Kirkwall, capital of the Orkney Islands

Kirkwall, capital of the Orkney Islands, was a delight, and was our first port of call on our recent cruise, after one day and two nights at sea. The skies were overcast when we arrived and the temperatures much colder than we'd been used to back in Kent, for much of the summer. It was also was nice to see plenty of bright green grass after weeks of looking out over parched and burnt lawns, roadside verges, and sad, bare-looking hedgerows. Kirkwall, itself is a lovely little town, untouched and unsullied by many of the 21st‑century woes that afflict mainland Britain (litter and mindless graffiti, posing as art). A shuttle bus, laid on by the cruise line, drove us into town, and dropped us at the bus station, close to the town’s cathedral. This compact building is constructed from local stone, that has an unusual reddish tint to it, although for the life of me, I couldn’t tell you what the stones are. This is despite achieving an “O” level in geology. We then took a wander down towards…