Fickle Weather

It’s not always sunny and dry in Orkney. Oh no, the weather can turn on a sixpence up here as the many day trippers in Stromness today found to their cost. 
It was beautifully sunny early in the morning and our Selkies’ dip was accomplished in almost perfect conditions, wind excluded as it is more or less a constant presence. By the time I had entertained a Selkie friend and her wee granddaughter for an early elevenses the clouds had gathered  and later as I sat  in my happy spot in the best situated library in the land overlooking the harbour, I was in pole position to witness the blattering of rain on the window and the scattering of the tourists towards their buses. It reminded me of a similar scattering of tourists from nature was when Etna erupted 2 days ago. 10 minutes later and the sun was out and so it has continued to be very changeable.

The wind has picked up during the day with white horses out at sea and I’ve just seen the Hamnavoe, the ferry from Scrabster approaching Stromness by a quieter route round the south of Hoy.