Well the first thing we got wrong was I forgot to switch off the fridge as we laft the van on the car deck of the ferry. Didn't realise, but by the time I did there was no way I coupd go below and fix it. So the battery quietly flattened itself. After a slightly bouncy crossing and a viking burger for lunch, we arrived in Stromness. I have fond memories of arriving there years ago with the girls aged 10 and 8, we were all on bikes, and we noticed two things. One was the poet, George Mackay Brown, sitting on a bench watching the ferry passengers disembark, and the other was the Craigmount High School Pipe Band, from Edinburgh, playing as we arrived. The girls both attended that school later, as we lived in Edinburgh then.

So i them made my second mistake of the day, and set off along the ancient stone-flagged main street, at times only about a foot wider than the van, rather than follow the clear road sign to Ness Campsite, pointing in the opposite direction. Well, readers, I only met two vehicles coming the other way, and all was well. But then it appeared that the low road to the campsite was closed, so we had to take the diversion anyway. Such is life.

We arrived at the wind-blasted site to find reception closed, and the location that Ju had booked on the ferry was on sloping, muddy grass, at right angles to an increasing gale. It did not take us long to go for plan B, to go straight to Kirkwall, and try the site there. It proved much better, hard standing, with terrific toilets, showers, laundry, lounge and kitchen facilities. We booked in and set up for the night. The wind got stronger and stronger, and we debated taking the roof down, as its tentlike sides flap and bang in high winds, and gusts could cause them damage. The forecast was for it to moderate later, so we left it up.

We had just finished dinner when our friend James messaged us, with an invitation to stay at his place, in this inclement weather. We arrqnged to do that tomorrow night, as Tuesday was forecast to be even windier.

Monday dawned cold, and when Ju went to take Jack for his early walk she came back covered in sleet. It got progressively worse until effectively a blizzard hit! We packed up and did some shopping in Tesco's, while Ju went to collect James' key. We then set off with windscreen wipers barely coping with the amount of snow falling, visibility low, and the road ahead whited out and not gritted. The joy of four wheel drive!

We found our refuge without difficulty, and enjoyed a light lunch, then sat and watched the world warm up, the whieout disappear, and the lovely Orcadian sun come out to warm up the poor shivering lambs, for whom this must have been a sore trial.