Shamrock Report 5

Yesterday in Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, Scotland, six of us went went to Balfour Castle on the Island of Shampinsay. It was a very good excursion. It was only too bad that we didn't have a sunny and a bit warmer day.

We left the pier for the short bus ride to the ferry terminal in town. When we arrived at the pier, for the second time on this trip, the Olympic flame was being carried by a runner through the port at which we were stopped. (The first time was in Dublin.) After racing off the bus to photograph this, we embarked on a small ferry for the 20-30 minute ride to the Island of Shapinsay. There were only two groups that went on this excursion -- about 70 people -- so it was very nice not having crowds around. As we were leaving the ferry there was a seal in the harbor to greet us.

Our guides escorted us from the harbor to the Castle, where a representative of the Henderson family met us out front and discussed some of the history. The guide described the Castle as a "calendar" house with 365 panes of glass, 12 doors to the outside, 52 rooms, and 7 turrets. We didn't count the panes to verify. It was built in 1848, and still has much of its original furniture and other furnishings. There are no trees in the Orkney islands so while the Balfours were in Italy buying furnishings for the house they made sure the purchases where sent in wooden crates that then were used for the ceilings, staircase and trim. Very resourceful!

Our guide took us on a tour around the Castle, which is still inhabited by the owners at certain times of the year, and rooms are rented out at other times. The cost of renting the castle for a week with its 9 bedrooms for up to 18 people is approximately 16,000 pounds, and even one couple can rent it for the same amount if they want complete privacy. That does not include food or drink. Food by an award-winning French chef is 150 pounds per person per day. Drink is separate.

As part of the tour, we had an Orkney home-baked tea, which was wonderful. Several terrific sweet breads were served with the tea, and each of us was given a delicious scone covered with jam and whipped cream.

After tea, we continued wandering around the house and then, walking around the walled gardens that not only have some beautiful flowers and plants, but also supply Balfour with homegrown produce. All-and-all, a very nice morning.

We returned to the Voyager around 2 PM, but of course they had kept La Veranda open for us to have lunch. After lunch, Gail went back into town to get a few gifts, I worked on the computer, and then it was ready for Trivia. We missed winning by one question. Then, since some of us had so many onboard credits, we stayed to play Bingo, which cost, but also pays out to winners. None of us won.

Dinner was okay. I actually found it difficult to find a main course I wanted, so I picked an entree from one of the other restaurants--this option is offered each day with a couple of choices. I chose rack of lamb, which was good, but for some reason my plate was cold, and it had quickly cooled down my food.

During dinner, the Captain interrupted (which is extremely rare) to tell us that he anticipated that rough seas would begin about 8 PM and therefore we should be prepared. It meant that they also canceled the show that night, which was "La Cirque." It is a bit like Cirque du Soleil and involves aerialists, so that they cannot perform in rough seas. We had planned on going to the show, but since it was canceled, we turned in relatively early. We gained an hour overnight as we headed for Reykjavik. The seas did get progressively rough as the evening and night progressed, and we are still rocking and rolling, though we've been in much worse seas.

Here are some photos:


Kirkwall Harbor


Sheila and Gail dressed like twins. Several of us were clicking away with our cameras, and we are sure bystanders were wondering who the celebrities were!


Olympic flag in Kirkwall


Balfour Castle seen as we walked from the ferry.


Otter Coat of Arms (otters)


One of the most beautiful of the Castle's rooms


Sheila and Ngaire in one of the rooms available for booking


Billiards room. I thought that the light fixture was neat.