I needed to get out and about to help to clear my head. It was a bit of a miserable day, but how many times have we set off in similar conditions and had A Grand Day Out.
We decided on Skaill Bay – an open, wide sweep – walk along, look about us, big sky, big sea, walk back, which is what we did.
Young Ravens scavenging in the tide-wrack
A clear view of the Hole O’ Rowe
The Weeping Stones of Skaill Bay
By the remains of the sit-ootery – A Shark!!
Looking up at Skara Brae
Worm tubes looking like ceramic
Before we set off we’d checked if the café at Skara Brae was open, according to Google it was, and the menu looked tempting….
https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit/all/skara-brae/shop-and-eat
So there we were, sitting in the café, thinking that something Neolithic was probably under our feet as we ate our lunch
On the way home we parked in the Ring of Brodgar car park and re-traced our steps from the last time we went to the Ness dig…
https://www.spanglefish.com/berniesblog/blog.asp?blogid=17892
We were pleasantly surprised to find that the gates to the Ring were un-locked, so we seized the day
We walked round, touching each stone, front and back
Mike took pictures of lichen on the stones, some of which had their fruiting bodies
Then we walked on, to lean over the gate and survey the site of the Ness of Brodgar – looking like the excavations never happened.
The digging has finished, for now, but the site is still there
The Ness Sleeps
The Ness sleeps
Under earth
Under sky
Between Lochs.
Grass will come
Flowers will come
To form a blanket
Keeping it safe.
Knowing folk will come
To break its slumber
What might they
Uncover?
BB Sept. ‘24