Day 5 - The North Coast and Eynhallow Sound
The road to Evie leads straight uphill from Annies Place past The Earl's Palace. You might want to call in to the Yellowbird Gallery on the way, then past the Kirk Abune the Hill and gold medal winner, Swannay Brewery to Costa Head. Look north, for on a fine day the cliffs of Westray are clearly visible, glinting in the sun; twice each day, when the tide is flowing north-east you can photograph the picturesque tidal riff in Eynhallow Sound between the mainland shore and the island of Rousay.
Your destination, however, is another pre-historic village, the Brough of Gurness, not so well-known as Skara Brae, but here, amidst the peaceful calm of a summer morning and bordering Eynhallow Sound you are still permitted to walk right into the neolithic village, through its paths and homes to marvel at the skill of our ancestors.
Now, on to the ferry to Rousay which leaves the pier at Tingwall; it's a short trip across to this Orkney island which boasts more world heritage archaelogical sites per square mile than The Valley of Kings in Egypt......not to mention a choice of two restaurants for lunch!
You may prefer to take the afternoon ferry on from Rousay to peaceful Egilsay and the church built on the site of The Martyrdom of St Magnus. The meadow birds will be singing everywhere around you here ....as you walk through fields of barley and wheat to the eastern perimeter of the island.... Fields of Gold indeed, in an Orkney summer landscape.
Back home to Palace and Annies Place, there is still time for an evening walk over the sands to Marwick Head, to sit on the cliff top, surrounded by alpine flowers, arctic seabirds and a wide atlantic ocean looking out to a setting sun that has Labrador as its next port of call.
Psst.........and you wont find any Scottish midges.
