Scapa Flow

Scapa Flow, originally uploaded by British Traveller.

The southern Orkney Islands enclose a dangerous stretch of water called Scapa Flow. It looks peaceful enough to me, but there's been countless shipwrecks here. It was also the scene of an astonishing piece of history in 1919, when in the biggest scuttling event in history, the Germans sank 83 of their own ships rather than let them fall into the hands of the British. You can still go diving to see the wrecks.

Leaving Hoy

Leaving Hoy, originally uploaded by British Traveller.

Back to the Orkney mainland on yet another ferry. And the weather just keeps getting better and better.

Dwarfie Stane

Dwarfie Stane, originally uploaded by British Traveller.

This is a fun little landmark. It's actually a tomb carved right into a solid lump of rock. You can peer right inside. The sign says it dates to 3500-2500 BC. I could believe it took that long to make, too. That's the stone age. There were no metal tools. That means that they carved into a rock using other little bits of rock. Unfortunately there's no corpse there now.

Rackwick Bay

Rackwick Bay, originally uploaded by British Traveller.

A view into the beautiful Rackwick Bay.

Over the hill

Over the hill, originally uploaded by British Traveller.

Orkney has some incredible coastal scenery. I thought I'd seen the best yesterday but then I climbed over a crest today to be greeted by this. If you look closely you can just about make out the faint outline of the north coast of Scotland in the distance.

Hoy

Hoy, originally uploaded by British Traveller.

Today's adventure: the hills of Hoy.

Folk music

Folk music, originally uploaded by British Traveller.

Spent the evening in a gorgeous little town called Stromness. Treat myself to my first meal out (locally caught herring - happy now, mum?), met up with a lovely girl called Kathy who I met on the Shetlands, and listened to live folk music! Perfect.

Skara Brae

Skara Brae, originally uploaded by British Traveller.

I ended up hitching a lift with a Canadian couple to this place: Skara Brae. These houses are older than the pyramids. The Canadian guy wasn't paying attention though; he was too busy telling me about his collection of cannons: 'I have seven of them. I had nine but the second wife took two with her.'

Standing stones

Standing stones, originally uploaded by British Traveller.

The Stones of Stenness, with the hills of Hoy, my next destination, in the background. They were erected between 3000 and 2500 years ago.

St. Magnus

St. Magnus, originally uploaded by British Traveller.

This is pretty cool, I think. St. Magnus's cathedral with the ruin's of the bishop's palace in the foreground. See how arty I've done it? That takes a true master of photography, that does.

Kirkwall

Kirkwall, originally uploaded by British Traveller.

On the Orkney Islands now. Can't believe the time's past so quickly. Here's a view of the capital, Kirkwall. As you can see, it's a lot flatter than the Shetlands.