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Walking Group One 25th April 2024
Five hardy souls collected today at Happy Valley for the first Hill Walk of the year .The temperature was cool with a North Easterly wind blowing and a hint of rain on arrival.
Off we set heading towards Russadale Quarry, spotting a Buzzard on the way.Turning into the footpath we remained sheltered from the wind all the way to the top of the hill.
The sun was out at the Quarry and a Greenshank was feeding at the edge of the Lochan. Then it was up the Peat road to the summit with spectacular views across Stenness and Harray Lochs, plus a view of the Closed Road beyond the Watch Stone. On the other side we looked over the Flow and down towards the Oil Platform and South Ronaldsay
Then it was back down after a stop for a snack and finally a walk around Happy Valley itself. The Daffodils planted by James and others were looking lovely and the Bluebells are days away from opening. Then it was on to a well deserved lunch at the Pier Cafe, having walked 4 miles and gone up 800 feet (and down again )
The next walk will be on Friday 24th May and hopefully more hills and views.
Keep moving.
U3A Photo Group One - April 2019
by Steve Henderson - 21:15 on 24 April 2019
Ten of us descended on Burwick on a bright(ish) and breezy day. First on the agenda was a rare chance to look round inside St Mary’s Kirk, guided by Alexander Annal of the St Mary’s Preservation Trust. The Trust is working towards a transformation of the kirk into a heritage and community centre and Alexander proved to be a mine of information on a site with a lot of history but a rather low profile so far. Inside and out the kirk is in need of repair and refurbishment and probably most of us found it photogenic for those reasons! Ageing, green-veined plasterwork, dusty pews and a hard-worked, partly dismantled organ were among the attractions. Afterwards the group scattered to explore the pier, the semi-derelict farmhouse and the windbreaks of decorative(?) concrete blocks beside the pier.
We then sheltered from the wind and consumed some excellent cakes, tea and coffee in the Burray Fossil Museum. Photos from the previous trip to Dounby were examined. No disrespect intended but a place not known for its photogenic qualities stimulated a wide range of personal interpretations with room for old and new, smart and decaying and little repetition of subject matter.
The theme for the month was ‘flight’. Aeroplanes were outnumbered by birds, including some wonderful shots of swans, herons (I think!) and some showy tropical specimens. Flying flags and flights of stairs also fitted the brief and, inevitably, a windsurfer!
Next month attention turns to the Caithness and north Sutherland coast for a couple of days. Steve set next month’s theme as ‘peace’.
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