illustrated. You are allowed a bag of airport shopping in addition to your other hand luggage (check with your airline before purchase).

Busy morning on the farm

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Wed, 04 Apr 2018 12:48:14 GMT

Today the vet was at the farm to test last years calves

This involved running five 2017 calves through the cattle crush and the vet taking a sample of blood from under the tail of each one. The samples go away to a laboratory south where they are screened for Bovine Viral Diarrhoea BVD. The BVD test is mandatory in Scotland and has to be carried out annually.

'The most romantic place in the UK'

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 15:12:24 GMT

In 2015 "Mills and Boon" publisher of romantic literature, voted Orkney 'the most romantic place in the UK'

As well as stunning scenery, part of the reason for this accolade, may have been due to Orkney being home to the largest concentration of jewellery manufacturers, north of Birmingham. These include Aurora Jewellery, Ortak Jewellery, Sheila Fleet Jewellery and Ola Gorie Jewellery. So when you come up here to visit us, you can purchase your loved one a piece magnificent locally produced jewellery, in one of the most romantic parts of the UK.

Why do folk keep stealing our roadsigns?

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Sun, 11 Mar 2018 17:02:10 GMT

One of the few remaining "Twatt" roadsigns

Twatt is the name of a district on the Orkney Mainland. It was previously the location of a RNAS airfield, HMS Tern, 1940–1949. The name originates from the Old Norse þveit, meaning 'small parcel of land'. The Norse word commonly produces in England the place name element Thwaite. It's also a surname in Orkney, although getting less common as people with it tend to drop the first "T" and become "Watt".

One of our hens has gone on short-time working!

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Sat, 10 Mar 2018 10:14:58 GMT

Methinks it's time for the chicken soup conversation with the girls!

It's probably a sign a new hen has started laying, as they often chuck out one or two "peedie" eggs at first. I should explain"peedie" is an Orkney word for little, small or short. So a "peedie" boy, is a little boy, a "peedie" walk, is a short walk and a "peedie dram", is a great big glass o' whisky!

Remember I said it hardly ever gets really cold in Orkney !!??

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Thu, 01 Mar 2018 13:05:03 GMT

The newspapers are calling this cold spell, "The Beast from the East"

It's the 1st March and the UK is experiencing an unseasonal cold spell. All our outside water pipes on the farm are frozen, including the water trough for the cattle. Our first attempt to get water to the cattle included kettles of hot water and Jane's hairdryer, that you can see in bottom right corner. When we couldn't thaw the trough we resorted to carrying buckets of water from the house to fill a trough. Thank goodness we don't have many cattle!

Getting to Orkney the fastest way

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Tue, 27 Feb 2018 19:34:20 GMT

If cost is no object air travel is the quickest way to get to Orkney

Passenger flights to Orkney are all operated by the airline Loganair https://www.loganair.co.uk , based in Glasgow. There are flights from/to Inverness, Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh on mainland Scotland, and from 22 June 2018 Manchester. Loganair also flys to Sumburgh in Shetland and operates the inter-island air service to some of the smaller Orkney Islands. As part of the inter-island service, there is the world record shortest scheduled air flight between the Orkney islands of Westray and Papa Westray. If you want to experience this two minute flight, in a Britten Norman Islander, you will have to book well in advance though, as it is very popular. For getting about when you land in Orkney there are several car hire firms and one has a desk at Kirkwall Airport http://www.orkneycarrental.co.uk . There is a regular No.4 bus service, operated by Stagecoach https://www.stagecoachbus.com to nearby Kirkwall, as well as a taxi rank.

Primula Scotica

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Sun, 25 Feb 2018 09:06:59 GMT

If Orkney had a county flower it would be the Primula Scotica

Primula scotica, commonly known as Scottish primrose, is a species of flowering plant in the primrose family, Primulaceae. It is endemic to the north coast of Scotland, including Sutherland, Caithness and Orkney. It is most closely related to Primula scandinavica that occurs in Norway and north-west Sweden, and more distantly to the Arctic species Primula stricta. Primula scotica is easily distinguished from other British primulas by its bluish purple flowers. It flowers in May and often has a second flowering in July. It can be seen on the sea cliffs at Yesnaby, on the west coast of Orkney's West Mainland. I have placed a British one Pound coin alongside the flower in the above picture, to give an idea how small it is.

The smaller Islands of Orkney

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Wed, 21 Feb 2018 19:16:22 GMT

The MV Eynhallow provides the ferry service to Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre

Orkney is a group of 70 islands, of which approximately 20 are inhabited, depending on the time of year. Orkney Island Council, through Orkney Ferries www.orkneyferries.co.uk operates 9 Inter-Island ferries between Orkney's mainland and 13 of the smaller islands. The ferry in the picture is the MV Eynhallow, which provides the ferry service from Tingwall in the West Mainland, to Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre. The Eynhallow can carry 9 cars, which have to reverse on board and up to 90 passengers. Booking is essential if taking a car, especially in summer, Email: info@orkneyferries.co.uk, Tel: 01856872044

Getting on and off Orkney

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Mon, 19 Feb 2018 08:44:53 GMT

This is the Ro Ro catamaran 'Pentalina' operated by Pentland Ferries

Currently there are three year round ferry routes to Orkney, all with Roll on Roll off car ferries. Two routes are operated by a company called Northlink Ferries, www.northlinkferries.co.uk , which is at the minute operated by the Serco Group plc, on behalf of the Scottish Government. These are Scrabster to Stromness in Orkney and Aberdeen to Hatston, just outside Kirkwall in Orkney. The ferry shown above is the 'Pentalina' operated by Pentland Ferries, www.pentlandferries.co.uk , which runs from Gill's Bay to St Margaret's Hope in Orkney. In summer there is a fourth passenger only service from John o Groats to Burwick in Orkney www.jogferry.co.uk . This has it's own express coach service to/from Inverness. in 2018 a new pricing system called Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) is supposed to be introduced by the Scottish Government, to subsidise ferry fares, to and from Orkney.

It can be a bit breezy in Orkney in February

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Fri, 16 Feb 2018 08:59:14 GMT

Our old wriggly tin shed got a bit of a battering the other night

It hardly ever gets very cold in Orkney, due to the 'Gulf Stream', however we do get lots of gales, during our winter. Anything, including buildings that aren't robust and well maintained are soon reduced to matchwood. Our old shed was due to be taken down in the summer, but it looks like the wind had other ideas!

Feeding the cattle

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Sat, 20 Jan 2018 17:27:43 GMT

Whatever the weather the cattle have to be fed

At our farm, my wife Jane and I run a small herd of beef cattle, mostly the traditional black Aberdeen Angus breed. Over the winter the cattle have a shed, or byre as it's known, that they can shelter in overnight. They are however fed outside each day, for around six months of the year, with round bales of grass silage. You can see the black plastic that these bales are wrapped in on the front of the tractor. In Orkneys' wet climate silage is the livestock fodder of choice for most farmers, rather than hay.

The view from the office window

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Sat, 20 Jan 2018 13:45:51 GMT

Scapa Flow from our farm

My wife Jane and I have a "peedie" farm overlooking the large natural anchorage of Scapa Flow. A major naval base during both world wars, it's now the home of the oil industry in Orkney. The causeway you can see is one of four built during World War Two, to block permanently the Eastern channels into Scapa Flow. This was done on the orders of Winston Churchill, after the sinking of HMS Royal Oak in Scapa Flow on the 14th October 1939, by a German submarine U47.

New Years Day Ba Winner

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Mon, 01 Jan 2018 19:48:33 GMT

Well done Kevin well deserved

Kevin Sinclair New Years Day 2018 Men's Ba winner shows off his well deserved trophy in the St Ola Hotel

Christmas Day 2017 Ba

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Wed, 27 Dec 2017 22:13:33 GMT

Doonie's reach the Basin

The Doonie's won the Christmas Day 2017 Ba, reaching the Basin at 1530. A lot of strong shouts today from various Doonies but the popular winner was Kevin Gray.

Welcome

183:713865456 (Brian Alexander) — Sat, 23 Dec 2017 13:43:30 GMT

News Feed

Welcome to the Kirkwall Walking Tours News Feed.