Scapa and Sanday - 14/09/04

Start the day by booking my accommodation in Sanday, which will be at the Ayers Rock hostel. Then head into town for some purchases, such as a scarf, woolly hat and gloves. It's getting decidedly chilly now, although it's only mid September. Walk down the road to Old Scapa. it's brilliantly sunny. The main road to Orphir veers off after a little way, but a narrow single-track affair leads on to the shore at Scapa Flow. Sit in the sun on the retaining wall looking south to the hills on Flotta, South Ronaldsay and Hoy. Walk on to the Coastguard Station, where a memorial plaque indicates that HMS Ark Royal was sunk not far off-shore in October 1939, with the loss of 800 souls after being torpedoed by a German submarine. A simple green buoy marks the location of the wreck. Proceed round the bay towards the pier, but cannot reach it - restricted area. People are walking their dogs on the shore road as I return to the Youth Hostel. Later that afternoon, I disappear on the ferry to Sanday. It's a fairly sunny day. North of Shapinsay, the ferry branches off northeast at the Galt Skerry buoy. We head north of Shapinsay and south of Muckle Green Holm. The latter is a small island, with a ruined house on it. We end up in a rough piece of water south of Eday, then head NNE for the Loth terminal on Sanday. As I leave the ferry, the zips collapse on my rucksack and the contents spill out onto the slipway. Fortunately, the raincover keeps everything inside, but the minibus driver gets a bit ratty with me. Well, I can't help it, can I? I heave everything into the minibus, anger the driver even more by not having the exact far and get dropped off outside Ayers Rock at around 6. The lady of the house shows me round to the converted byre, where I'm the only guest. There are 2 or 3 dorms, a bathroom and a very cramped kitchen. Once I've laid out my wares, I proceed to the kitchen for supper. Cannot open my cans, because there is no can-opener about. So, I have to knock up the proprietrix for that item. Later in the evening, I can use the internet for a bit. It's windy outside.

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