8 Aug, Sunday

There are no buses from Thurso to Scrabster, where the ferry terminal for the Orkney Islands is located, so we hiked the 2.5 miles. It's a 90-minute ferry ride to Stromness, which is on the largest of the Orkneys. The ferry passes some impressive cliffs and rocks along the way.

Our original plan was to catch the overnight ferry from Kirkwall, Orkney Islands to the Shetland Islands, then work our way back south. That plan went off the tracks when we found all seats on the ferry booked for the next few days. All flights within a reasonable time frame were also full, so we were forced to scrap our plans for the Shetlands.

Stromness only has about 2,000 inhabitants, and we knew we would be back there again to catch the ferry back to the mainland, so we skipped sightseeing and caught a bus to the capitol, Kirkwall. We got a room at a hostel and walked most of the streets in the business section of town. We like Kirkwall a lot. It's very clean, and has that old-world feel and look.

Ferry to the Orkneys

leaving Thurso	12:51 pm	12:53 pm
1:10 pm	1:14 pm	1:21 pm

Bus to Kirkwall

Stromness

Orkney livestock

Kirkwall

St Magnus Cathedral	St Magnus Cathedral	Superman booths
	Bishop's Palace	Earl's Palace

Memorials in St Magnus churchyard
Smith Family	Marwick Family	Peace Family
Erected by David Smith in memory of his beloved father Peter Smith who died 7th Oct 1881 aged 65 years. Also of his children John Peace Smith who died 2nd March 1883 aged 10 months, Barbara Smith who died 15th March 1885 aged 13 months, and Maggie Jean who died 1st Sept 1896 aged 3 weeks. Erected by James & Agnes Marwick in memory of their children Jessie Ann died 13 July 1891 aged 5 months, Agnes died 1 May 1892 aged 12 years, Mary Jane died 12 June 1892 aged 6 years, James died 14 Nov 1893 aged 4 years, Margaret died 8 Oct 1903 aged 22 years. The above Agnes Marwick died 36th Aug 1916 aged 69. The above James Marwick died 23rd Feb 1919 aged 70. Wee Jim, grandson, died 30th April 1920 aged 1 year and six months. In memory of Peter Peace Tailor Kirkwall died 22nd March 1858 aged 51. Jane Peace his wife died 21st October 1865 aged 65 and Charles Peace their son died 22nd October 1839 aged 7 years. Also their grandchildren John Oddie died 19th Sept 1861 aged 4 years, James Robertson died 25th Sept 1858 aged 10 months, Catherine Wilson R died 11th Dec 1861 aged 5 years, Charles Peace R died 24th April 1869 aged 14 years.

Tankerness House Gardens

community garden	Janene in rock garden	Groatie Hoose	info sign
band warming up	Pipe Band video (33s, 7.9MB)