Two days in Orkney, and sorry to break it to you like this, but we have decided to stay...
Well I would, but you know there are people I am rather fond of waiting for me to come home. Not to mention that in a few weeks' time the weather will probably be so foul I'd be as good as marooned until March (taking into account that I am particularly susceptible to seasickness).
For some, the appeal of a bleak, treeless landscape that throws 140 mph winds at its residents remains an eternal mystery. Yet, there are those for whom the word 'magical' is the only description they can find to sum up the brooding, ancient isles, the quietly spoken, welcoming people and the richness of wildlife and history on offer here in Orkney.
Blessed by a purity of light, air and sound, I too am ensconced in its unique enchantment, and after a day wandering its capital, Kirkwall, and this afternoon in the knowledgable care of Kinlay Francis of Orkney Uncovered, I feel I have a 'peedie' glimpse into the intriguing many-layered identity and mythology of these remote islands.
Kinlay had devised a programme especially to show me the places along the mainland associated with the notorious pirate of Orkney, John Gow, but luckily we had enough time to visit the stone circles of Stenness and Brodgar - possibly older than Stone Henge by a millennium. Gow was amongst the many locals who used these places as meeting places, striking deals through the round hole of the Odin Stone (which sadly no longer exists thanks to a zealous landowner and his dynamite).
My first introduction to John Gow was on Sigurd Towrie's website Orkneyjar, which offers a very sympathetic view of Gow's exploits. However, after reading the account of Gow's exploits given by George Watson, which includes the correspondence between Gow and James Fea when Gow was grounded off Eday. Though it seems Gow was initially successful as a seaman and rose quickly through the ranks, perhaps this rapid rise was his undoing - thinking himself far more capable than he actually was.
In my view, next to Captain Kidd, John Gow was probably one of the most hopeless and hopelessly unlucky pirates ever to be thrust into the public eye - yet the Orcadians seem to love him for it.
His ill-considered, impetuous attempts to seize power from his superiors, his incompetent seamanship that led to his vessel being grounded at a crucial moment, and the ultimate scatty stand-off between Gow and a far more shrewd local landowner, all contributed to his fate: a gibbet at Wapping, where a convicted pirate's corpse would be strung up for three tides as a warning.
Yet, here in Orkney, the peculiar conical Groatie House assembled from ballast seized from his ship is still proudly preserved in the gardens adjoining the Kirkwall Museum, and the myths surrounding the sacred oath given by Gow's sweetheart on the Odin stone, binding her to him eternally - not to mention his other peccadilloes - are still much-told tales.
Jean and Ivan Craigie, current owners of the land where Clestrain Hall stands, kindly allowed us access to the imposing ruins of both the 1769 construction where explorer John Rae was born, and the seaside ruin of the house owned by the well-to-do Honeyman family, which must have looked easy pickings for John Gow as he sailed in from Hoy Sound.
Sir Walter Scott, author of Rob Roy and Ivanhoe, also wrote a three volume tale inspired by Gow. However, the truth of the matter was that Gow's raid on Clestrain Hall is another in his catalogue of misadventures. Cheated of his booty by a quick thinking Mrs Honeyman and her daughter, Gow and his crew ended up with only a few pounds in cash and some silver spoons for their trouble.
After a prolonged and fruitless negotiation seeking help to release his ship, Gow was bundled off in ignominy by James Fea. A few weeks later at the end of March he was holed up in Marshalsea Prison awaiting trial. He was executed on June 11th.
Did the unhappy spirit of Gow blight the fortunes of Clestrain residents in years to come?
The Craigies informed me of other tales surrounding the owners of Clestrain Hall: that in 1758 Laird Honeyman left on a voyage with his young son - but before leaving he buried a chest of treasure in the lea of the old hill dyke and obliged his wife to guard it. They never returned from their voyage - the laird's ship was lost with all hands. His wife died of grief at hearing the news. Their ghosts still haunt the area where the treasure lies buried and a ghostly ship can still be seen by the laird's descendants.
We bid the Craigies a farewell and left them in peace, then Kinlay drove us on, back to Kirkwall, mulling over the tales of ghosts and treasure and wondering at the magnificent ruin of Clestrain Hall which we'd been lucky enough to explore within and even climb a little of its beautiful sandstone spiral staircase.
It has been another day of ideal weather conditions, fascinating stories and stunning views, made all the more wonderful by the generosity and thoughtfulness of the people we encountered.
And yes, that has to be part of the magic of Orkney.
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