Deluxe self-catering holiday accommodation on the beautiful island of Sanday in Orkney.
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Wow! We are OK with arriving to laundry and cleaning, but I can honestly say I have never arrived at a change over to be greeted by warm cinnamon buns! Katie, Ally and beautiful family, we love you. Thanks for staying with us ### ps what a shame Jackie Sinclair is away š
Itās always a pleasure to meet people who come every year to stand in the footprints of their ancestors.
The wee girl in the photo is Adair Heitmann who lived in Sanday with her family.
Adairās father was a Minister there for about two years. The family then moved back to the US to Virginia and then settling in Connecticut.
Yesterday I took her and husband Arne back to her family home at the West Manse on the island for the first time in 68 years.
This is why I love what I do, making memories come back to life.
Click on the picture.
We had a planning delegation at Boloquoy today. I think they were worried weād pulled the lot down after my last progress post š. When we explained what were doing in detail we got a very positive reception - not the āHollywood handshakeā Iād hoped for mind you, as there are a couple of forms to fill in for the historic peoples files, but it was constructive and positive and we seem to be appreciated for trying to do the right thing by the place.
Today is Malcolmās 65th birthday and marks the day he started work 50 years ago. Heās worked long hours every single day of that 50 years so he more than deserves a holiday.
So, we're going to go quiet on here for a few weeks. Dave will be handling enquiries and looking after guests and Dexter will be in charge of āmeet and greetā when he learns about personal space. I'll be trying not to open my emails too frequently.
Boloquoy from the air 1996,stooks, stacks and henhouses. We're putting everything we can find together to form a photographic timeline, i've some cracking photos of the last days of the threshing machine and the last crop cut by the binder that I'll keep for the big reveal.
I think we still have that ladder. In the manner of Triggers broom, itās had three sets of new rungs and two pairs of new uprights but itās the very same ladder ;-)
Boloquoy has it all really, here the evidence of ancient structures including a chambered cairn in the Mill pond conservation area (probably destroyed for stone to build the mill lade so not much to be seen today, but I hadn't noticed the ancient structures in the mill park field before ...
Anyone recognise this? Scroll down for the answer
Ned's house, originally on Backaskaill farm - alias Villafield, photo 1978 *approx, with Angus the dog.
We quite often share places that we can recommend to our guests to help them to plan their stay in two or three Orkney locations. We'll share more options later in the autumn to help you book your 2025 Orkney Retreat but for now, have a look at these brand new luxury lodges high on the hill above Kirkwall with spectacular views to take in from the hot tub. We can thoroughly recommend a stop here on route to us or on the way home.
If you find any non-marine wildlife in trouble in Sanday best plan is usually to leave it where it is if possible and contact us as there are a couple of options for wildlife rescue on the island that we can contact, and all wildlife that looks in trouble isnt necessarily.
Here's an update on the shipwreck discovery we shared on this page in early spring. There have been lots of information events and the team have done an outstanding job including the community in practical ways in conserving this significant find.
The wooden structure rose from the sands of Sanday, Orkney, in February.
The final Sanday Soulka weekend of the year is approaching stacked with fun events for everyone to enjoy. Certainly worth one last trip out to Sanday for the weekend. Keep an eye on the Sanday Soulka page for updates.
We've noticed a massive decline in recent years in the number of Bonxies around here. They used to be a massive pain in the , dive bombing you on the beach, now you're lucky to see one.
The current Sanday golf course is 9 holes on the Plain of Fidge which is just beyond Cata Sand. Itās not as well used as it was in days gone by when these photos were taken but bring along your clubs and have a go. Here in Sanday the greens are fenced to keep the cattle off (an extra hazard) and golf is classed as a ādangerous sportā due to the risk of skua attacks.
Finally on the subject of golf, a report courtesy of the Elphinstone family archive of a game played in Sanday in 1700!!
Today some golf competition reports on the Backaskaill links course. Last instalment from the archive tomorrow.
Huge progress at Boloquoy last week thanks to five of the finest blokes you could hope to meet. This gang have been coming over from Ireland for over 20 years to shoot geese and this year they very kindly came over to help us along with the Boloquoy project. Theyāre really put in the hours and done such a beautiful job. As a result weāve got completely new roofs on three outbuildings with only the turfing to do, and almost all the windows and doors in the house. We are delighted with the windows and doors too, theyāre just outstanding quality specially made for us to be exactly the same as the original windows in old photographs by master heritage carpenter Robin Penfold in Derbyshire.
If we have any followers with trades or talents that can give us a week of their time (paid and accommodated) weād be pleased to hear from you.
This weekend, thanks to our guest John Claxton, a bit of history of Golf on Sanday and well worth a read. Today, the establishment of a golf course on the Backaskaill links (which lie between the Bea Loch and Backaskaill bay. There is no longer a course on the Backaskaill links but I wonder if it might be possible to repatriate the ball š¤.
Ps Iāll work out how to share the entire document for anyone interested.
Pps Iāve googled Edward Playfair and a wee bit tempted to ask for our ball back š¤£
Hot news. Adam just checked the footage on the wildlife cams at Boloquoy Mill and we are delighted to now have a resident otter!! Adam says it passed the cam at the same time every night. We hope to unobtrusively follow its adventures.
Planticrue at Boloquoy
Planticrubs (pronounced planticrue here) are historic enclosures used for protecting vegetable plots from the harsh climate and salt spray. Theyāve no entrance, ours has a few steps in the wall. There are still remains of examples on the Holms of Ire and lots around the North Ronaldsay lighthouse in the image I shared recently (historically allocated to each of the crofters).
Ours is the best preserved and most recently used Iāve seen and a last remnant of Boloquoy history that Historic Scotland havenāt yet found and slapped a preservation order on (or death sentence is we like to call them). So, shhh donāt tell them!
Malcom remembers the Drever family growing strawberries in it. Interestingly, I met a chap at the opening of the Mens shed who was a regular visitor to Boloquoy as a child. He had a strong memory of the planticrue strawberry plot. We hope to do the same again soon.
We canāt wait to unpack Boloquoy again. Itās just bursting with sources like this which really make you feel the history of Sanday. These receipts from the 1930s show fluctuations in the value of the Ā£ necessitating a 55% surcharge, and another one shows the introduction of import duty requiring the supplier to withdraw their catalog price list entirely.
And we think we have it tough in 2024.
This is what thousands of geese do to your barley. 6 acres plus - just gone. Fortunately the shooting season is well underway but making very little impact on the plague.
We have a sneaky 3-night weekend availability at Kilnbarn Cottage from 13th - 16th September. Be quick, its very popular and a cheeky wee chillout weekend before winter, and it is bound to be snapped up quickly.
Yesterday the weather Gods were kind and we got the concrete roof off the barn at Boloquoy. Hidden away in the eves we found dozens of boxes of watches and watch parts. Also spotted a pair of golden eagles hunting over the mill.
The Boloquoy mini ponies have had their salon day thanks to stylists Maisie and Sarah. A wee wormer cunningly disguised as an š and thatās them all ready to go out.
Kettletoft Stores, now a shadow of its former self; The Butcher's shop, happily now living its best life as the Sanday Community Craft Hub; and Corses Shop now under conversion to a home again, all replaced by Sinclair General Stores which we built to modernise Sanday retail ten years ago now and sold over a year back. How time flies.
The view from the office moving the cows and changing the bulls today. The cows are kept in small herds and we switch around the bulls from time to time - just incase someoneās not doing his job. No idea why anyone would want to retire from this - although the winter may remind me.
I canāt see anything in Sanday this year but lots of interesting events and always a popular reason for a trip to Orkney. Even a couple of online opportunities.
Today Sanday welcomes Jules and Greg who will be spending a couple of days here mainly blethering to local folk and swimming in some of the best sea swimming spots in the country whilst filming for their new BBC series. Good choice !
Backaskaill, Sanday
Orkney
KW172BA
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Hardly a day goes by without something exciting happening in Sanday. Last weekend Jake and Tracy captured a swarm at the school and theyāve happily installed themselves in a traditional straw woven beehive or āskepā that Jake MADE recently. Weāre all hoping they settle in and survive the winter. What surprises me is how many people have a āit might come in handyā beekeepers suit in a drawer š
Nedās a bit suspicious of new team member āRoboChopā. Iām a bit suspicious too. I suspect by the time it gets the lawn cut itāll be September.
Its World Environment Day! Living, as we are privileged to do, in a beautiful, natural yet fragile corner of our planet we've comitted to look after it as well as we can. Here is how we look after it, and how you can help us š #WorldEnvironmentDay #EnvironmentDay #sustainability #greentoruism #responsibletourism
News from Boloquoy Mill Wildlife Project As part of the Boloquoy project we've been establishing wildlife habitat at Boloquoy Mill Pond with fantastic support from RSPB Orkney and Orkney Wildlife Photography's Adam Hough. Adam's just completed a Bird survey and we're so excited to report that he found lots of great habitats there which had attracted some new species to the area including Curlew, Short Eared Owls and Garganey Ducks among many others enjoying the pond. That's even better than we'd hoped and we're SO looking forward to having a brilliant resource for visitors to Sanday in due course. For now its out of bounds (other than to those on wildlife tours) until we can establish the faciltiies to enable public access without disturbing the wildlife. Photo credits: Orkney Wildlife Photography, RSPB Scotland
Just a little video of my commute to work entertained by the traffic jams on the M25 on the radio.
The Pomona Prefect K34 came to visit us at the weekend on a test run from Stronsay, and we had great pleasure showing Nic and crew around the island. We're really pleased that they're going to be offering trips, charters and transfers this summer. Considering theyāre almost within throwing distance Stronsay folk arenāt well known to us really so itās especially good to be working across the sound with our neighbours and welcoming visitors to a few north isles.
A day of massive rollers - what a breathtaking view in any weather.
Tonightās entertainment on Sanday a charity tractor run comprising I counted 20 tractors all festooned with lights. My favourite the first one. Those reindeer š
Yesterday was a good day for winter prep at Boloquoy boarding up the doors and running roof repairs. Here are some views from the roof of the mill. Weāve refilled the mill pond too. Weāve a cunning plan of which more in due course š
