Today I woke up earlier than I wanted, faffed around not doing much then went out to see Kirkwall. It was nice. I went along the seafront, looked at the boats, met three cormorants sitting on the slipway and then got rained on. I've had these boots for about eighteen months and never ever have they leaked in the rain before. They had sloshing puddles inside! I came back to the hostel to dry out and have some food and stayed in all afternoon, getting up occasio...

I woke up this morning - after not really having slept - to a dark and very windy island. I packed and watched the Hoobs until 8, the time I'd booked for breakfast, then went downstairs to sit on my own in the bar and wonder how it all worked. The manager appeared at last and offered me tea or coffee, then a choice of things that come in a bowl, like cereal or porridge or yoghurt. I had some cornflakes and having turned down any sort of cooker breakfast he made...

My first impression of Kirkwall is that I don't like it very much. I left home at 8am to make sure I had plenty of time to catch the 8.55 train. Good thing I did too because it was replaced by an 8.38 bus because of engineering works. That bus got me to Bournemouth to join the train I would have been on and got me into Southampton airport in plenty of time. I had some toast - with added salt in the butter - and orange juice while I finished off Touching the V...