Kirkwall, United Kingdom Travel Blogs

Older than the Pyramids
Jul 25, 2006 (9 photos)

... these called the "Churchill Barriers" as they now provide road access from Mainland to Burray and South Ronaldsay. Our first stop was Kirkwall. We didn't have much time here but managed to grab a quick bite to eat and see both the Bishop's Palace and ...

Arriving at Kirkwall
Jul 18, 2008

... , which slowed us down significantly. Now the worry we had was that if the tide turned whilst we were in the Sound and approaching Kirkwall, then we would be popped back out into the sea as the currents are up to 7 knots in the overfall area of the Sound. ...

Au Revoir, Shetlands
Aug 3, 2008 (5 photos)

We were off to Fair Isle at 08:15. There was no, or little wind but the forecast was promising some wind later in the 24 hours and there was some chance that we would get some during our journey. In fact, it didn't happen until the last hour or so and we ...

Onwards to Stronsay
Aug 5, 2008 (4 photos)

Our Dutch friends were, at least, consistent, in that they woke us up at 5:00 with their size 13 feet trampling everywhere. Last night I said they were nice guys, I still think they are, honestly! Seriously, we saw them off safely, had another couple of ...

The Cathedral of St Magnus, Kirkwall
Jul 20, 2008 (1 photos)

The wind was still with us when we woke up. The sky was cloud-laden and rain was threatening. In short, a morning for doing not very much other than catch up on the blog and read the Sunday papers.   In the afternoon, we visited St Magnus' ...

10 days to go
Apr 7, 2008

Hi folks, the packing's nearly done and the excitement's rising. Not long until our holiday of a lifetime. Will keep you posted as we go along.

En Route to the Orkneys
Jul 17, 2008 (2 photos)

... neighbouring island, called Mainland. Instead, we were being forced north and that gave us the option of making a landfall in Kirkwall instead, which is situated on the east coast of Mainland. Now Kirkwall can be approached either from the south or the ...

Six days to go
Apr 11, 2008

Not long to go now.

Kirkwall, Guests Aboard & the Duty Officer
Jul 17, 2009

... guests arrived today that flew in from the United States (1 from Germany) to join us in our tour of the United Kingdom. They landed at the Kirkwall Airport where the Bosun and deckhands met them at the airport to help with their luggage and to take them to ...

Lovely Fair Isle
Aug 4, 2008 (5 photos)

  Fair Isle has belonged to the National Trust for Scotland since 1954, having been bought from an avid ornithologist, George Waterston who had bought it soon after the war, having spent his days as a prisoner of war in Germany dreaming of owning it ...

Enduring Bad Weather in Kirkwall
Jul 19, 2008

... all was well and we got the stuff done.   After lunch, still in the howling wind, we set off to explore Kirkwall a little and to find the supermarkets so that we could replenish stocks. We decided to leave St Magnus' Cathedral until the next day ...

Home Sweet Home
Aug 5, 2008

Hi Folks! We're home again. No problems with travel on the way, just the jet lag to get over now. Kristina and Dean are cooking dinner tonight and that's great. So, our trip has come to an end and we must get back to work on ...

The Orkneys
Jul 24, 2006

... is scented with them and heather is growing everywhere, There was a great feeling of peace and mystery. The Stenness Stones were nearby. Kirkwall and Stromness both seem dour but I think it is becasue all the buildings are made of the same grey stone and ...

Orkney island
Aug 2, 2008 (1 photos)

... costo della traversata è di circa 110 sterline A/R (2 pax e auto), arriviamo a St Margaret's Hope. Qui dirigiamo verso Kirkwall, il capoluogo. E' tardissimo, gli ostelli sono pieni, io vorrei mettere la tenda allo sbaraglio in un giardino vicino all'acqua, ...

The Orkney Islands
Jul 6, 2001

The Orkney Islands

travel
Mar 1, 2008

travelling through life. Life through travelling.

Día 2 o de playa en Escocia
Aug 3, 2008 (5 photos)

... , un conjunto circular de menhires, sin significado claro (como el resto de la colección inglesa de menhires). De vuelta a Kirkwall hemos podido disfrutar de una actuación de gaiteros y tamborileros que no han dudado en fusionar la música tradicional ...

Journal Entry: 18 May 2007
May 19, 2007

"A pleasant companion reduces the length of the journey." - Publilius Syrus 18 May Orkney was great last weekend. Skara Brae certainly was a sight, a look back to 3100BC is pretty hard concept to grasp, even as it sits before you. Paired with cliffs, ...

The Orkneys
Jul 31, 1980

... ferry eventually arrived at 11.00h. The ride to the Orkneys was calm and breezy. The sun was out. We took a bus 19 miles into Kirkwall, where we ate a hurried lunch. We then took a tour of the island by bus. Our first stop was an old burial ground and a ...

Uttermost North
Aug 24, 2009 (12 photos)

... and the sea  compliment each other and what land there is is a velvet belt of browns, greens and golds that separate them. Kirkwall is a very old town, having started as an early beachhead of the Vikings. Everybody in town works at least 3 jobs. The ...

Orkney Islands
Sep 29, 2006

The Orkney Islands are not really the same as the Shetland Islands. True, both are a collection of small islands in the North Sea north of Scotland and both are Norse than Scottish but they have distinctly different characters. The Orkneys are flatter ...

Día 1 o trenes escoceses
Aug 1, 2008 (3 photos)

... del viaje. Desembarcamos en Burwick, para a continuación coger un nuevo bus que nos dejaría en nuestro destino final por hoy: Kirkwall. Una breve parada para reponer víveres, y a continuación la experiencia del día: montar nuestra tienda de campaña, en The ...