Saturday, 11 May 2013
Wednesday 8 May
Another bright and sunny day, until the cloud increased with rain following in the afternoon. I accompanied two visitors to the beach at Tolsta; leaving them to paddle in the sea whilst I ambled the mile and a half to Tolsta Head, and the same distance back. Hardly anybody there, and by the time I got back to the road, nobody on it. Lovely.
Tuesday 7 May
Brilliantly sunny and warm day, with the thermometer at 17C at one point. Had lunch outside, and an amble around the harbour.
Sunday 5 May
Took a walk from Sandwick back to Stornoway in the morning; rain came on soon afterwards.
NLB vessel Pole Star
Friday 3 May
Cruiseliner Ocean Nova called round this morning, to depart for the Shiants in the afternoon.
Wednesday, 1 May 2013
Wednesday 1 May
The new month started with a creditable performance in terms of springlike weather, except for the temperatures. These remained at pitifully single figures. There was abundant sunshine, with some cumulus clouds moving along on the cool northwesterly breeze.
I went out to the Iolaire Memorial to investigate the appearance of nearly half a dozen windturbines on the eastern horizon. These turned out to be located within the precinct of the local sewage treatment works at Holm, 2 miles out of town. On the way there, I spotted plenty of sheep with lambs, but one little fella was not moving at all - and had not moved by the time I walked past on the way back into town. The lamb was dead. I got in touch with the grazings clerk to report the issue.
I am uploading pictures, but will put them into a separate post.
I went out to the Iolaire Memorial to investigate the appearance of nearly half a dozen windturbines on the eastern horizon. These turned out to be located within the precinct of the local sewage treatment works at Holm, 2 miles out of town. On the way there, I spotted plenty of sheep with lambs, but one little fella was not moving at all - and had not moved by the time I walked past on the way back into town. The lamb was dead. I got in touch with the grazings clerk to report the issue.
I am uploading pictures, but will put them into a separate post.
Tuesday, 30 April 2013
Tuesday 30 April
Today, the Netherlands got itself a new monarch. King Willem Alexander took over from his mother, Queen Beatrix. She had reigned for 33 years. After the instrument of abdication was signed at 10 am local time today, he swore the oath of allegiance at 2pm, thereby formally becoming king. He is the first male monarch in the Netherlands for 123 years. His eldest child is a girl, so if things go as planned, a queen will once more rule in Holland later this century. The celebrations were closed by a water pageant on the IJ river, just outside Amsterdam, earlier this evening.
Here in Stornoway, meanwhile, a cold wind blew up into a gale this evening. The overnight freight ferry Muirneag is once more not running. This will mean no supplies in the shops until well after lunchtime. We should not complain, however. The lifeline ferry to Orkney, MV Hamnavoe, is laid up with a broken crankshaft, which will put it out of action for at least a month. The Shetland ferry, MV Hjaltland, calls into Kirkwall four times a week, but is a lot more expensive, as it sails from Aberdeen. The alternative is a smaller private ferry, the Pentalina, which runs from Gills Bay in Caithness to St Margaret's Hope in South Ronaldsay, Orkney. Coming at the start of the tourism season, the Orcadians are crying blue murder.
Here in Stornoway, meanwhile, a cold wind blew up into a gale this evening. The overnight freight ferry Muirneag is once more not running. This will mean no supplies in the shops until well after lunchtime. We should not complain, however. The lifeline ferry to Orkney, MV Hamnavoe, is laid up with a broken crankshaft, which will put it out of action for at least a month. The Shetland ferry, MV Hjaltland, calls into Kirkwall four times a week, but is a lot more expensive, as it sails from Aberdeen. The alternative is a smaller private ferry, the Pentalina, which runs from Gills Bay in Caithness to St Margaret's Hope in South Ronaldsay, Orkney. Coming at the start of the tourism season, the Orcadians are crying blue murder.
Monday, 29 April 2013
Monday 29 April
A day of sunshine and heavy April showers, but these abated as the day wore on. 7C / 45F is rather below par for late April, but the strong sunshine made it feel rather warmer than that. We are stuck in cold conditions for the foreseeable future, with a gale in the offing for Wednesday.
In recent weeks, there has been no end of problems with the ferries in the Western Isles. One of the ferries to Orkney, the MV Hamnavoe which plies between Scrabster and Stromness, has broken down and it may take a month or more to fix it. That has presumably also been in drydock earlier in the year.
Tomorrow (April 30th), the Netherlands will celebrate the coronation of King Willem Alexander, who turned 46 a few days ago. He takes over from his mother, Queen Beatrix, who will abdicate tomorrow at the age of 75. The event will be livecast on the WWW, but commentary will be in Dutch. Just enjoy the spectacle if the language is beyond you.
In recent weeks, there has been no end of problems with the ferries in the Western Isles. One of the ferries to Orkney, the MV Hamnavoe which plies between Scrabster and Stromness, has broken down and it may take a month or more to fix it. That has presumably also been in drydock earlier in the year.
Tomorrow (April 30th), the Netherlands will celebrate the coronation of King Willem Alexander, who turned 46 a few days ago. He takes over from his mother, Queen Beatrix, who will abdicate tomorrow at the age of 75. The event will be livecast on the WWW, but commentary will be in Dutch. Just enjoy the spectacle if the language is beyond you.
Sunday, 28 April 2013
Saturday 27 April
Went for a 3-mile amble around town in the afternoon. It has been quite changeable of late, and today was no exception. The brightness of the morning soon gave way to ominous greyness, and rain began to fall by late afternoon. I walked round to Anderson Road, Plasterfield and Sandwick, returning through the cemetery and along the foreshore.
In the early hours, the nearly full moon made quite a spectacle.
In the early hours, the nearly full moon made quite a spectacle.
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