Whitehall

Orkney | Stronsay | Village | ★

[Whitehall from the Kirkwall ferry]

Seeing Stronsay described as being "all arms and legs" starts getting a bit wearing when you've read it for the 5th time in consecutive tourist brochures, but they have a point. Large bays cut into the land on all sides, leaving a gangly island with nowhere more than about a mile from the coast. Located on the skinny northeastern arm is Whitehall, Stronsay's main settlement, harbour and the only place on the island larger than a few houses. This was once a major fishing port; nowadays the herring fleets have largely been replaced by the odd dinghy and a few sleepy black guillemots.

[Black guillemot on Whitehall pier]

📌 Whitehall ★
Location: G.R.: HY 659285 ///repeat.snips.picture

[View over Papa Sound from Whitehall east pier]

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Stirling Castle

Image
Stirling | Castle | ★★★★

Stirling Castle is the city's crowning glory, at the top of the volcanic outcrop of Castle Hill and an short uphill walk from Stirling centre. Built in various stages from the 14th century onwards, the castle saw the crowning of a series of Scottish Kings and Queens, and several sieges during the Wars of Independence. Today, dozens of separate buildings, battlements and exhibitions justify the admittedly hefty admission charge. A tour of Argyll's Lodging is also included in the price, just downhill from the castle.


📌Stirling Castle★★★★
Castle Esplanade, 15-min uphill walk northwest of Stirling city centre, G.R.: NS 790940 ///caged.army.matter
Open daily |£16 adults / £9.60 child / free for Historic Environment Scotland members. Discounts for booking online.










Read more

Glenturret Distillery

Image
Perth & Kinross | Crieff | Distillery | ★★★

Nestling beside the tumbling Turret Burn about a mile north of Crieff, Glenturret was until recently Scotland's most visited distillery despite relatively small production quantities and a relatively little-known single malt. Why? Well, spirit originating here also used to go into the Famous Grouse blended whisky, with the visitor centre representing this globally recognised brand. This all changed in 2019 when the distillery decided to go it alone, focusing instead on building a more personal identity. Even if Glenturret no longer tops the tourist tables, it holds on to a couple more interesting records. They're a contender for Scotland's oldest distillery - with a foundation date of 1775 - and the mash tun (below) is the last hand-operated one in the country.


📌Glenturret Distillery★★★
By minor road at Hosh, a mile north of Crieff, G.R.: NN 857234 ///unsecured.vacancies.chemistry
Open daily | £10+ depending on tour type






Read more

Rosyth Castle

Image
Fife | Rosyth | Castle | ★★

Only in Scotland could a former international ferry terminal and naval base have a castle hidden in the middle of it - which you can still visit! Of course, the 15th century ruin easily pre-dates the shipping activities here at Rosyth, originally on a tidal island in the Forth estuary (a bit like nearby Cramond Island today) before more recent land reclamation took place. The L-plan building is a substantial one, with the block of the tower house intact to roof height as well as the walls of other ranges. A coat of arms can also still be made out above one of the doorways. The castle now shares the a space with a roundabout in the midst of industry, immediately before restricted access areas manned by security guards. Happily, on our previous visits they've been happy to let us explore the castle - but ask for permission before you walk around.


📌Rosyth Castle ★★
Murray Road, Rosyth Europarc, a mile south of Rosyth town centre, G.R.: NT 109821 ///shipped.…
Read more