We did an excursion to Orkney today. The weather on the mainland was crapppy and rainy. As we rode the ferry to the islands, the sun came out and we actually had a great sunny day on the islands. To me it was interesting to see the Scapa Flow, scene of the scuttling of the German fleet after World War I. It was hard to imagine so many ships at anchor in the bay. We also saw Skara Brae, a very well preserved village from about 3100 BC. Very cool.
The only disappointment of the day was at John O'Groats. We were so looking forward to the midges that John Cooper had promised we would experience. We were really looking forward to experiencing this part of the Scottish way of life. There were none. I asked the shop keeper when they would put on the midge performance. He said something to me which I couldn't understand. I guess he was speaking Gaelic or something. We are hoping to see the midges at a future stop.
John, I am not a pedantic on spelling, but Scapa Flow is a very important place.
Apparantly the steel on the warships there is very valuable because it has never been exposed to airborne radiation from atomic weapons.
This is very important to scientists.
Sorry about the midges, you are there a few months early, pop back in August for the Midge experience.
The residents up there have a knack of lapsing into broad dialect when speaking to foreigners, that includes you and I.
Its a psyops method of making you feel inferior, making you repeat yourself.
They are experts at it, lots of practise.
