Wednesday 22/09/04

If you take certain measures, this place grows on you. Spent the night on the floor of the common room as I was not prepared to be frozen out of the dorm again. Finally decided to leave on the midday ferry. Set off for the terminal at 10 a.m., on foot. Past the airport, then along London Bay. A track leads down to either end of this sandy beach. Regained the main road, and headed south. After about half an hour, someone gave me a lift to the ferry. The terminal at Eday is not the most attractive location on the island. It's surrounded by wrecked cars, fishfarming junk &c. The bay itself is quite pretty though. As I've still got loads of time, I walk down the backroad into the Southend district and flop down in a meadow for a cuppa. Then I retrace my steps and wait for the ferry to turn up. At noon, it pulls alongside. Cars, passengers and cargo come off in that order, then outbound boards. We sail at 1220 and the view is now familiar as we cross to Sanday. Can see the demure outline of the Eday Youth Hostel, until we turn into Loth Bay to discharge Sanday passengers. I fall into a lengthy conversation with an older man from Eday, who is on his way to Devon to visit relatives. Main topic is life on Eday, which is an underpopulated island - 200 souls. There are quite a few ruined houses which could be done up again. Eday is one of only a few Orkney isles to have a substantial area of moorland. On arrival at Kirkwall, I head for the Youth Hostel where I will be based from now on. I send a message to Eday Community telling them of shortcomings in the hostel accommodation on the island. A similar message to the SYHA redirects me to the aforementioned body. Otherwise, not a lot happens along the Old Scapa Road.