Wayfare Wednesdays! A Travelogue of Ports Unknown! Scotland Day Two

Ahoy there me mateys!  Welcome to the newest installment on me Log, Wayfare Wednesdays!  As ye scalawags know, yer Captain always be spending me time dreaming of the next far off ports and searching of a good adventure.  So I thought I would give the crew some insight into the fascinating people, places, and things I saw while ye all were wallowing in port in some filthy tavern, swilling grog, and missin’ the sights.  Ye know in case ye miscreants ever get the chance to plunder visit these destinations in the future . . .

wayfare

way·​fare |  ˈwāˌfa(a)|(ə)r, -ˌfe|, |ə

 archaic : an act or course of journeying (source)

As some of ye may know, I recently had a line on a rumor of a bit of Viking treasure, Scottish ruins, and Elizabethan artifacts.  The sea was a’ calling.  So off I went.  After eighteen days of adventurin’ in Iceland, Norway, Scotland, and England, I be back to share me tales.  I shall be splittin’ these stories into several installments due to yer befuddled, swill-saturated noggins.  The first foray was Iceland then Norway.  Next stop – Scotland!

If ye missed day one of Iceland click here.  For day two of Iceland click here.

For day one of Norway (Bergen) click here. For day two of Norway (Geirangr) click here.  For day three of Norway (Lofoten) click here.  For day four of Norway (Tromsø) click here.  For day five of Norway (Honningsvåg) click here.

For day one of Scotland (Shetland Islands) click here.

Scotland was the land of castles, history, and lovely scenery.  We (me and the ma) spent three full days there.  The second day was the Orkney Island of Kirkwall.  Kirkwall is the capital of the Orkneys.  There is so much history and delight here.  This will be long.  We saw:

Skara Brae

This is a 5,000 year old village dubbed the “Scottish Pompeii” because it was only found 150 years ago and is extremely well preserved.  The homes were hidden under sand dunes.  So freakin’ cool.  I enjoyed crawling in the tunnels of the replica home.  This site was one of the main reasons I wanted to go on the whole trip.  Took a billion photos here too but they really don’t show the awesomeness.

Skaill House

This is the 17th century mansion built by Bishop George Graham in 1620.  All twelve of the lairds lived here.  It is now a museum.  Absolutely beautiful.

Ring of Brodgar

This is a ceremonial circle of 27 remaining standing stones and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  I was kinda obsessed with how walking around the ring completely changed the perspective and took about a billion photos.  Only a couple shown here though!

Kirkwall

Kirkwall itself was a lovely little town that I wish I could have explored more.  Lots of cool things but not enough time!

St. Magnus Cathedral

This is a lovely Romanesque cathedral that was lovely inside and out.

Bishop and Earl’s Palaces

This be a complex with two ruinous palaces.  The Bishop’s Palace dates to the 12th century while the Earl’s Palace is from 1600 to 1607.  We didn’t get to go in because of time constraints but dang are they beautiful even from the outside.

The Orcandian Bookshop

And for ye bookwyrms out there i.e. me entire crew.

Keep a weathered eye out for more of me wayfare adventures.  Next stop Edinburgh!  Arrrr!

x The Captain

Side note:  The Wayfair Wednesday featured image (source) is of two sailing vessels “dressed overall” with their international signal flags.  Signal flags are the flags used to contact other ships.  Well unless ye be a pirate in which case the Jolly Roger and yer cannons speak well enough.  A ship dressed overall “consists of stringing international maritime signal flags on a ship from stemhead to masthead, from masthead to masthead and then down to the taffrail. It is a sign of celebration, and is done for occasions, anniversaries, and events, whether national, local or personal.”  (source)  Well, Wayfare Wednesday is certainly a celebration, occasion, and event no matter how ye look at it.  Arrrrr!