The end.

 19/20th July.

The journey home started with the bus to Stromness and Ferry to Scrabster, all very painless. 

Stromness 

Set up on the campsite and had a look at the town. Nothing of particular note except the Museum which has some fine Pictish stones and a fascinating section about the Dounreay Nuclear Facility.

The following day I was packed up and waiting at the station for the Inverness train and got talking to three people from North Wales who were doing a train tour around Scotland, it's always nice to hear other people's opinions about the  country.

Thurso Bay

I have mixed feelings about going home, part of me wants to go on walking but having completed my plan I'm not inspired to go anywhere else from here. Orkney is a great place but probably better with a bike, or kayak, as a lot of people on the campsite were doing. If the weather had been a little more encouraging a few days walking on Hoy might have been good, but not really part of the journey.

There are loads of things to do when I get home, starting with appointments for tomorrow, so it won't take too long to settle into a new routine, I'm just not sure I really want to! At least it's an interesting train journey through some beautiful scenery to ease me back.

From the train window 

The walk itself has been one enormous treat. Everyday, at some point, I have said to myself "This is wonderful". I could have spent more time in some areas as there are a few things that I missed seeing but at least that means there will have to be a return visit.

Many thanks to my daughters Sarah & Nessa for the encouragement and support and also to the people who opened their homes, fed and watered me. Thank you Allan & Emma, Jacky, Andy & Joy, Paul, Martin & Sue.

I keep being asked what was the best part and I really can't say, the complete journey was so good and, at this time, no individual bits stand out. Maybe when I have had time to digest all the elements some exceptional bits will float to the top.

The only thing that stands out at this stage is the people that I have met along the way and the interesting conversations, particularly Steve, who walked with me for a few days on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, and Bea, who   I met in Meal Bhuidhe Bothy and subsequently walked with on a couple of occasions.

The worst bits? Probably top of the list would be the walk along the fairly narrow road with heavy traffic in the pouring rain into Keynsham, although it didn't last long. Apart from that the only other unpleasantness was the hot spell which, unusually, lasted for quite a long time. Clegs in sunshine, midges morning and evening, the only way to escape  was to get into the closed tent which turned into an oven in the sunshine. Outside the insects were waiting.

The gear I took with me all worked well, there was nothing I didn't use at some stage and nothing else that I needed and didn't bring. I wore out three and a half pairs of shoes but was very pleased with the way they performed, I have had no significant foot problems although it will be nice to have dry feet when I get home, about the only thing I'm looking forward to!

In my rough plan I estimated doing 15 miles a day, including rest days, the actual figure for the 140 days of the walk was 16.2 miles per day a total of 2270 miles.

Thanks for your interest.

I wonder what I'll do next?

Day one hundred and forty one- Walk finished, sightseeing.

18th July.

A nice bright morning for the first day after the Walk. Stayed dry all day as well, a great day for cycling.

Picked up the electric bike at the campsite, complete with gel seat cover and helmet, and went up the road to Finstown that I had walked two days earlier.

Stones of Stenness 

Much quicker this time, the hill and headwind no problem with the electric power assistance, very impressed!

Maeshowe chambered cairn 

Turned up the road to Stenness heading for Maeshowe chambered cairn. This is at the heart of neolithic Orkney and  the amount of monument building is incredible. It also means a lot of visitors, I couldn't get into Maeshowe as the tours were fully booked until 9th August! so had to make do with climbing to the top instead.

The next stop was The Stones Of Stenness and the Barnhouse settlement. The circle was apparently never completed and now there are only a few huge stones left. They are around the same age as Stonehenge but the Barnhouse settlement is earlier.

Ness of Brogdar 

There is an archeological dig at the Ness of Brodgar that is uncovering a big neolithic settlement, again giving guided tours.

Barnhouse

A little further on is the huge stone circle at Brogdar, there are thirty six stones left here from the original sixty. Still a lot of people about and you are kept to the perimeter but because of the size of the perfect circle there is a better feeling of place.

Ring of Brodgar 

Ring of Brodgar 

 A few miles on is Skara Brae, probably the most well known prehistoric village. It is very impressive but due to pressure of visitors you are obviously corralled away from the buildings.

Skara Brae

Skail house is also here and was worth the visit.

Skail House dining room 

Back to Kirkwall to return the bike after about   thirty five miles. It still had some charge left so I went to the Scapa Distillery and had an interesting discussion with one of the tour guides about their different whiskies.

..

A good way to round off the journey.

Day one hundred and forty - Around Rousay

 17th July.

Very heavy rain squalls overnight but it had improved by morning. A windy, showery day with some bright intervals.

Retraced my steps back to the road and continued anticlockwise around the island.

There is a little store that was not open when I passed. I was told later that it is open most days for limited hours and keeps a good stock of most things.

Up the hill and then down to Wasbister, a fertile area of farmland. There were a number of barley fields with a perimeter of oats?

I saw a Post Office sign and had to investigate, there is one and it was open. They open every day for an hour or so in the morning. It was nearly an hour before I managed to get away, I now know most of what happens on the island and, no doubt, everyone will know all about me by now.

On to the archeological bit then and the huge chambered cairn of Mid Howe. A building has been put over the cairn to preserve it which makes it difficult to get a true feeling for it's antiquity, it almost feels like a giant model.

The roof structure dominating the cairn

A bit further along the coast there were two separate archeological digs. The first, an excavation of a Viking long house that the dig director himself explained to me and the second, the excavation of an iron age round house and associated works was all explained by one of the students from Nottingham University.

I got back to the pier in time to watch the ferry sailing down the sound but there is a new waiting room with self service drinks that has been set up by the community so waiting for it to return was no hardship.

Interesting objects at the roadside 

The rain showers had been getting more frequent and heavier, there were no camping spots apparent on the map for my proposed route and I had run out of steam. So, when a bus appeared on the pier I climbed on and went back to the Kirkwall campsite.

As the bus trip makes this the end of The Walk, I have hired a bike for tomorrow to see some more ancient ruins.

13 miles walked 400 meters ascent.

Day one hundred and thirty nine - Kirkwall to Rousay

16th July.

A dry start to the day but the clouds were low and threatening. A few showers later on.

A straightforward walk along minor roads today starting off around the back of Wideford Hill.

Arrived at Finstown and found an unexpected burger van, very useful!

There was a campervan for sale at the garage, rusty but cheap, tempted......

Continuing the minor road theme there is a small road that runs parallel to the coast and takes you directly to Tingwall and the ferry.

I wanted to go to Wyre but to do that you have to book the day before, so I went to Rousay instead.

The little campsite was full of archaeologists so I headed up the coast to the north end of the island and found a good spot looking down at Rousay Sound.

19.5 miles walked 400 meters ascent.

Day one hundred and thirty eight - Sightseeing in Kirkwall

 15th July.

A really bad morning, very heavy rain and a strong wind but clearing later.

I had decided to see the sights of Kirkwall today after looking at the weather forecast and by the time I had showered, done the washing etc it had almost stopped raining.

l had booked a Highland Park whisky tour and after I had wandered into town and spent a while in the Wireless Museum, a really good collection of early equipment including early military stuff, before it was time to go out to the Distillery.

A very knowledgeable guide made it an especially interesting tour and tasting.

£39,000 for a bottle of 54 year old

Back to town for lunch and a visit to the Cathedral, it would be easy to spend a whole day just looking at it.

To the museum then to look at artifacts from Orkney's long, very long, history. To do it justice it would be necessary to know a lot more history than I do.

The Bishop's Palace

Tesco's again to restock for the next few days, and food for the evening, before returning to the campsite just in time for a heavy downpour to round off the day.

I may have to come back in September 

Day one hundred and thirty seven - Glimps Holm to Kirkwall

 14th July.

A beautiful morning but the forecast is pretty dire for tonight and tomorrow.

Didn't have enough water for porridge this morning so set off for the short walk to the Italian Chapel without any.

Found some water on the way so had my porridge while waiting for the Chapel to open.

It is an incredible piece of work by the Italian Prisoners of War. everything is made either of concrete, which they were working with every day, or scrap salvaged from the Blockships or elsewhere.

The standard of painting is amazing, basically the work of one man, Domenico Chiocchetti.

Two coaches arrived just as I was ready to leave, there are advantages to being early.

Totem pole at St Mary's, a First Nation/Orcadian project

A café at St Mary's called for a slight detour for more refreshments again leaving just as a coach party arrived.

There was a photographic exhibition, at an old church further along the coast, of the construction of the barriers.

A lot of very good pictures of the work done by the 1200 Italian Prisoners Of War held in the two camps.

Fantastic views of the barriers and Scapa Flow as I continued my tour of south Mainland.

Called in to Sheila Fleet's café and jewellery showroom. I knew about the jewellery having bought some for Elizabeth a few years ago.

Poor picture, too much reflection from the display cabinet

The quality of the presentation was first class, as was the café. I was even more impressed when, after they found out how far I had walked to get there, I was plied with free scones and fudge.

Even better was the tour of the workshops.

I made the mistake of stopping to say hello to a guy feeding his sheep, it's a bit like Ireland used to be and it was at least half an hour later that I managed to get away. A really interesting conversation, if it was in a pub we would probably still be talking!

The little airport was busier than Prestwick as I walked past and over the hill to Kirkwall.

I didn't look at the city, saving that for the morning, and went straight to the campsite past Lidl, Tesco and Co-op stores that are beside each other on the way.

A quick visit to Tesco's sorted tonight's meal and I settled in to the very nice campsite.

17 miles walked 300 meters ascent.