| |
 |
|
Far North wondering - United Kingdom
by Thomas Haines-Doran | Date >
2007-12-05 | Country : United Kingdom | City : Orkney
| Area : Scotland |
| More and more people are concerned with flying and the effect that it has on the environment. With the advent of cheap flights to Europe it has become common place to travel across the continent for even just a short break. But with this rush to go abroad many have neglected what there is to see and experience in the UK. These islands possess many strange and wondrous sights. This summer I took a trip to Orkney in the Far North of Scotland with my bike to see just what was on offer.
I met my friends in my local for a few drinks before pedaling down the Oxford Road to the station where the train, after a couple of changes and an overnight journey would take me to Thurso, not far from John O’Groats, from where I would catch the ferry over the treacherous North Sea to the largest of the Orkney Islands. It was on the 3 mile hop from the train to the ferry that my distinct lack of preparation became starkly apparent. Not having the cash to invest in bags that could attach to my bike everything I took sat in a ludicrously heavy backpack over my shoulders. The extra weight squashed my tires into the road and the slightest of slopes slowed me down so that I was pottering along at less than walking pace.
The arrival at Stromness was majestic and our ship seemed to dwarf this tiny village, which clings to the barren rocks. From here I could see across to the mountainous island of Hoy, with its strange stack of rock rising out of the sea. Also visible was a small, flat island known as Graemsay and a couple of rocky outcrops on the entrance to Scrabster Harbour. I found my hostel and headed for the village’s only pub. I had imagined a local group of musicians breaking out into melodic Gaelic tunes but my welcome pint was unfortunately accompanied by Robbie Williams’ latest album.
My first full day on the Island and I decided to start with a six mile ride over hilly roads to Skara Brae, which is the oldest surviving village in Europe. Built in the Neolithic period around 3000 BC is has remarkably remained in tact because it composes of rooms built underground, like bunkers, to protect its residence from the icy sea breezes. As I strolled around I marveled at the craft of these early people, who constructed an intricate network of tunnels to link rooms, all of which served a different purpose, together. In one of the living rooms all of the furniture survives; dressers, cupboards, beds and boxes, all carved out of solid rock.
Impressed I pedaled eastwards, away from the sweeping sandy bay upon which the village was perched. Now the wind was behind me and I started to pick up speed. My route took me to the top of a rise from where I could see some distance over the land. It was covered in glassy blue lakes and knobby green hills, a desolate landscape with not a single tree in sight.
Rising over these inland waters stands the Ring of Brodgar, another testament to Orkney’s Neolithic past. Thought to be have been constructed anywhere between 2500BC and 2000BC it is one of the finest known examples of a Neolithic stone ring. Originally consisting of sixty stones, twenty-seven remain. Like Stonehenge and many other pieces of ancient construction scientists still guess as to how they were formed by people with only basic tools and materials at their disposal. The majestic stones set against the dramatic wilderness of the Orkney landscape are surely one of the most beautiful parts of the UK.
I soldiered on to the East coast of the island over long hills, which made the cycling difficult and at just over walking speed. I stopped for lunch in Flinstown, a small fishing village where I got chatting to a Lobster fisherman who was going through the laborious task of splicing his rope. He told me that there is nowhere he would prefer to live in the world, because of the friendliness of the people. His dogs regularly went to visit his neighbors of their own accord and this he believed was a good example of this. “We’re free here”, he said.
I headed back to the hostel, taking in a roundabout southern route through Orphir and Houton. As I once again braved the strong westerly breeze I began to grow tired and hungry and rest stops had to be taken more and more often. It seemed, when I still had six or seven miles to go, as if I had no energy, that my legs were made of broken elastic. Alarmingly I began to feel light-headed as cars sped passed inches away from me on this busy road. There were still five or six miles to go and I think that if it wasn’t for the extremely sugary Orkney fudge I had earlier purchased than I don’t think I would have made it.
The next day I declined to explore Kirkwall further and headed south for the Churchill Barriers. Scapa Flow was used by the Royal Navy during both World Wars because it is one of the largest natural harbors on the planet, as it is surrounded by Orkney’s Southern islands. As most of British fleet was stationed there during the 2nd World War there was a need to protect it from the Eastern side. Block ships (ships that were deliberately scuppered to prevent entry) could not prevent a German U-boat from entering the area and sinking HMS Royal Oak and so an alternative was needed. Churchill ordered the construction of the Barriers as a way of preventing a repeat of this event.
As I cycled across the first Barrier I marveled at how a total of 1.5 miles were constructed in just over four years, at a time of limited resources and funds. The barriers proved an effective shield from U-boat attack. A lot of credit for the barriers’ construction has to go to the hundred of Italian prisoner’s of war that were drafted in to provide labour. In return for their cooperation they were given limited freedoms by British commanders. They were given materials to build a clubhouse and a garden and, most impressive of all, a chapel.
The Italian Chapel is a remarkable structure, looking from the front just like a beautiful, small Mediterranean chapel, but placed on the stark and windswept landscape of Orkney. What is even more impressive is the ingenuity that was involved in its construction. The British command donated two prefabricated Nissen huts which were placed end-to-end. A façade and a statue were ingeniously made from little more than concrete and paint and soft drink bottles were melted to create stained glass windows. Inside an ornate wooden font dominates the area of worship and Italian style red bricks are at closer inspection made of plasterboard and paint.
That evening I left Orkney by the overnight ferry from Kirkwall to Aberdeen. As I watched the islands disappear in the strange summer midnight twilight I felt sad to leave this mystical and beautiful place.
|
| Copyright Hostels, Budget hotels & Guesthouses © The Backpacker Network |
|
 |
