Tuesday 21/09/04

Can't wait to put the heating on in the morning, it's freezing. Weather cloudy and very windy, with frequent short sharp showers. Head north along the main road. Pass two ruinous churches, then reach the island's convenience store. Buy some food as well as a small torch. After the shop, the showers continue apace. Take the second road left and find myself at Carrick Farm. At this point it's absolutely teeming with rain and I have some difficulty finding my route. Go to a pier by the shore of Carrick Sound. A hilly island, Calf of Eday, lies off-shore. The west coast of Sanday is not that far away. I finally decide to ignore the PRIVATE signs and dash through the back gardens of Carrick House.

(Pictured: Carrick House, picture courtesy Peter Burges, 1970)
It's very wet and muddy on the far side. Start to trudge up the hillside, above the lighthouse. Once across a small stream, I take a break for lunch and try not to get entangled in the barbed-wire fences. Rise up afterwards and proceed up the hill, to end up on Noup Hill. Views are very good. Because of the unstable, strongly showery weather, visibility between showers is excellent. Only problem is the force 9 wind that roars over the top of the ridge. You see Westray to the NW, Papa Westray to the NNW. Sanday stretches northeast. Head back south again, but do not go back to Carrick. Instead, I make my way south across Vinquoy Hill. Although only 76 m in height, this again offers nice views, this time over the northern part of Eday. I proceed through a few bunkers until I come out on a raod. Go southeast along it for a few hundred yards, then strike off southwest along a path which should hopefully deliver me on the next road. Have all sorts of fun and games trying to cross fencing withouth damaging clothing. Finally gain the road from North Ayre to Millbounds, which I follow as far as Newark. Head down a track through some fanks, which then passes thorugh some fields. Crossing the fences becomes ever more difficult as they fall in disrepair. Derelict houses provide a reason for that. Turn up by a house that is also empty, but not ruinous. I now look out over the Eday airstrip, which I cannot reach due to an insurmountable wall. I battle my way through bracken to the hostel, which I reach at 5 pm. Engage the heating, do my laundry in the washing-machine provided and prepare my meal. It's cold outside, and the strong wind does not help. Taking a shower is not an option conditions like that, too blinking cold.