Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-10-05
SAILING AND CYCLING
Among 0rkneys, Dodging the Showers With
Occasional Glimpses Of Beautiful Scenery.
(All Rights Reserved.)

| Orphir. Sept. 10. 1897.
This is the beginning of our last week
| here, and we are all little sad at the
| thought of leaving for we have had a
| most delightful summer. Some of us are
| thinking of cycling from Thurso, in the
north of Scotland. to Inverness possibly
| further, and meeting the rest of the party
| at Aberdeen. ! am praying for fine
weather for the plan cannot otherwise be
| carried out.
1t has rained necessarily since Wednes-
| day until today but before that we had a
few fine days which we spent alternately
sailing and cycling. We had long wanted
| to cycle from end to end of some of the
| islands. but have never had an opportu-
| nifty before. We left ~Houton early on
| Monday morning, with the yacht taking
| the bicycles with US. 1t was fine when
we left the Manse but before we reached
| the boat it had begun to drizzle and we
| began to think We should not be able to
| go; but Finley one of the sailors, and n
| great authority on the weather. said it
| would clear at noon so We went on Fin
| ley was right; it did clear and was lovely
all the rest of the day. 1t rained just
| long enough to make it necessary to clean
the bicycles, which is a tedious task as
everyone who owns machine knows.
We reached our destination. South
| Walls. early in the afternoon and an
chored in Longhope Bay. This bay is one
OF the prettiest well as one of the
safest in Orkney. 1t is nearly four miles
long and is a great resort for wind-bound
each side of the entrance to the bay
suppose they were erected at the same
| time as all the other martello towers
which are dotted all round the English
coast. They We're built to guard the
| coast when Napoleon intended to invade
England. No doubt they We're very good
then, but one shot from a cannon now
would level them to the ground. But to
return to my narrative South Walls is
the southern end of the island of Hoy
and is practically another island, for the
roadway which connects the two, is moth
ing but pebbly beach and the sea
washes right up to it on each side. We
went ashore with the bicycles as soon as
we had anchored and started to ride right
round South Walls to Cantick Head.
where there is a lighthouse. We found
the roads dreadful for cycling. being COW
cred with loose stones. and we had to
keep dismounting every few hundred
yards to walk over bit of road which
had been recently mended and covered
with sharp flint stones which mean pune
tured tires if one tried to ride over them.
Melsetter house is one of the sights of
South Walls. 1t is said to- have the most
Neutrality-suspicious. in Orkney. We did not
go to see it because we had not time, and
also it belongs to the gentleman who
warned us that We were trespassing upon
Rsa and we did not think we should meet
with a very cordial reception from him.
Arrived at Cantick Head we had a fine
view over the Pentland Firth. Exactly
opposite was Widewall bay at South Ro-
naldshay, and a little farther out the
islands of Switha and Swona, both barren
and uninhabited. Still farther away was
Stroma which is a very populous little
island. 1t is the nearest to Scotland, and
there are some very dangerous rocks
about it. here is a light house with
very powerful light on it. If 1t had been
clearer we could have seen the Cathness
cliffs quite easily, but they were only faint
ly outlined against the sky. We spent
that night at Longhope and early next
day sailed across to st. Margaret's Hope.
We had thoroughly explored one part of
South Ronaldshay but none of us had
ever been to the southern side We pro-
cured Il crazy. looking machine" for the
nOn-cycling members of the family and
all set out together. We found the roads
hiliy. We rode down one hill and walked
up another all the way. The scenery was
most embarrassing until we came to the
top of very long hill and then we came
suddenly upon the sea. we did not go
any farther. To the left of us were the
Pentland skerries, tall, lonely rocks.
which have the reputation of being the
most dangerous in this vicinity. The
Caithness Mills We're plainly visible. and
indeed looked only about five miles dis
tant. I never realized before how near
we are to Scotland | had a feeling that
we were almost out of the world. !
Returning to the yacht we set sail at
once for Scapa where We spent the night. |
We intended to cycle from there to Der
ness. the most southern point of the main
land, and from there back to Orphir; but
alas! Next morning it was raining as if it
never meant to stop. Indeed it did not
stop until last night. Cycling was quite
out of the question SO we got a ma
chine" from Kirkwall and drove home
leaving the men to bring the yacht back
to Houton 1t was very unpleasant
ending to our expedition. but we hope to
IDA MAY COUSINS.