I stuck my head out first thing to try and get a better sense of where we had anchored. I got little sense at all! With low cloud and drizzle, the view was little better than it had been in the dark the previous evening. With a strong breeze we hoisted the mizzen and staysail as soon as the anchor was up and headed off south towards Rousay. This took us on a circuitous route between the various islands and ensured we had plenty to do trimming the sails. To try and ensure he beat the tide change the skipper also hoisted the main so that we were trundling through the narrow passages between the islands at around 8-9 knots. We then gybed round towards Egilsay (?) and a couple of miles later gybed again towards the jetty at Rousay. The sails came down just off the jetty and we were then treated to a masterclass in ferry gliding gently towards a stone jetty. Judicious use of the throttle and mobile fenders (one person on each) ensured a very gentle landing, just far enough aft on the end of the jetty to allow the ferry to still get in and out. A great day’s sailing even though we had hardly seen any scenery at all! Rousay itself is a fascinating island. Like many of the islands in Orkney it has extensive neolithic remains and is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest. While there are a few jobs in tourism, most inhabitants (around 250 people) work in farming, fishing or fish-farming. The neolithic remains include Bronze Age burnt mounds, Iron Age crannogs and brochs – in fact there is the highest density of these anywhere in Scotland, Viking boat burials, remains of a medieval church and even a stately home at Trumland.
Rustling to Rousay
