A bit of an early start as there are only two ferries on a Saturday and although I know it leaves at 9.30 I am not sure where from. I and several others nearly ended up on the ro ro back to Scrabster. My route finding skills have not improved as much as I had hoped.
I had booked a hostel bed via the council, why didn't HDC do this, close to the old man but had to collect the key from the second house in the right from the pier, luckily every one knows everyone as I eventually located it and 6 miles across the island, the hostel, which for all it's remoteness has this weeks grazia and cosmopolitan as the only reading matter, so let me tell you about 25 years of Kate Moss..... It seems the whole of Kate Rastwick is a museum, many of the old building, crafts etc have been preserved and are furnished with various artifacts and open to visitors.
The walk over the the old man was beautiful, so many amazing flowers, orchids, lilies, grasses and birds, both heath and coastal which were unpurterbed by human visitors. The great skuas were even chilled, I had been 'buzzed' by a couple yesterday, at least I had my cycle helmet on and I just kept peddling furiously until they lost interest.
The old man was as spectacular as expected enhanced by the fact that there were a couple of people climbing it, quite quickly considering, they were done and gone within 2 hours, by the time I got back from St Johns head which isobe of the highest vertical sea cliff at 348m.
Then back to Hoy hostel, which doubles as a community hall and schools outdoor centre, Rastwick was a little too remote. The old church has been converted into a local archive and reading room with RSPB room too, complete with help your self tea and coffee just right for a rather dull cold morning. Then on to a lazy Sunday reading on the beach, the sun has returned, quite pleasant out of the wind.
It was very relaxing watching the tide come in with the birds and other fauna.
Love to have been on the beach with you there and watching the surroundings.
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