A visit to  Sanday

Collingwood travelled north to Sanday in the Orkney Isles in June 1919. On the way he called in to see the collection of birds in the Aberdeen University Museum, but found little of scientific interest to him. The ostensible purpose of the visit was to arrange the sale of his father-in-law’s estate on Mainland, the main island of which Kirkwall is the chief town, but his real purpose was to see the birds on Sanday. After the successful conclusion of his business, he took the Sanday boat from Kirkwall.

Sketch made on the voyage to Sanday

Tafts Ness. Sanday, Orkney Islands, 21 June 1919

For once I was lucky enough to hit upon a good connection and instead of having to wait a day or two at Kirkwall I was able to embark on the Sanday boat within a couple of hours. It was a delicious morning with a cloud-strewn blue sky and sparking sea. Both land and water were chequered with patches of deep shade. Where the latter shallowed over the dazzling white sand it shoe with the brilliant hue of sapphire and turquoise.

           My hosts are kindness itself, doing everything in their power to make me comfortable and feel at home – milk, butter, chickens, fish and an infinite variety of scones are some of the delicacies they offer – and fires, hot water bottle, a sitting room and the best bed are some of the comforts. For some time I persisted in calling these good folk Galilee and it was only today I discovered that their name was really Guthrie and that Galilee was their croft!

Collingwood's photograph of Galilee

Sanday was, as it still is, known for its birds and, at the time of Collingwood’s visit, the RSPB employed a ‘watcher’, William Peace, to help protect them. Collingwood was soon fully occupied with the birds and his sketchbook.

                                                             Oystercatcher