Orkney, Scotland. Days 26, 24th July.

I arrived in Tingwall hoping to have time to catch a ferry to the Broch of Midhowe on Rousay but I think I had misread the ferry timetables and this was not to be.

The name Tingwall indicates there was a Thing here, a local Viking Parliament. This is probably the Thing where Earl Haakon and Earl Magnus agreed to the fateful meeting on Egilsay where Magnus was killed. The Thing was probably at a mound near where the pier now is. This is believed to conceal a broch but I was not aware of this at the time so did not photograph it.

Here we have the Tingwall Weather Forecasting Stone, a form of weather forecasting that may have been in use since the neolithic.  The green building at the left is probably the local Meteorological Bureau.

You could click on the image to read the sign but since not many seem to do that, I’ll tell you what it says:

• Forecast: Condition
• Stone is wet: Raining
• Stone is dry: Not raining
• Shadow on ground: Sunny
• White on top: Snow
• Can’t see stone: Foggy
• Stone is swinging: Windy
• Stone gone: Jimmy Tulloch pinched it.

And once again, we have an assortment of fetching dwellings, mostly with sea views, that you might be able to get for a very cheap rent if you get on well enough with the local farmer.

I think this was a trailer for a boat.

Massive slabs on the roof.

I’d say that car has been waiting for the ferry for a long time.