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9 September 2024

My original plan was to spend four days on Orkney, taking in the islands of Sanday, North Ronaldsay and Stronsay, but forecast bad weather has forced a curtailment and I have just this one full day to enjoy. I am most looking forward to visiting the low lying island of Sanday, famed for its stunning white beaches, and with a clear, dry day in store I set off excitedly for the early ferry from Kirkwall, giving me a full day to explore ‘the island of peninsulas’ from top to bottom. I drive straight from the small ferry terminal to the ‘bricky hut’, an old wartime decoy building now being referred to as a marker for car parking and access to some of the most spectacular beaches I have ever seen. A thin peninsula splits the tidal lagoon of Cata Sand from the wild North Sea, creating an incredible dune ecosystem which heads right down to the area known as Tresness. Standing on the highest point of the highest dune (and I mean high!) the view along the peninsula is an unforgettable sight, especially on this beautiful day. I walk the length of the peninsula and along the eastern beach to Newark Bay. Magnificent.