The Caves
A hidden beauty right under our doorstep!
We lived on the island of Eday in Orkney for about 18 months now. You would think that 18 months is plenty of time to discover the best that this island has to offer and nothing would surprise us anymore! Well - wrong!
Dee at the caves
Today was a May Bank Holiday weekend so we went on an evening walk - it was a late evening, but Orkney sun doesn’t go down at all in summers, so it felt and looked as if it was bright daytime! However, instead of sticking to our usual routes, this (bright) evening we decided to go for a walk “that way” - you know, wondering what lays beyond the known horizon. Normally, this results in us getting stuck in some cow field or behind barbed wire fences but today we were rewarded by a beautiful sandy beach enclosed by picturesque carved-out redstone caves, covered in lush green clusters where various sea birds have nested.
A silhouette in front of a beach scene
What an amazing hidden treasure! I have never seen anything like this before: the golden sand, glistening in today’s sun was beautifully contrasting with various shades of blue of the North Sea, all enclosed by a beautifully clear afternoon sky. Seals were playing in the distant water and birds were flying so close overhead, it felt as though I could raise my hand and touch them. But the best bit were these redstone caves - various nooks and crannies are formed in the solid stone, carved out by centuries of ocean waves and strong winds, exposing the harder rocks behind the surface and creating unexpected shapes and patterns. Needless to say, we were speechless!
Can you believe it was only 200 yards away from our driveway? Right on our doorstep! We just had to run back home and get the dogs so we could show this amazing find to Sam & Charlie! And they really loved it too! I wrote all about their experience here and below is a great video of this beautiful place - watch them have so much doggy fun! We decided to call it “The Caves” (we already have a place we call “The Beach”) and in time, they’ll get so excited to hear these words!
James also took the opportunity to collect some seaweed and (yes, you guessed it!) will try to make some homebrew from it (Seaweed wine?!)! He really is the weird homebrew guy, isn’t he?!
It is also amazing to know that not many people come this way at all, as even on a sunny warm Bank Holiday evening there was no-one else here! This beautiful location is not shown on any tourist brochures as it is not super easily accessible, not close to any amenities and is located at the very end of the main road - a chunk that only us and one of our neighbours use! This is why we’re so excited to show you this hidden beauty!
Below you can see a gallery of this amazing beach and a map showing its location (#1 on the map)!
(Note: the photographs transition every 5 seconds so you can just sit back and enjoy the beautiful scenery of this stunning beach!)
Below you can see a gallery of this amazing beach and a map showing its location (#1 on the map)!
(Note: the photographs transition every 5 seconds so you can just sit back and enjoy the beautiful scenery of this stunning beach!)
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I am really looking forward to sitting down, putting my feet up and having a nice glass of cold ginger beer. Reflecting on today’s find I realise that Eday really is a wonderful place to live. It is so full of wonderful untamed landscapes and we can’t wait to see what we stumble upon next!
