Location, location…..

Our house sits tucked low in the landscape, halfway between the islands ferry terminal at Lyness and the settlement of Longhope in an area of ground named on old maps as Simmary, Norse for Summer or Summery. East facing front gardens benefit from the first rays of a rising sun, on the longest days with the sun high in the sky they keep the sunlight for most of the day, losing it in late afternoon to the shadow of the hill. The rear garden is shadier, courtesy of two old multi stemmed Sycamores that at sometime in the past have been coppiced. Perhaps by a man for firewood or perhaps much earlier in their lives by an escapee Sheep. By mid-afternoon they rob half of the garden of light. A border beneath them has turned out to be the perfect spot for Hosta’s and other shade lovers.

The soil is dark, in places almost a silt, at the most a spit or two deep. Some areas are heavy with stone. Once a working croft digging a hole can be interesting, the worst find a rusting trailer chassis, the best the foundation of a byre, salvaged with a mini-digger and reused as dry stone dykes were rebuilt.

We inherited the Sycamores and an ancient Rowan and to the North edge of the garden a few Sitka and Larch. A small stand of Lodge Pole Pines were lost a couple of years ago when storm Arwen swung in from the North. A shelter belt of Red Alder has been planted, five years on they are already taller than the house. Tough fast growing trees hailing from Canada’s pacific coast, so far so good, shrugging off the worst of the salt laden winds.

Beyond the front garden there’s a field that slopes down to the shore. A project to convert it from monoculture to meadow is underway, three years in the change has been dramatic. Beyond the meadow is North Bay, a haunt of Eiders and Harbour Seals, a bob of twenty or so of the latter hauling out daily onto the rocks thirty feet below the meadow. In Summer Fulmars nest on the low cliff, the adult birds riding the breeze, flying figures of eight on set wings.

At the back walk through the young trees and the moor rises away from you, close to the shelter belt Honeysuckle and Bramble are left to run wild, beyond that a mix of rough grasses newly planted with Alder, Rowan and Whitebeam. As the ground gets steeper Heathers are dominant, ankle high, cropped tight by the wind. Here and there are other species, spikes of Deer Grass and the green tongues of Ferns, wet spots have Cotton Grass. Bright Mosses cover rocks as if poured from a bucket. Bleak and beautiful, a home to Hen Harriers and Mountain Hares.