Orcadian History Lesson

Another busy day: beachcombing at Aikerness Beach in the morning, followed by a short hop down the road to the Broch of Gurness; back to Stromness for lunch at the delightful Julia’s Café and Bistro, followed by a couple of local shops; then back up the road to Stenness for our scheduled visit to Maes Howe. Finally, a coastal walk around Stromness before dinner at the Ferry Inn. Not a bad day’s itinerary.

The roads are great here. They’re mostly two-lane, wide and straight. The land isn’t as rugged as the western islands, so driving times between destinations are short.

Maes Howe was very interesting. It’s a hillock that was used by Neolithic people as a burial chamber some 5000 years ago. Because it’s a confined space, entry is with a guide only, so one has to book a specific tour. We booked on our first day for the 16:00 tour today.

Our guide was Moira, Orcadian through and through. She really brought the place to life and even stopped Eloïse and Lucas from getting too bored inside what was, after all, just a dimly lit stone room inside a hill.

We move on to Kirkwall tomorrow, which will be our base for the next few days.

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