Papay by sea and air

Today we visit Papa Westray- or Papay as the locals call it. We catch the morning ferry - the only two passengers with two crew. The third member, Gary, clearly is suffering from a heavy night of drinking, and as he’s the one who collects the fares, out trip is free. 

Papay is small - only four miles by one at its furthest points. Theoretically we could walk round the island, but I know time and energy reserves are against that, so we concentrate on three main points. 

First there’s the magnificent Knap of Howar, pre-dating Skara Brae and the oldest surviving stone house in Northern Europe. It stands isolated, overlooking the wild sea, stone walls edged with grasses and pink thrift. We crouch to enter the low stone doors to find a warmth and shelter within, and that spiritual essence of connection to lives lived so very long ago. Here, with so few visitors, this physical connection is possible. We can stand within and touch the past. We feel incredibly privileged. 

Along the rocky coastline, we come to the simple St Boniface Kirk, dating back to times when Papay had a central role in Christian matters in the northern isles. And where the low cliff face has been eroded by tides and storms, we see the ruins of Munkerhoose - stone walls and chambers, layers of shells, more evidence of earlier inhabitants. These islands live and breathe history. 

We reach the outer limits of RSPB North Hill and watch Arctic Skuas for the first time, so much more elegant than their cousins, before heading back along the island for our return trip - this time by air! 

We undertake the ‘World’s Shortest Scheduled Route’ - a 1.7 mile trip across the strait in a scheduled 2 minutes! There is no ceremony here; it’s just an airstrip, with two regulation part-time fire men acting as luggage handlers as well as ushering us onto the plane. No sooner are we seated with our seatbelts fastened, we take off, hopping over the water, landing back on Westray. It’s over in a flash, but it’s definitely an unforgettable experience. 

But rather than a plane, today’s main is of an eider duckling seen off Papay, with an extra of the eider family - two females and their ducklings, and, of course, the magnificent Knap of Howar.


Thanks again for comments, stars and hearts, and your concerns about my health. I’m better still today, though as my meds have run out, I managed to get more today through the incredibly caring snd efficient Orkney NHS. I actually saw the island GP - and on a Sunday!