The day started with a morning visit to the Queen Mother’s castle, the Castle of Mey.  Both the castle and the gardens were lovely.  The interior of the castle was more austere than I expected from a royal residence.  But this is the Queen Mother’s own castle, not Britain’s.  I was a little strange to walk throughout and see pictures of the Princes Charles, Andrew, and Edward, as well as Princess Margaret.  Yet again, they are her grandchildren.

Caught a ferry for the Orkney Islands and said goodbye to the Scottish mainland.  Cruising along the coastline was breathtaking.  The sea cliffs are a sight to behold.  The ferry went right past the Old Man of Hoy, and the Lifeboat (British Isles water rescue patrol) flew past the ferry a few times in training maneuvers. 

The Orkney Islands themselves were far more populated than I had expected.  I’ve seen so few people in the Highlands lately that the town of Stromness where the ferry docked seemed like a metropolis by comparison.  From the ferry, I headed for the Neolithic settlement of Skara Brae.  Fascinating.  If this place were closer to the mainland, it would be as huge an attraction as Stonehenge.  It was well worth the effort to get here.  Skara Brea was discovered in the 1950s after a hurricane force storm blew through the Orkney’s uncovering the remains of a 5,000-year-old civilization.  The settlement remains well-preserved and has answered many questions about Neolithic man and how they lived.

Two Neolithic stone circles filled the late afternoon: the ring of Brodger and the Stenness Stone Circles.  I walked the ring of both of these circles.  Because they are so far off the beaten tourist track, you can still do that.  I felt a very real sense of peace walking around them.

Now, I’m sitting in the Hjaltland, and overnight ferry, on a tiny bed in a sleeper cabin that will take me to the Shetland Islands.  It will be kind of nice to wake up and be at the next destination.  I’ll fill you in on more tomorrow.

--Gerri