Have totally neglected the blog for the last three months - either I've seen some decent stuff, but always at a time when I'm too busy and/or tired to write about it, or else nothing has happened and I've been too down about it (and everything wrong with the world lately, and often just nothing in particular) to be bothered with blogging. Also I've found myself getting very moth obsessed over the summer, itself not very helpful for having bags of energy of an evening!
But I'm en route to Orkney, and here is as good a place to document it, as and when I finally get there!
Last autumn's visit almost didn't happen because of the fuel crisis, which made the 710+ mile drive north extremely stressful (not helped by a total closure of the M6), and almost stopped me leaving home even before the worry of refuelling en route.
This year there's been no such worry, and after leaving home at 4.25 this morning I made excellent progress, in a fairly relaxed and leisurely way. Until, that is, I received a message from Northlink Ferries to say that because of the extreme forecast (F6-8 NW winds) my morning crossing from Scrabster to Stromness had been cancelled. Both later sailings tomorrow are also at risk of cancellation (and in any case wouldn't have got me to Orkney Mainland in time for my onward sailing), so I've opted for the early sailing the day after tomorrow (Tuesday), although even that is far from certain to sail.
And I've abandoned the drive in favour of a stay in Aviemore, and a more gentle trip north tomorrow afternoon, hopefully after a little birding around here in the morning.
Hopefully I'll get on to Sanday on Tuesday, although I'm assuming nothing for now!
On the bright side, it looks like there might actually be some gentle easterly winds Wednesday-Friday, and then on Friday night a big transatlantic is threatening to pass right over the Northern Isles . . .
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