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Day 25 - Falkirk to home

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After leaving the hotel we first went to see the Kelpies, Scotland's 'Angel of the North'.   The Kelpies The Kelpies The Kelpies After we drove to the Falkirk Canal Tunnel.  We had planned to walk through but water was pouring down from the roof over the paths and it was obviously going to be very wet.  Falkirk Canal Tunnel Union Canal  We then went to the Falkirk Wheel, a lift system for boats.  It moves them from the Forth Clyde canal to the Union Canal some 38m above.  It has 2 gondalas which contain the boats and water and they counterbalance each other.  The gondalas rotate to move boats up or down. We took a boat trip which took us up to the Union Canal on the wheel, then over the aquaduct at the top and then through the Roughcastle Tunnel (different tunnel to the one we went to earlier.  We then retuned the same way.  It was a really good experience.  The weather was a real mix of sunshine and very heavy showers. The Falkirk ...
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Day 24 - Aberdeen to Falkirk

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After a good night's sleep and a very smooth sailing we were up just before 6, and had breakfast on board before disembarking just after 7.   We decided not to explore Aberdeen. They brought in a congestion charge 3 days ago and we don't want to get caught out by it. We went to Stonehaven instead.  A nice little town with a very small town centre and mostly independent type shops. There was a nice coastal walk. Market Square Metal sculpture on coast walk Old harbour master house Speaks for itself  Church with green roof Seal sculpture Stonehaven beach We saw signs to Dunottar Castle so we drove there.  It was built on top of a huge rock looking out to sea and there was a long and steep climb to reach the entrance so we just took photos. Dunnottar Castle Dunnottar Castle  Dunnottar Castle We continued to Montrose which is quite a run down town with a lot of shops closed down.  Market Square Parish Church Lighthouse Near the port is a statue of a Norwegi...
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Day 23 - Goodbye to Orkney

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I woke up at midnight and there was still a lot of light outside.     I saw the seal when I got up and then went for an early run.  We had to leave the accomodation by 10.00 so stayed as long as possible as we had another 13 hours to kill before we had to check in for the overnight ferry to Aberdeen. It was nice and sunny when we left so went to RSPB Cottascarth.  The hide was quite a walk from the car park and Paul decided to stay in the car.  It was a big hide overlooking a hill and there was a party of birdwatchers already there and all the seats were taken.  They had just spotted a female Merlin and showed me from their scope.  It was sitting on a post some distance away.  I would never have seen this myself.  They were hoping to see a Hen Harrier but left disappointed.  Hide at Cottascarth Female Merlin taken from scope.   Merlin from my camera - mega zoomed   We then visited one of the larger villages called Dounby a...
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Day 22 - Central Mainland

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We had a bit of a lay in this morning and then did some packing. We still had a few more places on our list of things to do.  We started at Warebeth Beach, on the West Coast of Mainland, near to Stromness and a few kms south of where we walked yesterday.  To our surprise, Stromness Cemetary is located there and it is huge.  Some of the graves have enormous headstones. It is in sections and the older graves are in one walled area and the newer ones in another. There is a good coastal path walk.  We walked both ways.  The tide was out and the so called beach was made up of standstone rocks, most covered with seaweed.  There was no real beach.  On the headland to the north there are the remains of a 2 storey house built in 1633 for Orkneys last bishop.  We didnt walk up to it as it was VERY windy.   Stromness Cemetary   Stromness Cemetary   Stromness Cemetary   Warebeth Beach   Warebeth Beach    Young Pied Wagt...
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