Saturday 25/09/04

Today is a day of changeable weather, with occasional showers. Not daunted by that, I head off down the Old Finstown Road. It runs parallel to the A965 Kirkwall to Stromness road, but to the south of Wideford Hill. This hill has transmitters on its summit. The Old Finstown Road is fairly busy, and I'm in the verge quite frequently. About 3 miles outside Kirkwall, a road goes up the hill towards the summit of Wideford Hill. The road passes through a load of muck outside Heathfield Farm. After ¼ mile and 140 m of ascent, the road veers sharply left. Nice views here over Scapa Flow. Finallly arrive on the summit, where the wind blows hard. A shower comes clattering by. Reasonable views, impeded by shower clouds. Can just about discern Rousay and Westray. Islands to the northeast are obscured by showers. Can see Duncansby Head on the Scottish mainland to the southeast. A plaque near the summit cairn announces that Lerwick is 105 miles away to the northeast. Proceed downhill along a track that leads northwest. I leave it to go sharply downhill to Smerquoy Farm. Then system of fencing means that I end up in a prickly situation, but I manage to cross the barbed wire fence. Smerquoy Farm has a duckpond. Once on the main road, I wander up and down the decide to gain the hills in the interior through Lesliedale Farm. I'm probably trespassing, but am not molested by dogs or owner. Follow a broad farmtrack, which offers tantalizing views of Burrey Brae Hill. Electric fencing prevents me from going there, and I end up walking back towards Kirkwall for 1 km. Then I become bold and wallow through some mud to a field full of over-friendly cows. I scramble over a wall to escape from the creatures and make my way uphill. As I finally crest Burrey Brae, the dark cloud of a shower approaches from the west. The transmitters on the top of Keelylang beckon, but I am unable to reach them. The reason? Electric fencing. In a heavy downpour, which is actually blinding me with stinging rain, I proceed to a junction in the fencing and am forced downhill, to the south. Had I been able to go to Keelylang, I would have gone on to Finstown. Now, I make my way south, through some very tough heathery moorland. The fence accompanies me on the way, finally petering out near a sheepfarm at Loch of Kirbister. I am delighted to reach a tarmacked road at a pier on the loch. A bus is due for Kirkwall at 6 pm. It's now only 5 o'clock, so I hobble slowly up the road towards Kirkwall. Have a look at the nature reserve at Hobbister - not interesting. Entertain myself with cattle and sheep along the way, when the bus come in the opposite direction. Sit down to wait for it to reverse at Orphir, then it carries me back to the Youth Hostel along the Old Scapa Road. The showers have relented by now.