Seasonal Changes in Orkney by Isla

Hello everyone,

The end of September has marked a definite change in the seasons here in Orkney.  The last cruise ships of the summer have been and gone.

There are fewer visitors exploring the streets and shops of Kirkwall.  It has been wonderful to see visitors finally return to Orkney after the travel restrictions were eased earlier this year.  Hopefully next year will see a return to more visiting yachts in the marina as they are always an impressive sight to see.

One of the biggest things for me personally that marks the end of summer, is when the beautiful hanging baskets and Orkney coloured bunting (Red, Blue and Yellow - the colours of the Orkney flag) which have adorned the main streets of Kirkwall, come down.  This week saw that event happen. I always feel an element of sadness when I see the man with the ladder unhooking the bunting for another year.  Not only does the street outside look a little bare but it was a great way of seeing how windy it was before venturing outside! 

 This month has been a quieter paced month with just a couple of little adventures in Tam the Van. One of these was a two night trip to Sanday, one of the smaller islands north of Mainland Orkney.  The weekend was spent admiring the view from the campsite and exploring some of the main sites on the island including the most amazing beaches.  Sanday definitely lives up to its name and I will be sure to return to next year. 

Last weekend I enjoyed a new to me circular walk right from my doorstep.  This walk took in both the beach at Scapa and one of my favourite little beaches called Inganess.  The weather was amazing breeze but warm with clear blue skies.  Quite the opposite to the inclement wet and windy weather that Orkney has seen recently (the rain has been greatly needed though as the water reservoirs were dangerous low).  It was so warm on the walk that I had to remove both my woolly jumper and hat.  

One of the advantages of the recent windy and wet days is being able to light the fire and getting cosy with a good cup of tea.  This has given me the opportunity to plan some Christmas gift knitting and to get them on the needles.  I am really enjoying working on these but I am afraid I can’t say anymore until they have been gifted.  Watch this space in the new year.

Until next month

Isla

x

If you would like to see more of Orkney and what Isla is up to, you can find her on Instagram as @islap1k1