Fairwinds 2005

Day 14 – Papa Westray – Eday – 9 miles

We sailed off the mooring and enjoyed a fast close reach down to Eday, arriving a little early at the top oif Calf Sound and having to motor the last mile to pick up the  visitors mooring in front of Carrick House, scene of the denouement of one John Gow, allegedly the most inept pirate ever and certainly the most unsuccessful Orkney buccaneer. They say there is still a bloodstain on the floor in the dining room of Carrick House.

We went ashore and headed up the hill in search of more burial chambers. At the top of Vinquoy Hill is an impressive chambered cairn, pretty much intact but with a skylight in the top allowing you to see once you have crawled inside through the long entrance passageway. Four chambers open off the main chamber.

Walking South from here we were following the Eday Heritage Walk in reverse, passing two less complete burial chambers and finishing at the impressive Stone of  Setter. We returned via the Red House croft restoration project, site of a home made overshot waterwheel used to power a threshing mill. By the time we had climbed Vinquoy Hill again from the other side and made our way down to the dinghy we were soaked through, trousers filthy from tomb crawling and boots covered in sheep shit – a fine Sunday afternoon excursion for genteel yachtspersons.