Tag Archives: ferry

Jun 21 2026
Leave a comment
Daily Post, Sport, Transport

The start of the half-marathon

Saturday 20th June 2026, 9.00pm (day 5,413)

Runners and Hurtigruten, 20/6/26

The third ‘midnight sun’ reference in a row, as these people have just set out on Tromsø’s Midnight Sun Half-Marathon. It’s popular, as you can infer from the visible number: apparently there were participants from one hundred different countries this evening. In the background, one of the boats that plies the Hurtigruten ferry route all the way up and down Norway. Somewhere further in the background, Clare, who reappeared at the finish line about three hours later. (Yr. humble blogger does not run, and has not done since his knee became too fragile in about 2008. In all honesty he feels better for just documenting such events these days.)

Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,
Aug 02 2025
3 Comments
Daily Post, Landscape

Farewell to Stromness (early)

Saturday 2nd August 2025, 6.40am (day 5,091)

Stromness morning, 2/8/25

Another landscape, but why not. This was the last view seen of Orkney on this trip, as the 6.30am ferry back to Thurso turned itself around and gave its passengers one final chance to admire the photogenic qualities of Stromness, with the hills of Hoy behind. I would come back here with no qualms at all. Orkney is a great place and there should be more like it.

By a total coincidence, the picture taken ten years ago today was also timed as 6:40am. I remember this because it was another rather fine landscape, captured near the summit of Kilimanjaro on 2nd August 2015.

Tagged , , , , , , , ,
Jul 27 2025
Leave a comment
Daily Post, Landscape

The Old Man of Hoy

Saturday 26th July 2025, 2.20pm (day 5,084)

The Old Man of Hoy is around 450 feet high and probably Britain’s most well-known pillar of rock, thanks in large part to a famous televised climbing of it in the late 1960s. Plenty more people have subsequently made it to the top, including an 8-year-old, who thereby demonstrated more desire and ability to propel themselves up sheer rock faces than I ever will. But the Old Man is not some durable phenomenon. A map drawn in 1750 shows a headland here but no stack. The first known painting of it was completed in 1819 and shows him with two legs, and looking much bulkier. And when he’s seen now — as from the Scrabster to Stromness ferry this afternoon — it does look like the next really big storm will take him down. Will the Old Man last longer than the Old(ish) Man now blogging about him? We’ll take bets…. after all, if I lose, I won’t be around to collect.

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Jan 01 2023
Leave a comment
Daily Post, Transport

The Isle of Man ferry

Friday 30th December 2022, 2.50pm (day 4,145)

Isle of Man ferry, 30/12/22

Off it goes across the Irish Sea, from Heysham, the sea wall of which I was stood on as I took this shot. The Isle of Man has not yet featured on this blog although I am due a visit at some point, to bag its County Top. Maybe next year… there is still time in my life, I feel.

Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,
Aug 16 2022
Leave a comment
Daily Post, Landscape, Transport

The ferry to Árrain Mhór

Monday 15th August 2022, 3.25pm (day 4,008)

Árrain Mhór ferry, 15/8/22

We spent the day on the island of Árrain Mhór, which in Gaelic just means ‘Big Island’. And it is fairly big, maintaining a permanent population of a few hundred, enough to justify a regular ferry service from the mainland, anyway. And here is the 3.30pm boat back to Ireland, coming in reasonably on schedule.

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,
May 17 2015
Leave a comment
Daily Post, Transport

Ferry across the Wye

Saturday 16th May 2015, 7.10pm (day 1,360)

Wye ferry, 16/5/15

The main reason I have headed in this direction this weekend is to attend the preparatory, ‘training’ weekend for my organised trek up Kilimanjaro, which is starting in late July. The weekend was held where England meets Wales at the beauty spot of Symonds Yat, above the Wye valley, another place (like Aberystwyth) that was a) somewhere I’d never been and b) really, rather attractive. This has got to be the most rustic passenger ferry in England. Or, indeed, Wales.

Tagged , , , , , ,