The weather held off for us today as we visited the 5000 year old village of Scara Brae. A settlement comprised of some ten stone built buildings situated on the edge of a bay. A reconstructed example gave a really good idea of what they must have looked like when they were inhabited. All internal 'fixtures and fittings' were made of stone slabs - the beds, dressers, cupboards etc. Apparently this site is the best and most northern of its kind. Well worth a visit.After this we had a short walk (3-ish miles) in the surrounding countryside. Lots of birds to spot, including a hen harrier swooping over the grassland looking for voles and whatever other small mammals it could lay its claws on.
And then on to Barony Mills in search of some Bere flour. This is a local speciality and is milled from a variety of barley. This mill is the last water powered mill still working on Orkney and is run by a delightful chappie called Rae Johnson, a fourth generation miller. I had a really enjoyable chat with him about flour related topics: a meeting of bread enthusiasts. I'm going to use the Bere flour to have a go at making some Bannocks.
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