Rocks of ages

This view was taken from a Viking settlement with its ancient low walls, looking across the wonderful flagstones of NW Orkney Mainland.

We were blessed for a beautiful day for a road trip up to West Mainland for a visit to the Brough of Birsay and the walk across a causeway at low tide to visit the island. Slightly marred for me by an apparent need by the general public to make stone stacks out of beach stones. Why??? There were so many that it jarred in what is a perfectly lovely landscape and really irritated me. Just leave things alone for others to enjoy - please. Plus some idiots who'd placed stones on cliff edges where birds might actually quite like to roost/nest and which made it look like a bad Christmas pudding.

Rant done (and I'm afraid we did kick some of the piles over, dear reader) we had a lovely walk up the coast to the Whalebone (erected by villagers some 150 yrs ago after a dead whale washed up and provided them with lots of useful bits and pieces). Then a gentle drive home via the southern shores of Mainland and the fish and chips van for a slap up tea.

Our last day with LD and D. Bitter sweet. An extra of the lovelies who we're going to miss like Billy oh :-(