Last Saturday was a big day for me, taking the morning flight down to Edinburgh from Shetland to attend the National Committee of Women for Independence having been elected  to represent the Highlands and Islands within this group.

The Organisation aims to promote and empower women by reducing the structural disadvantages we face in our lives and is committed to Scottish Independence as one of the means of bringing this about for the benefit of every one living in Scotland. Not the secretive pernicious and underhand organisation some might claim even if I do very much support the spreading of Voles around the world.

My Flight was at 8:45am with Loganair so that meant leaving my home at 6:45am to get to Sumburgh Airport the required hour before.The flight went smoothly and I arrived in the capital and my first encounter with the Edinburgh  Trams : really impressed by them, was  a stress  free trip in to Princes Street and had WiFi so I could catch up on emails while travelling.

The Meeting was a great opportunity to get to know women from all parts of Scotland who are committed to raising the profile of the issues affecting women and girls in our society.

The most  shocking thing I noticed on this visit was the amount of homeless people on the streets something we do not see in Orkney and Shetland where the issue is a much more hidden one. A larger number of these were women  and I could not help but think that the issues around Universal Credit  are contributing to this. It is shocking when you see the wealth of central Edinburgh all around you.

Tried the Black Cat for a drink as the name really appealed to me. A  large selection  of whisky including Scapa and Highland Park was on display something it appears to be well known for.

Sunday was spent wondering if my flight home would leave and then it was finally cancelled: something I was rather happy about after hearing what was happening in the Islands. The Airport is also huge. Give me Kirkwall anytime – flying from there is a much more enjoyable experience.

I am looking forward to visiting Orkney again this year as I  really enjoyed working there last summer.

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