We recently went on a trip to Orkney. Despite it being so close to the mainland, i have never been. We decided to go for a couple of reasons; firstly to see the newly refurbished Pier Arts Centre in Stromness by Reiach & Hall Architects and secondly was because we heard that the old McBrayne ferry is to be replaced with a new modern Catamaran. Pentland Ferries cross from Gill's Bay over to St Margret's Hope on the old McBrayne ferry called the Claymore. This was a bit of a nostalgia trip for Alex as this was the very ferry to used to run between Oban and Barra and so holds many happy memories for him.
After quite a calm crossing we arrived in St Margret's Hope where we got on the bikes and headed for Kirkwall. I cannot say that this was the most enjoyable bike journey- all the way to Kirkwall we had a strong headwind and so it proved to be a bit of a nightmare. Kirkwall was a lovely place though, the buildings are very close together creating narrow streets with no pavement as such, just the large Caithness flagstones which serve as both the road and the pavement. The layout of the streets really encourages interaction and makes for a bustling and lively street-life.
We then carried on toward Stromness, again against the wind although not quite as bad. The countryside is very fertile and as we cycled around the island it became obvious the people are very proud of their Norwegian heritage. We visited the historical sites of Scapa Flow, the water that played a major role in WWI + WWII, The Neolithic settlement of Skara Brae, The Standing Stones of Stenness and The Ring of Brodgar - The area is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
We then arrived at Stromness which again is as charming as Kirkwall. The buildings are typical of a coastal village with their gables onto the sea and the main pedestrian street behind this, sheltered from the wind. The new Pier Arts Centre sits quiet and unassuming next to these traditional stone buildings. The modestly of the extension is possibly the reason it work so well. The interior is a treat of light and deceptively spacious gallery spaces with a fantastic permanent collection.
Above: Barbara Hepworth - Oval Sculpture 1943
Above: Ben Nicholson - painting 1937
The gallery holds paintings of Barbara Hepworth and Ben Nicholson- these paintings are all enlivened with insightful comments from Margaret Gardiner, who was the founder of the gallery and also a personal friend of Hepworth. When we visited there was a visiting exhibition by the Norwegian artist Camilla Low- her collection consisted of geometric concrete sculptures with block primary colours. I loved these- very architectural.
We stayed in a hostel on the Saturday night and then cycled back to the ferry on Sunday..... needless to say we slept very well on Sunday night!
Above: Image of work by Camila Low
Below: Various pictures of the Pier Arts Centre, Stromness
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