Orkney Image Library

Came across this while random rambling and tried to pin down exactly where the puddle is. Mr Cooper has been a bit parsimonious with details to say the least! I'm assuming it's Stronsay - mainly because the wind farm looks like Rothiesholm and a J Cooper of Cleat Cottage, Stronsay, is in the phonebook. But I can't make the rest of the topography fit my map - particularly that abrupt headland top right. Anyway, it's a great picture and quite a sight to see! I'd love to know - was it in the Grey Seal breeding season, how far from the sea were they, and do you see this sort of thing quite a lot Jim? The seals don't seem unduly perturbed by your presence.

Could the abrupt head be the Red Head and the turbines be the ones at Loth on Sanday?

Is that an electric fence? maybe they were just there for kicks... I do remember a young seal that was looked after by a family in Crockness, wee devil was about the house all the time, and ate the hens food, they used to take him doon to the sea but he just followed them back again, it was always barking away at the door, and wid go in the hoose and lay there quite happy..

That makes much more geographic sense Tommy. It's a while since I visited either Stronsay or Sanday, and I'd gorgotten there were wind-turbines at Loth. So we must assume Jim Cooper didn't just step outside his Cottage door to take the photo, but made his way to the opposite end of his island. Come on and tell us all, Mr Cooper!

Middle of Linksness,Stronsay. On Google Earth you can see the fences, ditch and the drinking trough.

The axe head shaped island of Peedie Linga at the top left.

Yes, this is at linksness looking across to Sanday and Eday. Windmills at Loth at the extreme right. The high headland is the Red Head of Eday. Little Linga [ or the peedie holm o' Huip if you are an Orcadian ] can be seen just over the water trough. Usually 5000 seals or more around this farm during the breeding season, all over the fields and in the ditches. Quite funny to walk along a ditch as they always dive when you come along but only enough water to cover their head and their bum sticks up. Probably not safe to say but there used to be thousands of terns here and no seals Sadly the terns have all gone.

Thanks for that info Jim, and everyone. Must try to see that huge congregation of seals before I'm too decrepit. Doubt if their increase and the terns' decline would be directly connected, but I'm no expert. Visited holms of Linga and Huip, on RSPB trips a dozen years ago, and treasure the experience.