058:57.868 N
003:17.632 W

Stromness II

Yachts have been coming and going all day today; heading for Inverness, arriving from Inverness, arriving from rounding Cape Wrath, some familiar faces and some new. The ebb and flow of yachts is always so interesting with stories shared and experiences passed on; we will probably swap thoughts with our new neighbour as we are doing each other’s journeys in reverse.

Walking around town is fascinating with many memorial plaques celebrating events and people. A statue to the Orkney man and Arctic explorer Dr John Rae erected 200 years after his birth in 2013 looks out over the harbour. It celebrates his life achievement including in 1854 discovering the final navigable link of the North-West passage. We also stumbled upon a well that had supplied drinking water to ships from 1670 through to 1891, including to Captain Cook and Sir John Franklin.

It then made sense to read about these Orkney connections and more, at the very well laid out Stromness Museum. In a compact house on the main street displays include natural history, whaling history, human stories, lighthouse stories, WW1&2 stories and huge stocks of memorabilia connected with the area. 

We’ve studied the weather and plan to be here a few days; there isn’t much wind forecast and plenty of rain. However, after the gale forecast next week, we’ll jump on the back of that and head to Inverness, in the meantime, there is plenty of sight-seeing to keep us busy.

Harry is happy to fish at any opportunity, and so whilst the south of the UK bakes, we will continue to dream of shedding thermals!