Category Archives: UK Dive Trips

Wednesday 21st October

We gather for breakfast and to watch the weather reports. It is windy and the forecast is for this to stay and then increase further on Thursday. The BBC weather lady points to big white arrows over northern Scotland indicating the strong winds coming our way.

It is calm on the boat whilst in port but the wind would pick up as soon as we leave its shelter. The journey would be lumpier than previous days but the Huskyan could cope. Emily took us through the weather forecast and confirmed the BBC prediction is accurate and it is set to get worse. Thursday’s diving is going to be blown out unless there is a weather miracle.

With everything lashed down we head out into the Flow.

Emily briefs us whilst on the move. Our first dive will be the Markgraf. This is the big, deep, dark one I was too scared to dive last time……

Markgraf

Torpedo Box – Coln

The Markgraf is a Konig class battleship and is almost identical to the Kronprinz Wilhelm. She was launched in 1913 and formed part of the Third Battle Squadron requiring over 1100 men to keep her running. She now rests upside down at a depth of 45 metres with her shallowest depth on the top of the hull at 24 metres.

Displacement           25390 tons

Engine                       3 coal/oil turbines which drove 3 propellers

Length                       175 metres

Top Speed                21 knots

Emily gives us a brief overview of the wreck so we can decide what we want to do so she can focus the briefing accordingly. The options are:

• The Gun Run
• The Stern
• The Bow
• or for the techy boys all of the above!

The Gun Run – Along the side of the ship at about 39 metres is a row of 5.9 inch guns poking out from under the upturned deck. There are 6 of the original 7 still visible and make a nice dive to try and find them. You need to follow the groove where the 12 inch plate has been blown off. Just below, sticking out of the 10 inch armour plating are the guns. This route requires a good eye and enough bottom time

The Bow – The bow is still intact and makes a nice profile in the water

The Stern – The stern is beautifully curved and still has the two magnificent rudders standing proud in the water. Drop down the side of the wreck, keep the wreck on the right, pass the port holes and stay at about 35m. Round the curve of her beautiful bottom and swim up between the rudders.

We opt for the rudders as my buddy did the gun run last time. We follow the careful instructions down the side of the wreck and find the portholes. Maintaining our depth we follow the line of the hull and round the curve of her stern. The huge rudders are standing proud in front of us in the green gloom but are still impressive. We gradually shallow out following the curve of her underside up to the bottom of the hull at around 25 metres. The hull is covered with brittle stars and we watch the large star fish moving along and all the brittle stars moving hurriedly out of the way! We come back to find the shot and ascend slowly back to the surface.

Yay. I survived!

Lyness Museum

After lunch Emily drops us off at Lyness museum. The island is sheltered and the sun has come out so it makes a pleasant stroll. This is a lovely museum which is free (donations gratefully received) and has lots of artefacts covering the role of the area in both wars. Outside are some guns and a propeller from HMS Hampshire that have been recovered and the fencing is made out of submarine netting. There is information about the sinking of the Royal Oak with some interesting photos taken when she was last dived as part of the commemorations.

Our allotted time is up so we wander back to Huskyan to ready ourselves for the next dive.

F2 and YC21

Back aboard we make the very short hop across the water to the F2. It is very close to the Pier and some of the other dive boats have already been here as this is a very sheltered spot and Emily has been specifically saving it for a day like today.

The F2 is a second world war escorts vessel and sits in 18 metres of water on her port side. The area from the bow to the bridge is still intact and recognisable but aft of this the wreck is almost destroyed from blasting. Next to the wreck is a sunken barge that was used when salvaging the deck guns. The story is that they tied the barge to the wreck, loaded on the guns and then went ashore for the night only to find that a storm had pulled the barge under and sunk it!

Displacement           790 tons

Engine                       twin turbines and two propellers.

Length                       76 metres

Top speed                 26 knots

Deck Guns in the Barge Hold

Emily briefs us on the wrecks. She suggests starting on the wooden barge (YC21) to see the deck guns poking out of the hold. If you then stick your head under the deck you can see a work bench with a vice and some shelving. There is a rope that then leads you from the barge to the F2 so you can continue exploring.

The bow of the F2 is very curved and intact and there are anchor capstans and other bits and bobs to see. We did this dive two years ago and it was one of the best for viz and fish life so we are quite excited about diving it again.

We descend the line and the viz is similar to some of the inland dive lakes we normally frequent at weekends. Similar to homemade pea soup! The barge is already busy with divers so getting in to the hold is going to be tricky so I decide not to bother. The guns are visible and I try and take a couple of pictures but the water quality is such that it’s difficult to get a profile shot. We drop over the side of the wreck and admire the wooden hull that is slowly deteriorating and the massive bolts that hold it all together.

After circling the barge we come across the line that leads over to the F2 so we head over. There is lots of fish life on this wreck as it’s shallower than the others we have dived this week. We follow the deck line to the bow with its sweeping curve and then up over the side of the hull. Feeling chilly we find the line and ascend.

Large mugs of tea and warm ginger bread is waiting for us on our return.

Once everyone is back on board the shop opens. This is the lads’ opportunity to purchase something nice for their loved ones who have agreed to them being on holiday while they are left home alone. Emily has created WAG bags which contain an item of jewellery, some locally produced soap and fudge, all put together in a pretty gift bag. This gives the chaps the ability to buy something nice without leaving the dive boat and hopefully recoup some brownie points when they get home. Perfect!

We order our 1-pint tea mugs and I treat myself to a bracelet which is a very slender female diver – I can dream!

Shopping complete the conversation returns to tomorrow’s weather. There has been no weather miracle so diving is blown out. Emily agrees to recheck in the morning and call if anything changes but I get the impression that there is no chance of any change.

We decide that if we aren’t diving tomorrow we should go for a curry blow out so make plans to head in to Kirkwall for the evening.

Thursday 22nd October

Rough weather at Skara Brae

We are woken by the wind and rain battering at the windows. It doesn’t sound very nice out so we plan what to do. The consensus is to head over to Skara Brae, a Neolithic settlement which has been preserved underground for thousands of years and was exposed by a storm in 1850.

Walking to the car I am blown along by a huge gust of wind. Definitely not a day to be out in a boat The drive over to Skara Brae is exciting and when we get out of the car it’s a struggle to open the doors against the weather. We go in to pay to be told the village is closed due to the strong winds. Damn. The exhibition and replica house are still open and the ticket includes entry to Skaill House, home to the man who discovered Skara Brae, so we do this instead. There are lots of interactive displays to keep everyone amused and the replica house and talk is very informative. You get the feeling of how snug these buildings are on such a horrid day.

We head over to the Orkney Brewery for some lunch. Hot pot made with their dark ale followed by sticky toffee pudding is a winner and warms us through nicely. Last stop of the day is the Italian chapel which according to the guide book is open daily all year. It is on the next island which is connected via a Churchill Barrier built as part of the closing off of the flow and was constructed with the help of Italian POWs. The wind is gusting and the waves crashing over the road. A helpful sign warns of cross winds and wave action and another sign advises you that you use the road at your own risk! Hmmmm.

Italian Chapel

As we cross the calm water of the flow is to our left with the angry waves of the open ocean on our right. We cross steadily with wipers going until we reach the other side and the chapel is literally just off to the left.

We park the car sideways on to the wind. I can feel the wind getting underneath and trying to lift it so I re park the car so its head on to the wind hoping this will stop it being flipped. We rattle the chapel door only to find it locked. Damn.

We head back over the barrier and the waves crash over the car. It’s a little bit scary and I am pleased to reach the other side. It is mid-afternoon and the winds aren’t dropping. We check the forecast for Friday and it says it will be less windy so hopefully we will be able to dive.

Friday 23rd October

We wake to a much quieter morning. There is still a breeze and the water in the harbour is choppy but it’s business as usual on Huskyan and Emily is preparing for ropes off at 8.30 as normal.

SMS Konig

Emily has saved the Konig battleship until the end of the week as it is a more broken up wreck but it means you can see things you can’t on the other wrecks. She lays in 40 metres of water upside down with her hull at around 20 metres. Assuming the shot line is where it was before the windy weather we should drop down on the turbine which is massive. Emily shows a picture of her swimming into the hole in the centre of the turbine!

Citadel Wall – Konig

You also have the possibility of seeing the citadel wall that is exposed. This was made from 12-inch steel plate that is fitted together using tongue and groove. Amazing.

The base of one of the deck guns is also visible. It is a gigantic smooth hole where the gun used to sit. There is still a single rudder left which is standing proud of the stern but it is damaged which enables you to see the inner workings.

Displacement           25,388 tons

Engine                       3 oil/coal fired turbines, her three propellers

Length                       175 metres

Top speed                 23 knots

The wind is dropping and the waves getting smaller. We jump in and descend the shot line hoping it is in the correct place. There are other divers milling about at the bottom of the shot so I miss the turbine but we easily find the citadel wall. We swim further along the wreckage until we get to the smooth hole for the gun and then try and make our way back to the shot as we haven’t much bottom time left.

Due to the quality of the briefing we manage to identify most of the things Emily has pointed out so we are happy divers as we ascend the line.

Lunch is a warming chilli followed by FAOC which is delicious. F* Awesome Orange Cake – I can confirm it was awesome!

The 3 people who are flying home tomorrow are keen to get back in the water. They are right on the cusp of whether they can squeeze in the last dive and still meet the no fly time limits so Emily begins the final briefing for this trip.

SMS Coln

Tripod Gun Mount – Coln

We all enjoyed the Coln earlier in the week so we have decided to make this our last dive of the holiday. Emily briefs us on the bow section that we haven’t dived this trip. We will get the opportunity to try and find the torpedo box, gun and torpedo tube which we didn’t get to last time. From there we need to drop down the deck and follow the wreckage and silt past the salvage damage until reaching the more intact bow. This needs bravery and you have to resist the urge to swim back to the ship deck otherwise you will get lost. You will be rewarded with brass triangles on the deck that supported the machine gun tripods and another bigger deck gun. Continue on to the bow to see the anchor still in place. If you have enough bottom time you can then head to the rudder. Tucked under the rudder is the propeller cone and then slowly up to peer in some holes to find the auxiliary steering gears.

Wow. A lot to see and so little bottom time…. we need to be on our toes (fins)!

We are last to jump in the water. As I reach back to take my camera I can see a black strap flapping in front of my eyes. I grab the camera with one hand, hold my mask with the other and swim for the shot and the help of my buddy. Mask firmly secured, camera clipped on we descend for our last dive at Scapa Flow.

Torpedo Tube – Coln

The viz is still really bad with lots of green stuff in the water. It is dark as we get to the wreck but we quickly orientate ourselves and head along the deck line to find the torpedo box. Tick. We cross down the deck to find the gun and torpedo tube and exactly as described I spy a white blob which is the end of the torpedo tube and my buddy spots the gun next to it. Tick.

Now the tricky bit. We want to get to the bow but need to negotiate all the salvage damage so follow the twisted metal and seabed in and out for a few minutes. We are trying to conserve bottom time so are as shallow as we dare be without losing sight of the sea bed. Finally, we come across the mast post and head into the wreck to see the big deck gun and the brass triangles. Tick. Round the bow to see the anchor and onwards, and slightly upwards, to see if we can find the right hole to look in to see the auxiliary steering. We fall at the final test and can’t find the right hole and we are down to 2 minutes bottom time so my buddy signals to deploy our SMB and slowly ascend.

A fantastic dive to finish the week on. Awesome!

With everyone back on board we set back to Stromness and start breaking down our kit and repacking our crates.

The shopping delivery has arrived and WAG bags, t-shirts and hoodies are handed out. Final bills are paid as the boat docks and the handy crane is used to lift everything back off the boat. The only thing left to do now is pack and go down the pub!

It has been a great week of diving and MV Huskyan is a brilliant boat to dive from. It’s a shame the viz has been a little poor but we still got to dive these impressive wrecks and with the help of Emily’s excellent, descriptive briefings we see all the key features.

Thanks to Emily, Ross, MV Huskyan and the OV team for a fantastic week of diving!

Scapa Map – The wrecks OV dived on this trip

Saturday 17th October

After 2 days, 758 miles and an overnight stop in Inverness we finally arrive in Stromness. The journey has been good and we even saw dolphins on the ferry crossing from Scrabster to Stromness.

MV Huskyan

We collected the car, left the ferry and drove round to the quayside for our first look at MV Huskyan. We passed Radiant Queen (our dive boat in 2013) on the way and then saw the new boat…….

Awesome!

She is a VERY big boat.

Emily is waiting for us and we are invited on board to start loading our kit. The handy new crane is used to bring all the techy boys’ cylinders and stages on-board. Crates are lowered and spots on the dive deck chosen. We received a quick briefing on what goes where and which lockers are whose. The full briefing will happen in the morning but for now everything is tidied away and we can now go and settle into the accommodation for the week.

The house is very spacious and Emily has got in a few essentials for us to get us settled in. Room-mates are negotiated, bags unpacked so the only thing left to do is relax and find the pub! Which is actually conveniently located directly opposite the house. Perfect!

Sunday 18th October

We gather on the boat at 8.00 am to finish the last bits of faffing and allow those that flew in to set up their kit. At 8.30 sharp Emily gives us the full boat briefing, dive procedures and most importantly the codes for the post dive drinks order. TM – tea with milk, TMS – tea with milk and sugar! All very easy.

9.10 the ropes are cast off and we set out into the Flow………..

Dresden

Our first dive of the trip is the Dresden. She is a light cruiser launched in April 1917 and went into service in 1918.

Displacement           5,531 tons

Engine                       2 coal/oil fired turbines

Length                       153 metres

Top speed                 28 knots

She was built very close to the end of the war when resources were scarce so was constructed on a bit of a shoe string – no brass or bronze here. She broke down en route to Scapa as a testament to the quality of her build. As a result though, there is very little salvage damage. When the hole was blown in her deck to retrieve the turbines the low quality was discovered and no further salvage was done.

She now rests on her port side at 34 metres and is slowly turning turtle. She is definitely more over than when we saw her 2 years ago.

Emily gives us our first history lesson/briefing. These have been further improved with the use of the Epic Pen! Which means Emily can annotate the wreck drawings and 3D images highlighting exactly what is where. Photographs are then used to show what you are looking for. This is all really useful stuff as the ships are so big, it’s a little dark and you have limited time!

We are to lookout for the deck peeling away from the hull exposing the deck beams, 5.9 inch deck guns and the ship’s crest on the bow.

Gun on the Karlsruhe

We dive as a group of 4 as we are the only recreational divers, mostly on single 15 litre cylinders, in the group, which is fine as the cold generally will finish our dives before lack of bottom time. We had a 30% mix so a reasonable stay at depth.

We descend the stern shot and when we hit about 10 metres someone turns the lights out! I don’t remember it being this dark before.

Every time I equalised my ears water ran in to my mask so when I finally find the wreck at 27 metres I can hardly see. I cleared my mask just for it to slowly refill again. Seeing my gauges and computer is a bit of a struggle so adds to the stress levels somewhat. A wriggle of the hood seems to sort the mask out so I settle into the dive a bit more but not enough to use my camera.

We follow the edge of the wreck which is covered in life. We see the large railings of the bridge and then come to where the deck is peeling away showing all the deck beams like ribs. We reach the bow shot with 80 bar so decide to swim forward a little more to see if we can find the crest. The silt has been kicked up a bit so we may well have passed over the crest but it wasn’t visible to us.

We see crabs, wrasse, velvet swimming crabs, loads of star fish of all shapes and sizes and a sea scorpion sitting perfectly still on the hull. A very nice first dive but a little on the dark side.

Lunch!

Everyone safely back on board, lunch is served. It is pasta which is scrumptious and warming followed by ice cream. Baskets of various decorations and sauces are produced so we can create our own toppings. A bit like being a kid again! Yum.

During our surface interval Emily shouts from the wheel house “WHALE”……… we all run up to the bow to see. We wait patiently and sure enough, in the distance there is a spurt of water and then a dorsal fin…… we think it was a minke whale.

Karlsruhe

Our second dive of the day is the Karlsruhe which is another light cruiser. She was launched in 1916 and built to a higher spec than the Dresden. She lays on her starboard side in 28 metres of water on a slight slope. She is very broken up from the salvage of her engine turbines, condensers, the brass bridge and the cast bronze torpedo tubes.

Displacement           5,354

Engine                       2 coal/oil fired turbines

Top speed                 28 knots

Length                       150.8 metres

During the briefing Emily shares more information about the salvaging of the ships and points out the areas of interest. 5.9 inch guns, anchor capstan and the conning tower. She draws on the maps her suggested route and what to look out for……. fabulous.

We descend the line in our buddy two for this dive. The viz is much better and you could make out the dark shape of the wreck as you descended. I decide to try and get some pictures on this dive. The use of the strobe is still new to me so hopefully by the end of the week I should have some half decent pictures.

Capstan on the Karlsruhe

We see the 3 deck guns and one of the brass plates has been rubbed clean so it shines. We pass round the conning tower, pass the lifeboat davits on the sea bed and along to the capstans. Again we see loads of star fish, crabs, and lots of fish life.

A lovely dive and a great first day.

Monday 19th October 2015

We gather promptly at 8.00 again ready for ropes off at 8.30. There is a slight breeze today so not the flat calm waters we enjoyed yesterday but the Huskyan is still a very smooth sail. It was easy to forget you were on a boat as it’s so spacious and comfortable.

There is some debate on what to dive. The Kronprinz is an option or the Coln. The decider is that the Valkyrie dive boat has got to the Kronprinz first so we decide to dive the Coln.

SMS Coln

The Coln is a light cruiser launched in October 1916. She lays in 35 metres of water on her starboard side, her topside at 20 metres with her bow tip clear of the sea bed. She is still in relatively good condition and has an almost complete range finder still in place on the conning tower.

Displacement           5,531

Engine                       2 sets of coal/oil fired turbines and twin propellers

Length                       155.5 metres

Top Speed                29 knots

Emily once again gives us a very comprehensive briefing. The shot line is tied around a piece of the bridge mid ship and the recommendation is to head to the bow. Following the centre line of the deck there is the bridge structure, conning tower, two gun mounts left after the guns were salvaged, anchor capstans, the hawse chain hole and then over the top to follow the line of the deck back to the shot. If you have enough time and air then forward of the shot is the torpedo box (the only complete one left in Scapa) and diagonally down from there is a smallish gun.

Gun Mounts – Coln

We descend the line in our buddy 2 again and the viz is good. The Coln is a lovely wreck which I enjoyed very much last time we were here. We follow the briefing instructions and head along the centre line of the ship keeping the deck on our left shoulder. The conning tower is huge! The gap between the range finder and the tower top is quite small so having seen the photos during the briefing really helps us identify what we were looking at. The ship is covered in brittle stars….. Everywhere seems to wriggle and writhe with legs, shoals of fish, anemones and more starfish….. Lots of life on these monsters of destruction!

Back aboard another fantastic feast is waiting. Jacket spud, beans and cheese. My favourite! Pudding today is warm ginger cake which is gorgeous.

Warmed up and refuelled we headed to Burra Sound to see one of the block ships. These ships were sunk on purpose to block some of the entrances and exits to Scapa Flow. The main entrances were blocked with chain link metal curtains pulled across by boats but the small gaps were filled with sunken boats or had roads built between them to close the gaps.

Gobernador Bories

We would be diving Gobernador Bories wich was a 2,332 ton steamer that worked as a whaling ship in Chile, Argentina and the Falklands. She was bought by the British Admiralty to sink at Scapa Flow but this didn’t run smoothly and she sank in the wrong place. She now lies on her port side between 13 – 17 metres.

We have to wait for slack water as this area is tidal and we have strict instructions to be ready to jump at 1.55. We could have anything up to an hour in the water before the current starts to run again back out to the Atlantic. The briefing is brief as this is only a small, broken up wreck sitting at about 16 metres but the viz should be excellent. There will be kelp, lots of fish and an intact propeller.

We busy ourselves with kitting up and are obediently ready at 1.55, sitting at on the benches waiting for orders.

Fighting Butterfish

Finally, the signal to jump is given and we drop in to the water, swim for the shot and descend. You can see the sea bed coming into view quite quickly and the green clears to beautiful clear water. The wreck structure is visible but very broken up and there is plenty of fish and crabs. The water feels definitely cooler than this morning. A chilly 11 degrees. Brrrrrr.

We swim slowly towards the stern, picking our way through the kelp, watching the fish and crabs going about their business. I spy 2 butterfish having a fight, trying to bite lumps out of each other. The current is starting to pick up so we peer round the stern to see the propeller and rudder and then retrace our fin kicks to the bow.

Cold getting the better of us we inflate the SMB and gradually make our way to the surface.

A huge mug of tea and cheesy puffs are waiting for us and we then head back to Stromness.

Tuesday 20th October

Kronprinz Wilhelm

Today we will start with the Kronprinz Wilhelm

Displacement           25,388 tons

Engine                       46,000 horsepower turbines, 3 propellers

Length                       175 metres

Top Speed                23 knots

The Kronprinz was a Konig class battleship and sits virtually upturned on the sea bed, resting on her starboard deck at about 38 metres. Her super structure is buried in the seabed but there is a lip that can be swum under to see two of the 10 inch guns, upside down on the sea bed. They are huge. It took 75 men to operate one of these guns and the shells were nearly a ton in weight.

Emily clearly explains the layout and how to find the guns – just follow the shot all the way to the seabed. Head towards the stern and you will find the huge rudders sticking up. There is a lot of salvage damage. The engines, the 5 torpedo tubes and the armoured plating from along the hull edge have all been blown off the ship. So once passed the rudders bear right to follow the line of the hull up to about 15 metres to avoid getting lost in the salvage damage.

Life on the Karlsruhe

I’m sure I we can manage that!

We wait patiently for the techy boys to kit up, clip on their different stages and jump in the water. The boat circles round again and we jump in the water. As instructed we follow the line all the way down, past where it is tied into the wreck down towards the sea bed. We peer under the lip and can see the metal sides of the guns. Another diver is heading towards me and as I turn I realise I have inadvertently swum under the lip down the side of the ship. Eek. It is dark and the viz not at its best so making out what is what is a little tricky even after a fantastic briefing.

We follow the deck line to the stern and are greeted by the huge rudders. Aahh, I remember these! They are still just as impressive even in the limited light that we have. We swim between these huge structures up on to the hull which is covered in white plumose anemones and allows us to shallow out the dive to about 18 metres to properly enjoy the white carpet beneath us. Starting to feeling cold we send up the SMB after 30 minutes and slowly ascend.

Lunch today is a lovely beef curry followed by a choice of banana cake or lemon drizzle cake. Yum. Weight will need to be removed from my BC at this rate!

Brummer

Displacement            4,308 tons

Engine                       twin turbine

Length                        139 metres

Top Speed                34 knots

The Brummer was a fast mine layer launched in 1915. As a mine layer she was constructed longer, thinner and lighter than the cruisers and could carry 360 mines. The mines were rolled off the back of the ship in trolleys which became the mine’s anchor and the mine itself would then float up and become operational. She was armed but not as heavily as the other ships as she was never intended to be in the thick of fighting. More a nip in, drop mines, nip out kinda boat. She was also a sneaky ship with a mast that could be lowered to mimic the silhouette of the Aurora, a British ship – I remember this from the briefing 2 years ago.

Her lighter construction means she has deteriorated more than some of the other wrecks. She now rests on her starboard side at 36m with the side of her hull at 24m. The deck is slowly peeling away and only held in place by the capstans on the bow. The key things to look out for are a deck gun, the bridge structure, the conning tower upside down on the sea bed and an iris from the large flash lights used to open and close the light for signalling – I also remember we found this by chance last time.

Life on the Karlsruhe

We kit up and wait patiently again for the techy boys to attach all their bits and bobs. I sit marvelling at the amount of kit one diver can carry and pondered whether it is worth all that extra faff. Finally it is our buddy 3’s turn and we wait for the shout to giant stride in to the water. Splash. Splash. Splash….. Followed by furious paddling back again to collect my camera being passed down to me. By the time I get to the shot line I am out of puff.

We are a buddy three as another buddy pair had a couple of problems with their ascents on the last dive so one of our divers is taking a well-earned rest. We descend the line slowly, stopping to check our new buddy’s cuff dump is now working correctly and then continue down the line.

Dark, dark, dark!

We are about 1.5 – 2 metres above the wreck before we can see it. We can see the techy boys’ torches flicking around below us. We follow the deck line with the wreck on our right looking for the gun. Fin. Fin. Fin. We must have missed it. Eventually we turn back towards the shot and the bridge structure. Just as we are getting low on bottom time the iris comes in to view. I try to take a couple of rushed pictures and then we head up trying to shallow the dive. The edge of the deck is at about 25 metres so didn’t help overly with buying back some bottom time. We hit 2 mins remaining so signal to ascend.

Post dive snacks!

Back on board there is cheese and biscuits waiting with some rather tasty local cheeses.

As we sail back to Stromness the conversation turns to the weather. We are due to have some bad weather but the forecast keeps moving when it will arrive. It is now looking like Thursday could be at risk from the weather gods. Emily says she will keep us informed as things can change very quickly up here.

We will have to wait and see……