OK, so I'm sitting in a Starbucks in Edinburgh as I write this.  Tomorrow morning I travel by Megabus to Aberdeen.  I will spend the night in Aberdeen and then the next morning will travel by local bus from Aberdeen to Inverness and then from Inverness to Scrabster.  I will catch the 7:00 pm ferry to Stromness and have booked 2 nights at a hostel in Stromness.  This answers the question of cheap travel to Orkney.  Now, my next question is:  is there a tour company that will take me to "all" the archaeological sites?  (I know I can't really do all, but at least all the "big" ones).  I definitely want to do Skara Brae, Maes Howe and the Tomb of Eagles (and yes, I know it's on another island, but I'm REALLY hoping I can get there!) Thank you, Judy, mom to Josh, Eli and ^i^Kerry http://kerry-lujan.virtual-memorials.com http://cerridwyn-lujan-1989-2008.gonetoosoon.org/ "We tend to meet any new situation by reorganizing, and what a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of progress while producing confusion, inefficiency, and demoralization." Gaius Petrionius Arbiter Roman General, First Century A.D.

Geeze Louize.....A starbucks in Edinburgh? haha. Too funny. When I did the Megabus numb bum run twas like this: I arrived at Glasgow early morning, got a cab (weird little black thing) to the bus depot, mounted a bus, and at this point realized that I was committed not to the straight run to Inverness as promised on the internet, but rather on a serpentine zig zag course that fiddled it's way along. I wanted to fly, but that was the year they changed the St. Magnus Festival to june, and all the plane tickets were sold out. Y'a think they'd just put on a night flight rather than wear out all those music seekers. I changed busses before even getting close to Inverness, and of course I changed there to the John O'Groats bus I think. It was leaving Inverness and plowing up those steep seaside hills, that I felt for the first time like I was in a country with some fresh air and scenery. BOuncing around lower Scotland is ok, and sometimes the scenery was nice, but there were people everywhere. The north is so much more open and rural. So I arrived in the morning in Glasgow, got to Orkney same day, and the bus that took us into Kirkwall stopped right beside the Cathedral, which has a huge tie to our family. When I walked down the street to turn the corner and access the front door of the Cathedral, it was as if I had been there before. I left my "stuff" in the entry, and soaked up the magnificent atmosphere in that hallowed old building. Twas a nice way to arrive in Orkney. Can't believe you decided on a hostel. Might be a good idea in the summer for someone, as there would be other folks to talk with, but not likely many locals. I enjoyed the b and b thing, because the people were so engaging, hospitable, and accommodating. The clean comfortable bed etc. was one thing, along with the food, but the friendship was the real thing. Lots of hours talking, with lots of explanations and history, past and present day. Some good laughter and a nice couple nights out as well. Hopping around from island to island is somewhat of a no brainer, because you are sort of committed to the boats...hahaha. Gotta think that in this world at this time, someone on each of those places would have a bed and breakfast, without breaking the bankroll. I went to Kolbein's castle and sat there is a spitting drizzle for hours by myself. I had the outer shell of an expensive 4-way hunting suit, so I was fine. That was a very good experience for me as well. I also went to Papa Stronsay and stayed there for three days. That was a major highlight. I sat in a pub one night, and thought I'd eat something. I ordered haggis and grimbister cheese with fresh berries somewhat like our blackberries. The barmaid thought I had lost it, til it arrived. Then she said, "actually, that looks quite good!" I also visited Rae Phillips' mill, which was a great stop. He is a delightful guy. I stayed a night at that old hotel near the mill on the little lake where people fish brown trout. I sat at the bar one night with an old gentleman from Edinburgh or near there, and he had been fishing for about a week. I was gonna give it a try, but the catch turned out to be, in Canadian terms, more-less bait-fish. Our trout in front of our place here run from four to twenty five pounds. Those little brown trout are hatchery released things, and i didn't see much evidence of lunkers. But the bar there was nice! And the bartender/owner was indeed a character. So, enjoy that trek on the megabuster. Ya might pick up a pillow, and make sure you grab a window seat. North of Inverness, sit on the right hand side. The views over the sea and the hilly lands, are captivating to say the least. On the John O'Groats Ferry, if the weather is ok, it's nice to stand up top making the crossing if only for a short while. And there is a pub in Stromness which has some great Hudson's Bay fur trade era pictures and memorabilia on the walls. forget the name of it, but it is an old hotel on the side of the street that isn't the water side. The Highland Park tour is historic, and their product ranks high in the world. A nice tour. Good luck! Stephen > OK, so I'm sitting in a Starbucks in Edinburgh as I write this. > Tomorrow morning I travel by Megabus to Aberdeen. I will spend the > night in Aberdeen and then the next morning will travel by local > bus from Aberdeen to Inverness and then from Inverness to > Scrabster. I will catch the 7:00 pm ferry to Stromness and have > booked 2 nights at a hostel in Stromness. This answers the > question of cheap travel to Orkney. Now, my next question is: is > there a tour company that will take me to "all" the archaeological > sites? (I know I can't really do all, but at least all the "big" > ones). I definitely want to do Skara Brae, Maes Howe and the Tomb > of Eagles (and yes, I know it's on another island, but I'm REALLY > hoping I can get there!) > > Thank you, > > Judy, mom to Josh, Eli and ^i^Kerry > > http://kerry-lujan.virtual-memorials.com > > http://cerridwyn-lujan-1989-2008.gonetoosoon.org/ > > > > "We tend to meet any new situation by reorganizing, and what a > wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of progress > while producing confusion, inefficiency, and demoralization." > > Gaius Petrionius Arbiter > > Roman General, First Century A.D. > > > > > > _______________________________________ > Orcadia Group Photo Album > http://tinyurl.com/28bx9x > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ORCADIA- > request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes > in the subject and the body of the message >