2 Old Men

From Stromness to the island of Hoy is a 40 minute ferry.  The boat  holds 60 and only runs a couple times a day so there is never the chance for large crowds.  Today there were 8 from the RSPB going to do some maintenance.

There was a cab waiting at the ferry to take anyone to anywhere.  A woman wanted to go near the Old Man to do some hillwalking and there was me.  As he drove away after dropping me off,  I thought that I might regret not grabbing his card.  That being said, I turned to the trail with the feeling of glorious aloneness.  Sure it might have been nice to have someone say , yes after any of the many times I said wow, but not necessary.

I assume a WWII observation tower, there are lots up here and the vast emptiness felt fresh

I must find out why water rises to the the top to waterfall down rather than oozing out at ground level. Creation’s drama I guess.

Who’s peeking ?

In the state of New Hampshire there was an outcropping called the Old Man in the Mountains. So iconic it was on the license plates.  Then a couple years ago it fell off.  Just bang! no more Old Man.  This isn’t the Old Man of Hoy but must be a distance cousin to New Hampshire’s. Looks like Ronald Reagan.

And here we have the two old men meeting

There is a good chance that this Old Man of Hoy will not last the century. I know I won’t !!  Further erosion is sure to bring us both down.

Selfie sticks are handy on a cliff edge

This close up of birds on the Old Man show how fragile it is.  Either Benandonner or Finn MacCool could drop it with a flick of the hand. And my collapsable  walking stick came in handy on this part

So

So no way back to the terminal except to walk.  Today’s total was 12.8 miles! So far past this old git’s limit. I did see an eagle, based on its wing form, but they are impossible to photograph on the wing with a zoom. At least for me. And only one car passed in the miles from Hoy path to the ferry. I know you can’t pick someone up with multiple dogs with heads out the back windows! The scenery was grand. Might be even more so in the high season when everything will be all green and purple heather, but I’ll take the brown over the crowds. Especially on a day like today. The ferry to the mainland past as we entered Stromness Harbor and the sunset was a fitting end to a fantastic day.

I will probably not be able to walk or wander tomorrow as the pain will most likely be off the charts if history has any say, maybe shuffle as I drag my duffel to the nearest bus station as I relocate to the east of Orkney. Feet are rubbish now. These results from doing too much when having both arthritis (mainly in my feet) and fibromyalgia were fully expected and are all part of my life. Simple fact, not complaint.

Look up Scafa Flow if you skipped the page of your history book for tomorrow.

But as you can see I had a pretty cracking day, so no bother!!