Westray and Papay
26 May 2017
After a few days rest and recreation at James' house we set off for our next island, Westray. We managed to talk our way on to the bridge for a part of the journey, and had a very informative chat with the captain. We travelled up the west side of Eday and Rousay, and arrived in Rapness on Westray in not very long at all, only an hour and a bit.
We drove up to find the Barn campsite in Pierowall, and after a couple of false starts, we managed to do that. A really nice site, with good facilities, and not busy at all. A couple of solo tent campers, and another couple in a motorhome.
We got in contact with Lucy from home, who is up here for a couple of days with her daughter, and an Australian friend, Ruth, who is going to house-sit for us in June. We met up with them on Wednesday morning and did the walk to Noup Head lighthouse with them. The walk was spectacular, cliffs with seabirds nesting, like fulmars, guillemots and kittiwakes.
I was interested in the lighthouse, another Stevenson construction, which was actually being checked over by a maintenance man from the Northern Lighthouse Board while we were there. This only happens once a year, so we were lucky!
We went back to the holiday let they were staying at for a cup of tea after our walk, and it was at the other side of the island, so we saw a bit more of the island on the way. By that time the weather had closed in, there was mist everywhere, so we settled back in our pitch at the campsite, and later on I went along to Jack's Chippy for a fish supper for our dinner that night. The chippy is really a seafood merchant, who does fish and chips on Wednesday and Saturday evenings only. So that was great, we had a haddock in batter each, and shared a portion of chips.
On Thursday we invited Ruth Lucy and Lily to coffee, then set off to visit Noltland Castle. We had passed it on the way the day before, and thought 'oh yes, another ruined castle, yada yada'. We could not have been more wrong. It had loads of history, and there was enough of it still standing to make it a really fascinating visit. A kitchen area with an arched ceiling made out of thousands of slim Orcadian stone - how did they build that without it falling down? A wide staircase for the owner, originally one of Mary Queen of Scots' retainers, one Balfour. A narrow staircase from the kitchen up to the great hall. Two bedchambers with their own latrines. Early en suite, eh? And amazing gun holes in the walls for the purpose of repelling attackers. Wonderful stuff.
Then we went to the beach where there is an ongoing archaeological dig of a complete stone age village. It was all covered up with black plastic sheeting covered with old car tyres, because the wind here can cause soil erosion in no time flat, it is so relentless.
Then a long walk along the beautiful beach, and a walk back into Pierowall and back to the van for lunch. Great.
On Friday morning we got up early and for a change I did the early morning walk with Jack. It was so sunny and warm that I risked doing so in just a t-shirt, and not the fleece and water and windproof jacket that has been my wont ever since we got here. The sun and warmth persisted all day, as we packed our backpacks and headed over on the ferry to Papa Westray. The kind people who run the campsite offered us a free lift to the ferry, so we did not have to move our van. They even promised to meet us back off the ferry on Saturday evening, all free of charge. And not charge us for leaving the van on the pitch overnight! Wonderful!
We caught the ferry with the two solo tent campers from the site, one walking and one on a bicycle. They were both just on Papay for the day, whereas we had booked a glamping pod for the night so we could stay over.
This island is only four miles long, so we walked up about half of that to the hostel, and dumped our heavy bags in the pod, had a welcome cup of coffee, then visited Knap of Howar before lunch. It was only half a mile away, down on the west cost of the island. Discovered early last century by two local landowners who were keen on archaeology, these two houses are now acknowledged to be the oldest houses in Europe. Both small and oval in shape, with an entrance door facing the sea, they have a connecting passage, and contain seats, grinding stones for making flour, and wall cupboards, all in stone. Awesome. I remember seeing them first about thirty years ago, on my first visit to this island.
We came back to the pod for lunch, then set off up the east coastal walk, coming back via the airport, where we saw the plane land, then take off on the world's shortest commercial flight over to Westray. My rough timing as we watched it was one minute three seconds from wheels up to wheels down over on Westray!
The passenger ship Hebridean Sky was anchored off Westray today, and it moved over to Papey in the afternoon. The hostel laid on beer and nibbles for the passengers, and when we got back we joined some of them and had a bit of a blether, and a free beer.
The pod is nice, a bit like an upturned boat, with two single beds, one easy chair, two picnic chairs and a table. For cooking, loo etc we have to use the hostel facilities, but it is nice and quiet in here, with a great view.
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