SHAPINSAY

'Shapinsay' is one of the Orkney Islands in Scotland. The main village on the island is Balfour, from which ferries sail to Kirkwall on the Orkney Mainland. The village is dominated by the Scottish Baronial-style Balfour Castle, built in 1848 by the Balfour family who owned Shapinsay and has made their fortune in 18th century India. The castle is now a hotel.
With an area of twelve square miles, Shapinsay is the eighth largest Orkney Island.
Shapinsay is also known for its sea caves and cliffs of its coast, and for birds including pintail, wigeon and shovelers.
Orkney Ferries links Shapinsay to Kirkwall on the Orkney Mainland. Orkney Islands Council is considering the possibility of constructing a tunnel between Shapinsay and Orkney Mainland.^[6]

Contents

History

References

External links

History

One of the earliest Neolithic monuments on Shapinsay is the Mor Stein standing stone, located on the eastern side of the island. Shapinsay is also known for the Iron Age Broch of Burroughston. In more recent times there is the Dishan Tower, built in the 17th century as a dovecote; then after the construction of Balfour Castle, the tower was converted into a saltwater shower building. The former smithy now houses the island's museum.
Quholm in the north east of Shapinsay was the birthplace of the father of American writer Washington Irving, author of Rip van Winkle. Some Orcadians claim a link between the Rip van Winkle story and the local folklore of creatures called trows.^[7]
The prior owners of Shapinsay were the Earls of Wark whose castle stood where the present day Balfour Castle stands. The Warks were expelled from Scotland in the 1200's and their lands were given to the Balfours who were loyal to the Stuart King. They later returned to Scotland and settled in Glasgow. TRH Prince William and Prince Henry descend from the Wark family through their matrilineal great-great-grandmother Frances Work who married The RT. Hon James Burke Roche, 3rd Baron Fermoy.

References

1. 2001 UK Census per List of islands of Scotland
2. Haswell-Smith, Hamish. (2004) ''The Scottish Islands''. Edinburgh. Canongate.
3. Orkney Placenames
4. Ordnance Survey
5. Anderson, Joseph (Ed.) (1893) ''Orkneyinga Saga''. Translated by Jón A. Hjaltalin & Gilbert Goudie. Edinburgh. James Thin and Mercat Press (1990 reprint). ISBN 0-901824-25-9
6. BBC report
7. Orkney trows

External links

★ undiscoveredscotland on Shapinsay