Day 11 - Kirkwall in Orkney.

This morning we left Carbisdale Castle on a bus to catch a ferry to St. Margaret’s Hope on Orkney, the islands north of Scotland. It was about a three to four hour bus trip and it was yet again very sickening. I have never gotten so car sick before! The ferry ride across to the island was no better. We crossed one of the most turbulent areas of North Sea. It wasn’t that bad for the first part; however, toward the end the water was rocking the big ferry pretty good. Needless to say, I was happy when I reached dry land!

We had yet another bus ride from the ferry port to Kirkwall where we are staying for a few days. Our hotel is really nice and all the staff here are very nice and welcoming to us so far. The view from my room isn’t too bad either. :]

The girls and I set off tonight to find somewhere to eat, specifically pizza. None of us knew where anything was in the city just yet, but I took the lead. A few sketchy alleyways later, we accidentally ran into a nice little diner with the most American feel that I have encountered yet. There wasn’t a single picture of nearby landscapes inside. It was all of New York City and there was a license plate from Michigan hanging on the wall. What a taste of home!

So far I am incredibly impressed with what I see in Orkney. It is no doubt different in many ways from the other places we have been so far. Although there are hardly any trees here and the wind is relentless, it is beautiful. Kirkwall reminds me a little of Stonehaven, but the character of the town is pretty unique. I think that I have found my favorite place in Scotland – but its hard to explain my attachment, all I know is that I will have a hard time leaving here when it comes time to fly to Edinburgh.

Tomorrow: Exploring Orkney!