My Orkney adventure

[John Fenna]

Just back from a couple of weeks on Orkney - which is why I have not been posting much!
Not totally bushy as we rented a cottage but we visited a huge number of Prehistoric sites and digs, the Most Northerly Natural Native Ancient Woodland (a bit stunted for hammocking...), sites associated with Dr John Rae (if you do not know the name then shame on you and get googling!) did lots of walking and nature watching during our tour of the islands. If you have not been to Orkney you are missing out!
A few photos...
Dig on Westray

Woods near Finstown (traces of Bushcraft in the area...)

Salt water flush loos Shapinsay

Brouch Shapinsay

Chicks Shapinsay

Stack Yesnaby

artifacts Skara Brea

Dig Westray
Red shank

Ancient woodlands Hoy

Ring of Brodgar

Dr John Rae

Mr John Fenna

 

[Macaroon]

Looks a grand place to be; that's some stack at Yesnaby, almost seems to defy the laws of physics when you consider the batterings it must have taken over the run of time! Thanks for this

 

[copper_head]

Looks like a great trip, somewhere I'd love to visit. Thanks for the heads up on John Rae, just read up on wikipedia. What a bloke!

 

[Clouston98]

Looks like a great trip john! Thanks for the photos!

 

[GordonM]

Nice visit, John. I love the last two pics, epic! I do like that Mr. John Fenna bloke and his every bit as 'outdoorsy' resume as that of the Dr. Rae chap! Thanks for sharing!:notworthy

 

[Dunx]

Looks like a hell of a good trip. Glad to see you enjoyed yourself

 

[crosslandkelly]

Looks like you enjoyed yourself. Great report, thanks for sharing.

 

[Dreadhead]

nice pictures, is that a Broch I see?

 

[John Fenna]

nice pictures, is that a Broch I see?

It is
I find brochs fascinating and have visited several - some ruinous, some "preserved" - now I want to build one!

 

[Dreadhead]

fantastic would love to see that!

 

[boatman]

Brochs are terrific. Do you believe that they had an overhanging timber platform of some sort on top to make them defensible? I cannot see the point if they didn't.

Did you know that the layout of the Skara Brae houses is similar, with the beds and dresser, to the houses found at Durrington Walls near Stonehenge as reconstructed in the new visitors' centre there? Grooved ware pottery in both places too.

 

[Dark Horse Dave]

Nice one John; glad you had a good trip.

(And of course for any that aren't familiar with Dr Jon Rae, check out Ray Mears' Northern Wilderness)

 

[John Fenna]

Brochs are terrific. Do you believe that they had an overhanging timber platform of some sort on top to make them defensible? I cannot see the point if they didn't.

Did you know that the layout of the Skara Brae houses is similar, with the beds and dresser, to the houses found at Durrington Walls near Stonehenge as reconstructed in the new visitors' centre there? Grooved ware pottery in both places too.

Those Orcadians (Orcs?) got everywhere!
I have heard tell that Maes Howe inspired Silbury Hill as well...

 

[GGTBod]

Thanks for sharing John, I really need to get my hairy butt up to Skara Brea, i reckon i could happily live in a house like those dwelling nowadays

 

[markheolddu]

Nkce report John glad you had a great time.

Mark

 

[Olly]

Orkney is a fantastic place, been there several times. Love exploring all of the old chambered tombs. Really want to back to see the new discoveries at the Ness of Brodgar

 

[Haggis]

Great photos,,, simply amazing,,,

Now I'm going to have piobaireachd rattling in my head the remainder of the evening,,,

 

[John Fenna]

Orkney is a fantastic place, been there several times. Love exploring all of the old chambered tombs. Really want to back to see the new discoveries at the Ness of Brodgar

Both last year and this I was wanting to see this site ... but going when we did the dig was not open
The Links of Norland dig on Westray was and, with us having just bimbled up on a walk around historic sites (Castle, beach, Viking settlement etc), one of the lead archaeologs showed us around the dig in detail, taking us into the finds store etc, answered all our silly questions with a smile and let us field walk a bit of midden site (the whole site is a midden!) and took about 2 hours to educate us .. and invited us back for more (insisting we took trowels with us next time )

 

[Big Stu 12]

Nice one John, thanks for sharing

 

[moocher]

Looks stunning,wonder how long the stack will last before it succumbs to the force of the sea?