Kirkwall. Repeatedly!

All began nicely this morning with a pot of tea, and then the gas cylinder ran out. Admittedly we've been using it for supplemental heating in the uninsulated Kite Wagon as well as tea and cooking! We had planned a slow trundle north over the Churchill Barriers, pausing on Lamb Holm to see what the Orkney Wine Company might offer before achieving Kirkwall and shops, but the idea of going tea-less until 11 when the Wine Company opened its doors was intolerable! We traded possible opening lines for novels beginning 'By the faint glimmer of a dying gas stove' while drinking our tea, then went straight to Kirkwall instead. After various wanderings and directions gas-cylinder-wards by randomly chosen but uniformly friendly and helpful natives, we located (in chronological order) the banks, a local arts shop selling all sorts of hand-made items, book shops, the main Calor dealer and a shop which sold us the remaining map of Orkney which we needed! All missions thus achieved, we went back to the Orkney Wine Company shop where we enjoyed a tasting session, acquired various gifts and some North Ronaldsay sheepskins!
After this we turned north again, passing through Kirkwall again and taking the road for Maes Howe.
We arrived at Maes Howe in due course and parked in a super big space in their car park. So far so good! I hopped out and paused while Anny alighted, and then - oh, drama! Anny fell over the kerb in stepping back and performed quite the most polished and dramatic full-length hurtle to the ground I think I've seen! Leaving the keys in the door lock I hurled myself after her, although I landed tidily and compos mentis on one knee rather than landing on the back of my head and tailbone, and for a minute or two tried the strategy of informing the patient that she was to take her time, all was ok. This worked well. All was not altogether well, however, as a pool of blood was becoming visible under said patient's head. I tried a calm and reassuring tone of voice while saying 'you've cut your head a bit, when you're ready let's get you inside and sit you down safely', which also apparently worked well. Anny got herself on her feet without screams of agony, although dripping gore vividly in all directions, and we tottered the 30 yards or so into the visitor centre. Greeting the receptionist with a request for their first aid kit set the scene nicely and in very short order a chair was produced, their staff first aider summoned forth and I was able to ferret through the gore and decide life threatening injuries had been avoided. To be on the safe side, however, an ambulance was summoned and I had the interesting experience of chasing the ambulance at 60 miles an hour back to Kirkwall and the Balfour Hospital.
X-rays proving nothing had been broken, the offending scalp was given a stitch for safety's sake and we were sent off to enjoy some sunshine. We toddled a few miles back towards Maes Howe at a far lower and less hair-raising speed, then parked up in a nice layby and put the kettle on. Enough for one day! The patient accepted tea, fudge and adopted a lateral posture in her sleeping bag to doze and rest for the remainder of the day. We've had some highly therapeutic creamed rice and are now settling for the night. We'll try for Maes Howe again tomorrow!