We’re not STILL on Orkney – but I am still processing the photos and video taken there. The photos will take months, but the penultimate video is now finished. It’s of our day trip to Papa Westray.

Thanks to Jim for this one. The winds in Orkney are sometimes described as swappy, meaning they seem to keep changing, or swapping direction as they’re diverted around cliffs, hills and particularly buildings. Maybe that’s why so many street names include ‘wynd’ (pronounced wind) ?

Other common words for road or street, common in Scotland, are Loan and Brae.

I previously blogged about the Northern Marsh Orchid, Heath Spotted Orchid and other purple wild flowers of Orkney. Another wild orchid which grows on Orkney and flowers in early summer is the twayblade. It’s less dramatic than the purple forms, rarer too, but worth searching out.

Other (non purple) wild flowers include yellow flag, meadow vetchling, bog cotton, moon daisies, ragged robin, eyebright, bog strawberry, clover (known as Curly Doddies in Orkney) yellow rattle, buttercups… I even saw a moonwort – OK, not exactly a flower, but I was delighted to see one for the first time.

The click mill, near Dounby, Orkney is a water powered mill, which would have been used to grind beremeal. It gets its name from the sound it made during operation – and although not often activated now, this one still runs if water is diverted into it.

Also, we saw more puffins! Gary took the shots of them flying, as it needs his extra big lens and I can’t move that as fast as a puffin can shift.

By now you might be wondering, ‘Is that woman ever leaving Orkney?’ Well, actually after 5 1/2 weeks we have – but I haven’t finished showing you everything we’ve seen, so there will be just a few more blog posts.

We’d already been inside St Magnus Cathedral, then discovered there are tours to the upper levels. Unfortunately, as only six people can go at once, it’s not easy to book a couple of spaces. We did get one though, and Gary kindly said I could go.

There are five levels to visit, via increasing narrow and scary spiral stairs, through a museum about one transept, up through where the clock mechanism is located, into the belfry and out onto the parapet surrounding the spire. The photos are from the least alarming parts of the tour, as in other places I was holding onto ropes with both hands!

Random facts –

The cathedral was begun in 1137 and in use soon after, although it took a few hundred years to be completed.

There are now several streets of businesses in front of it, but at the time of construction the sea reached almost to the front steps.

From the top you can see the Bishop’s and Earl’s palaces, and at one time there was a castle very close by.

Very rich people could be paid to be buried inside this, and other cathedrals. Not so pleasant for the living who came to services soon after, and possibly the origin of the phrase ‘stinking rich’. When the church was extended the remains of these people were reburied outside. Their gravestones now line the inside walls.

In the churchyard is a grave of someone who died on 30th February – as far as is known, they’re the only person in the UK to have ever died on that date.

The Knap of Howar is the oldest known house in Europe. It’s located on the island of Papa Westray, which we reached by plane from Kirkwall (Mainland Orkney) to Westray and then on to Papa Westray on the world’s shortest scheduled flight. I filmed the entire (less than two minute) journey and got a certificate.

I’ve not mentioned food and drink much. As I don’t want anyone worrying I may be wasting away or dehydrated, I decided to put that right. Orkney has loads of good places to buy food and drink – whether to eat on the premises or take back to cook in your van. There are several supermarkets, plenty of bakeries and tea rooms, four distilleries, a brewery – everything you need.

Orkney specialities include a farmhouse cheese, a little like halloumi, ice cream (I recommend the whisky and marmalade) and bread made with traditional bere wheat. We tried as many as we could, although I generally forgot to photograph them before sinking my teeth in!

We had the bere wheat in the form of a bannock, which is a kind of bread roll. The Empire biscuits aren’t specific to Orkney, but they do seem to only be available in Scotland. Gary likes the ones with a jelly tot best, I prefer the lemon and raspberry.

Gary tried a selection of Orkney beers and a traditional steak pie when our friend took us to lunch in the brewery and I had a burger with haggis (and possibly an Orkney fudge cheesecake). Thanks, Jim – it was delicious.