A Peedie Bit O' Orkney...

Today, one of Orkney's hidden (and protected) treasures - the tiny Primula Scotica, or Scottish Primrose (but not widely known as that here)... It grows on maritime heaths and cliff-tops, and is pretty much found only in Orkney, Caithness and Northern Sutherland.

As you can see from the photo, it is tiny, and has 2 flowering periods... one in April - May, and its main one right around now. Because of its rarity, you aren't allowed to pick them, or dig them up to transplant... stick to taking photos (if you can actually find one to photograph!).

They're a lovely mauve pink, with golden yellow centre.

A Peedie Bit O' Orkney...

Tonight, a poem for you... credited to Captain Hamish Blair, RN, posted to Scapa Flow during WWII - I guess Scapa Flow wouldn't have been a particularly popular posting, and he certainly made his feelings known!

BLOODY ORKNEY

This bloody town's a bloody cuss
No bloody trains, no bloody bus,
And no one cares for bloody us
In bloody Orkney.

The bloody roads are bloody bad,
The bloody folks are bloody mad,
They'd make the brightest bloody sad,
In bloody Orkney.

All bloody clouds, and bloody rains,
No bloody kerbs, no bloody drains,
The Council's got no bloody brains,
In bloody Orkney.

Everything's so bloody dear,
A bloody bob, for bloody beer,
And is it good? - no bloody fear,
In bloody Orkney.

The bloody 'flicks' are bloody old,
The bloody seats are bloody cold,
You can't get in for bloody gold
In bloody Orkney.

The bloody dances make you smile,
The bloody band is bloody vile,
It only cramps your bloody style,
In bloody Orkney.

No bloody sport, no bloody games,
No bloody fun, the bloody dames
Won't even give their bloody names
In bloody Orkney.

Best bloody place is bloody bed,
With bloody ice on bloody head,
You might as well be bloody dead,
In bloody Orkney.


Trust me, some things at least have changed since then! ;-D

Aircraft carrier HMS Victorious pictured in Scapa Flow during WWII:

More to follow of Orkney's, and particularly Scapa Flow's, wartime history and what remains to be seen today - Including The Churchill Barriers, Italian Chapel, HMS Royal Oak, Scuttling of the German Fleet after WWI... Trust me, it's interesting...