By Bernie Bell

We went to Tingwall, to take a picture of  – The Ting

The Tingwall Ting started life as an Iron Age broch, which Vikings then appropriated as a meeting place for holding their Parliament – or Ting.  https://www.thingsites.com/thing-site-profiles/tingwall-orkney

We parked in the car park at the harbour, just in time to see the ferry leaving – to call at Rousay, Wyre and Egilsay…..

I hadn’t realised that Tingwall is included in the St. Magnus Way   https://www.stmagnusway.com/, but an information board by the ferry slipway tells of how this site plays it part, in that the ferry takes Pilgrims from Tingwall to Egilsay, where Magnus was murdered in 1117.

Though small, this is a busy harbour, with fishing boats coming and going………….

…and fishing gear piled up along the slip way, and by the harbour wall.

However busy the pier might be – Dockens manage to find a quiet corner to grow in!

We then headed up the road, passing the Tingwall Weather Forecasting Stone on the way……….

And, Betty’s Reading Room. This building was renovated by a local couple, in memory of their friend Betty, and opened as a place for folk to wait for the Ferry, or, just sit, and read, and rest.

I’m not sure if it’s open at the moment, due to You-Know-What, but, even if you don’t go in, it is a pleasing, friendly place to see as you pass by.

And so, to the Ting – the reason for our visit.  You can see something of the possible remains of the structure of the broch, as there is a dip in the middle of the mound, with slabs of stone which don’t look random – it looks, to me, like something of the structure is still there.

And then, we went to Evie Sands, where we saw more jellyfish in one place, than we’d ever seen before! And some of them, were HUGE!  But more of that – later…………..