Thursday 14 04 2016- Kirkwall, Orkney
Alastair awoke with the brilliant idea that a piece of wood could lift the cardboard whisky boxes above the leak in the garage thereby saving them from dissolving and depositing some 24 bottles around the garage.
So he spent the first hour of the day scouring the harbour surroundings and skips, unsuccessfully, for suitable wood. Lisa used the time showering. Alastair was also wet for it was raining, but far less usefully so. Harbour side loos were open and pleasant.
Off to Kirkwall to ensure we had ferry arrangements and Howff for the next four weeks sorted.
There are no specialist parking arrangements because the long stay car parks are free and conveniently close to the ferry loading points. More inconveniently was the fact that at mid morning those nearest to the port were full. So we resolved to return after 5.00pm, when many folk would have returned to their homes from work in Kirkwall and bag our spot.
Whilst investigating the facilities Alastair had discovered an unwanted slice of wood on a building site that would fit the garage- Hoorah!
We needed to pack clothes and supplies for four weeks, to take with us on the ferry. So we set off to a sandy spit between Mainland and Deerness called ‘Snippigar’ to sort ourselves out in a prettier environment with public convenience.
As we arrive an owl flies alongside Hamish to greet us. Our first short eared owl spent the rest of the day with us flying up and down the sandy spit known appropriately as ‘Sandi Sand’.
Having found ourselves a private space we set to solving the disaster that is whisky and leaks.
Garage emptied in and around the council’s conveniently provided tourist bike racks we then emptied the damp boxes. Lisa carefully removed the wet tissue paper and laid the bottles out on our bed to dry. Alastair took the worst affected bottles and used the hand drier in the public convenience to dry the labels and remove some of the damp from the bottoms of the boxes.
Our careful work resulted in just one being damaged through damp. Then we swopped various boxes, deployed the builder’s unwanted wood on the, now dry, garage floor and returned all the contents. Success! Lunch! Nap!
We completed the packing of our ginormous rucksack and red bag then set off back to Kirkwall to find a really excellent Howff, within easy walk of the required public conveniences situated in the ferry waiting rooms and conveniently not locked. We also found some fresh water from a tap outside the Harbour Master’s Offices.
There followed: a pint of Scapa Special in the Ayre Hotel (too cold for us), homemade pasta from our freezer, dram, bed.
