Jump to content

Shapinsay

Coordinates:59°03′N2°53′W/ 59.050°N 2.883°W/59.050; -2.883
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Shapinsay
ScotsnameShapinsee[1]
Old NorsenameHjálpandisey
Meaning of namePossibly Old Norse for 'helpful island' or 'judge's island'
Cannon decorate the quayside of Balfour Harbour on Shapinsay, the round tower in the background is The Douche
Cannon decorate the quayside of Balfour Harbour on Shapinsay, the round tower in the background isThe Douche
Location
Shapinsay is located in Orkney Islands
Shapinsay
Shapinsay
Shapinsay shown within Orkney
OS grid referenceHY505179
Coordinates59°03′N2°53′W/ 59.05°N 2.88°W/59.05; -2.88
Physical geography
Island groupOrkney
Area2,948 hectares (11.4 sq mi)
Area rank29 [2]
Highest elevationWard Hill 64 metres (210 ft)
Administration
Council areaOrkney Islands
CountryScotland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Demographics
Population307[3]
Population rank27 [2]
Population density10.4 people/km2[3][4]
Largest settlementBalfour
Lymphad
References[4][5][6][7][8]

Shapinsay(/ˈʃæpɪnziː/,Scots:Shapinsee) is one of theOrkney Islandsoff the north coast of mainland Scotland. With an area of 29.5 square kilometres (11.4 sq mi), it is the eighth largest island in theOrkney archipelago.It is low-lying and, with abedrockformed fromOld Red Sandstoneoverlain byboulder clay,fertile, causing most of the area to be used for farming. Shapinsay has twonature reservesand is notable for its bird life.Balfour Castle,built in theScottish Baronial style,is one of the island's most prominent features, a reminder of the Balfour family's domination of Shapinsay during the 18th and 19th centuries; the Balfours transformed life on the island by introducing new agricultural techniques. Other landmarks include astanding stone,anIron Agebroch,asouterrainand a salt-water shower.

There is one village on the island,Balfour,from whichroll-on/roll-off car ferriessail toKirkwallon theOrkney Mainland.At the 2011 census, Shapinsay had a population of 307. The economy of the island is primarily based on agriculture with the exception of a few small businesses that are largely tourism-related. A community-ownedwind turbinewas constructed in 2011. The island has a primary school but, in part due to improving transport links withmainland Orkney,no longer has a secondary school. Shapinsay's long history has given rise to variousfolk tales.

Etymology

[edit]

Unlike most of the larger Orkney islands, the derivation of the name 'Shapinsay' is not obvious. The final 'ay' is from theOld Norseforisland,but the first two syllables are more difficult to interpret. Haswell-Smith suggests the root may behjalpandis-øy(helpful island) owing to the presence of a good harbour, although anchorages are plentiful in thearchipelago.[4]The first written record dates from 1375 in a reference toScalpandisay,which may suggest a derivation fromJudge's island.Another suggestion isHyalpandi's island,although no one of that name is known to be associated with Shapinsay.[5]Blaeu's1654Atlas Novusincludes a map of the island and names itSiapansa Oy,but the descriptive text lists it asShapinsa.[9]

History

[edit]

Early history

[edit]
TheMor Steinstanding stone

Standing stones show evidence of the island's human occupation sinceNeolithictimes. According toTacitus,the Roman generalAgricolasubdued the inhabitants of the Orkney Islands, and a local legend holds that he landed on Shapinsay. During the 18th century, a croft namedGrukaltywas renamedAgricola(which is also Latin for "farmer" ). Roman coins have been found on Shapinsay, but they may have been brought to the island by traders.[10][11]

Shapinsay is mentioned in theNorse sagas:The Saga of Haakon Haakonssonstates thatHaakon IV of Norwayanchored in Elwick Bay before sailing south to eventual defeat at theBattle of Largs.[4]

Timothy Pont’s map of Orkney and Shetland that appeared inBlaeu'sAtlas of Scotland.Pont created the map at some point between 1608 and 1614.[12][13]

Atlas Novusincluded a map and various descriptions of the island. The harbour at Elwick is described as “quite commodious”, and the dwelling of “Sound” is praised.[14]The estate of Sound, which covered the western part of the island, had passed from the Tulloch family to the Buchanan family in 1627. John Buchanan was a royal servant and his wifeMargaret Hartsydewas from a Kirkwall family.[15]In 1674, Arthur Buchanan built the new house of Sound, which was situated 250 metres west of whereBalfour Castlenow stands.[16]The atlas’s description of Orkney by Walter Stewart then goes on to note that Shapinsay had oneministerat the time.[14][17]

18th century

[edit]
Graveyard on Shapinsay, including the burial aisle of the Balfour family

The 18th century saw the beginnings ofchange to agricultureon Shapinsay, courtesy of the Balfour family. Arthur Buchanan’s granddaughter married James Fea, who supported theJacobite rising of 1715;his house was burned byHanoveriantroops in revenge. The estate was acquired by Andrew Ross, Stewart Depute in Orkney of theEarl of Morton[Note 1]and Ross's heirs, the Lindsay brothers, sold the estate to Thomas Balfour in 1782.[10][19]Balfour had previously rented the Bu ofBurray,a large manor farm on another Orkney island, but had insufficient wealth to acquire the estate even though his wife received a large inheritance from her brother. To raise the necessary funds of £1,250, Balfour sold his military commission and borrowed from his brother.[19]Once installed on the island, Balfour built a new house, Cliffdale, and founded the village of Shoreside, now known asBalfour.He also reformed the local agriculture, enclosing fields and constructing farm buildings.[20]

The last person to be executed in Orkney was Marjory Meason, a native of Shapinsay, in 1728. She was a young servant who was hanged in Kirkwall for the murder of a child. The execution is recorded as requiring 24 armed men, not including officers, and costing £15 8s.[10]

During this period, burningkelpwas a mainstay of the island economy. More than 3,048tonnes(3,000long tons) of burned seaweed were produced per annum to makesoda ash,bringing in £20,000 for the inhabitants.[4]Thomas Balfour's income from the kelp industry brought him four times the income that farming did.[21]

19th century

[edit]
The remains of Shapinsay gas works

The 19th century saw radical change in Shapinsay. Thomas Balfour's grandson, David Balfour, transformed the island after inheriting the family estate, which by 1846 encompassed the whole of Shapinsay. Most of the land was divided into fields of 4 hectares (10 acres),[22]a feature still apparent today.[6]Tenants were required toencloseand drain the land or pay for the estate to do it in the form of a surcharge added to their rents. In 1846, 303 hectares (1.17 sq mi) on Shapinsay consisted of arable land. By 1860, that had trebled to more than 890.3 hectares (3.44 sq mi).[22]New crops and breeds of cattle and sheep were also introduced.[10]Balfour's reforms were described as "the fountain and origin" of Orkney improvement.[23]

Thomas Balfour had enemies amongst the Orkney establishment, and one of them described his attempts in disparaging language.[Note 2]Thomson notes that the wholesale clearance of cottars from their land and re-settlement in the planned village turned them into estate employees, which may not have been seen by them as a “change for the better”.[20]The process by which his son David came to own the whole island was also part of a controversial process ofenclosure.At the beginning of the 19th century, 45% of all Orkney and fully 2,956 acres of Shapinsay wascommon land.[24]Today, only 624 acres of commons remains throughout Orkney.[25]This process ofclearanceand enclosure, common throughout Scotland at this time,[26]was accompanied by an estrangement between landowner and tenants. For example, Thomas Balfour went to thegrammar schoolin Kirkwall as had his father before him, but two of his sons were educated at the prestigiousHarrow Schoolin southern England.[27]The power of the landowners is suggested by an incident during his grandson David's period of ownership. Variouschurch elderscomplained about what they considered to be immoral behaviour at a social event (men were allowed to dance with women) so Balfour had them evicted from the island.[28]

David Balfour also gave the island its most noticeable landmark when he recruited anEdinburgharchitect,David Bryce,to transform Cliffdale House into theScottish BaronialBalfour Castle.[29][30]Other buildings he added to the island include the porter's lodge (now apublic housecalled The Gatehouse), a water mill, a school, and a gasworks that remained operational until the 1920s.[10]The gasworks is in the form of a round tower with a corbelled parapet of red brick and carved stones—including one possibly removed fromNoltland CastleonWestray,which is inscribed with the year 1725. The structure appears to be fortified, in accordance with Balfour's intention to give the village a medieval appearance.[31][32]David Balfour was also responsible for the construction ofMill Dam,a wetland which was once thewater supplyfor the mill and is now anRSPBnature reserve.[10]

Fishing forherringandcodgrew in importance during the 19th century. Herring fishing was expanding generally in Scotland at that time, with fishing stations being set up in remote areas. Herring fishing began in 1814 onStronsayand soon spread throughout the Orkney Islands.[33]By the middle of the century, Shapinsay had 50 herring boats.[34]Cod became important largely because theNapoleonic Warsforced English fishing boats to fish further north. Local fishermen, who had been catching fish using lines from small boats for centuries, begantrawlingfor cod, though fishing was largely a part-time venture.[35]Helliar Holm's beaches were used to dry both herring and cod after they had been salted. With the end of the Napoleonic Wars, which led to cheaper sources ofsoda ashbecoming available from continental Europe, the kelp industry collapsed by 1830.[10]This collapse fueled agricultural reform, ascroftersaccustomed to earning a second income had to now earn more from farming.[35]

20th century

[edit]
Elwick, looking across the town square

Orkney was a strategic site during both World Wars. In 1917, during the First World War, the 836-tonne (823-long-ton)Swiftsurewas hit by a mine 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) east of Haco's Ness and sank in 19 metres (62 ft) of water with the loss of a single life. The site of the wreck was not discovered until 1997.[36]

The Balfour estate sold its farms on Shapinsay between 1924 and 1928. This was a common occurrence in Orkney at the time as wealthy landowners moved to more lucrative forms of investment. Farms were generally sold to the sitting tenant or to their neighbours who wished to expand.[37]

During the Second World War, gun batteries were built on the island. A twinsix pounderemplacement at Galtness Battery on the coast at Salt Ness protected the Wide Firth from Germantorpedo boats.A Castle Battery was operational from 1941 to 1943, as was an anti-aircraft battery.[10]

Mechanised implements came to the island, particularly after the Second World War, and the amount of land given over to growing grass increased. The growing of grain (with the exception ofbarley) andturnipssteadily declined as these were replaced as winter fodder for livestock bysilage,usually harvested by mechanicalforage harvesters.[Note 3]The trend towards moreintensive farmingbegan to be partially reversed by the end of the century as more environmentally friendly practices were encouraged by government andEuropean Uniongrants. Some of the land is managed under a Habitat Creation Scheme, which aims to encourage natural vegetation, wild flowers and nesting birds by limiting grazing and reducing the use of chemical fertilisers.[39]

Mains electricityarrived on Shapinsay in the 1970s, when an underwater cable was laid from Kirkwall.[40]Tourism became important in the latter half of the century; the first restaurant to incorporatebed and breakfastfacilities opened in 1980.[40]Before 1995, the island had a secondary school but lost this because of falling enrolment and improved transport links with Kirkwall, to where Shapinsay secondary pupils now travel.[40]The shorter ferry crossing times enabled Shapinsay residents to work in Kirkwall, making it a "commuter isle".[41]

Geography

[edit]
Lairo Water and ayre

With an area of 2,948 hectares (11 sq mi), Shapinsay is the 8th largest Orkney island and the 29th largestScottish island.The highest point of Ward Hill is 64 metres (210 ft) above sea level.[4]The east coast is composed of low cliffs and has several sea caves, including thegeoat the extreme northern tip known asGeo of Ork.[10]Elwick Bay is a sheltered anchorage on the south coast, facing the Orkney mainland; the island's largest settlement, Balfour, is at the western end of the bay.[6]When seen from the air Shapinsay’s square ten-acre fields and straight roads are an obvious feature of the landscape. These are the result of David Balfour’s 19th century “improvments”.[42][6]

The island has severalayres,orstorm beaches,which form narrow spits ofshingleor sand cutting across the landward and seaward ends of shallow bays. They can sometimes cut off a body of water from the sea, forming shallow freshwaterlochsknown as oyces.[43][44]Examples includeVasa Lochand Lairo Water.[45]

There are several small islands in the vicinity including Broad Shoal, Grass Holm and Skerry of Vasa.Helliar Holmis atidalisletat the eastern entrance to the main harbour at Balfour; it has a smalllighthouseand a ruinedbroch.The String, a stretch of water that lies between Helliar Holm and the mainland, has strong tidal currents.[4]

Sea stackon the east coast at Lingavi Geo

Shapinsay has abedrockformed fromOld Red Sandstone,which is approximately 400 million years old and was laid down in theDevonianperiod. These thick deposits accumulated as earlierSilurianrocks, uplifted by the formation ofPangaea,eroded and then deposited into river deltas. The freshwaterLake Orcadieexisted on the edges of theseerodingmountains, stretching fromShetlandto the southernMoray Firth.[46]The composition of Shapinsay is mostly of theRousayflagstone group from the Lower Middle Devonian, with some Eday flagstone in the southeast formed in wetter conditions during the later Upper Devonian. The latter is regarded as a better quality building material than the former.[4]At Haco's Ness in the south east corner of the island is a small outcrop of amygdaloidaldiabase.The island is overlain with a fertile layer of boulder clay formed during thePleistoceneglaciations.[10][47][48]

Flora and fauna

[edit]
Many of the farms havered hot pokers,which bloom in June.

The island's bird life is rich in waders such ascurlewandredshank,found atThe OuseandVeantro Bay,and gull andterncolonies on the rockier shores and cliffs.Pintail,shovelersandwhooper swansare regular summer visitors, and there are breeding populations ofshelducks,hen harriersandArctic skuas.[49]There is an introduced population ofred-legged partridges.[50]Otterscan be seen at the Ouse, Lairo Water and Vasa Loch, and at various places around the coast along withcommon sealsandAtlantic grey seals.[51]The island has aRSPB reserve at Mill Dam[52]and aScottish Wildlife Trustreserve at Holm of Burghlee in the southeast.[53][42]Mill Dam is home to thegreat yellow bumblebee,one of the rarest bumblebees in the UK.[52][54]

Shapinsay has very few stands of trees. The two largest are on the grounds of Balfour Castle and the southwest shore of Loch of Westhill 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) to the north.[6]The coastlines of Orkney’s islands, including Shapinsay, are well-known for their abundant and colourful spring and summer flowers includingsea aster,sea squill,sea thrift,common sea-lavender,bellandcommon heather.[55]ThelichenMelaspilea interjecta,which isendemicto Scotland, is found in only three locations, including Shapinsay.[56][57]

Demography

[edit]
Year Pop. Year Pop.
1798 730 1911 718
1841 935 1921 624
1851 899 1931 584
1861 973 1951 487
1871 949 1961 346
1881 974 1981 345
1891 903 1991 322
1901 769 2001 300
2011 307

The highest recorded population for Shapinsay is 974, in 1881. Since then, the population of the island has steadily declined; less than a third of that number was recorded in the 2001 census. The rate of absolute population loss was lower in the last decades of the 20th century than it had been in the first half of that century. In 2001, Shapinsay had a population of 300, a decline of 6.8% from 322 in 1991. This was greater than the population decline for Orkney overall in the same period, which was 1.9%. However, the loss in population on Shapinsay was less than that experienced by most Orkney islands, most of which experienced declines of more than 10%. The number of persons per hectare on Shapinsay was 0.1, similar to the 0.2 persons per hectare across Orkney.[58][59]At the time of the2011 censusthe usually resident population had increased to 307.[3]During the same periodScottish islandpopulations as a whole grew by 4% to 103,702.[60]

Of the island's 300 inhabitants recorded in 2001, 283 were born in the United Kingdom (227 in Scotland and 56 in England). Seventeen were born outside the United Kingdom (four elsewhere in Europe, four in Asia, four in North America, one in South America and four in Oceania). By age group, 85 of the inhabitants were under 30 years of age, 134 were aged between 30 and 59, and 71 were age 60 and over.[61]

Notable buildings

[edit]
Balfour Castle

Balfour Castle dominates views of the southwest of the island and can be seen from the tower ofSt. Magnus Cathedralin Kirkwall. The castle library features a secret passage hidden behind a false set of bookshelves. The Balfours escaped unwelcome visitors through this passageway, which leads to the conservatory door. Another feature of the castle is the stags' heads with gaslights at the tips of their antlers, although these are no longer used as working lights. The castle grounds feature deciduous woodland (now rare in Orkney) and 2 acres (8,100 m2) of walled gardens.[62]Though built around an older structure that dates at least from the 18th century, the present castle was built in 1847, commissioned by Colonel David Balfour, and designed by Edinburgh architectDavid Bryce.[29][30]

Other buildings constructed by David Balfour include the Dishan Tower, known locally asThe Douche.This is a saltwater shower building with adovecoteon top. A local landmark due to its high visibility when approaching the island by sea, the building is now in a serious state of disrepair, the roof having collapsed.[63]

Burroughston Broch

A more ancient dwelling on Shapinsay is the Iron Age Broch ofBurroughston.David Balfour arranged for the site to be excavated by the archaeologistsGeorge Petrieand Sir William Dryden in 1861.[Note 4]The site was neglected after the excavation, slowly filling up with vegetation and rubble before being cleared in 1994.[64]Only the interior of this partially buried building has been excavated, allowing visitors to look down into the broch from the surrounding mound. The survivingdrystonewalls rise to about three metres (10 ft) and are more than four metres (13 ft) thick in some places.[65]

Shapinsay Heritage Centre is located in Balfour's former smithy, along with a craft shop and a cafe. The castle's former gatehouse is now the village public house.[56]

Economy

[edit]

In common with the other Orkney islands, Shapinsay is fertile agricultural land, with farms specialising in beef and lamb which export thousands of cattle and sheep annually.[51][66]Shapinsay has an active agricultural association which hosts an annual agricultural show, as well as other regular events.[67]

The Shapinsaydevelopment trusthas created a community plan for the island and owns a wind turbine, which was erected in August 2011 after the community voted for its construction.[68]According to the development trust, the turbine could earn more than £5 million during its 25-year lifetime.[69]In 2022-23 Shapinsay Renewables Ltd., which operates the wind turbine, made a gift aid payment of just under £134,000 to the development trust.[70]In both 2022 and 2023 the Development Trust received funding to develop affordable rental housing on the island[71][72]and in 2023 they also opened a newly refurbished heritage centre and cafe.[73]

Small businesses on Shapinsay include ajamandchutneymanufacturer, which uses traditional methods.[74]Balfour Castlewas run as a hotel by the family of Captain Tadeusz Zawadzki, aPolishcavalry officer, but is now in use as a private house.[75]There is a salmonfish farmoff Shapinsay.[76]

Transport

[edit]

Orkney Ferriesprovides transport for pedestrians and vehicles, proximity toKirkwallpermitting closer contacts with the Orkney Mainland than is possible for most of the other North Isles. There are six crossings per day, the journey lasting about 25 minutes.[77][41]Between 1893 and 1964, the island was served by the steamerIonawhich was originally owned by John Reid and purchased by William Dennison in 1914. After 1964, the convertedtrawlerKlydon [78]and then theClytus,an exClydepilot vessel operated by the government-owned Orkney Islands Shipping Company[79]ran on this service. The current ferry is theMVShapinsaywhich docks at the slipway at Balfour on arrival.[80][81]Orkney is to trial two electric ferries after Artemis Technologies, based inBelfast,were awarded more than £15m of funding by the UK government's Zero Emission Vessels and Infrastructure Fund in 2023. One of the vessels will ferry passengers from Kirkwall, to Shapinsay and the nearby islands ofRousay,EgilsayandWyre.[82]The Orkney Islands Council has also considered building a tunnel to the Orkney Mainland.[83]

The pier atBalfour

The development trust offers electric bicycles for hire[84]and operates 3 electric vehicles which are available to residents, community groups on the island and visitors.[85]

Education and culture

[edit]

Shapinsay has a primary school, which in the 2022-23 academic year had 23 pupils.[86]The school doubles as a community centre and is host to a learning centre supported by theUHI Millennium Institute.This centre uses the internet, email and video-conferencing to allow students in Shapinsay to study without leaving the island.[87]

In December 2006, the pupils staged a joint Christmas show with a school inGrinder, Norway,875 kilometres (544 mi) from Shapinsay. The schools used the internet to collaborate, supported byBT Group(BT), which upgraded the school's broadband connection. The finale of the show involved the Norwegian pupils singingAway in a Mangerin English while the Shapinsay pupils responded withEn Stjerne Skinner I Nattin Norwegian. This multilingual collaboration was somewhat easier for the Grinder pupils, who are taught English from the age of six.[88]This collaboration was part of an ongoing relationship between the schools, whose children exchange letters and cards. Shapinsay school's headteacher has visited the Norwegian school, and there are plans for a reciprocal visit in 2008.[89]

Shapinsay Community School has gained a Silver Award under the internationalEco-Schoolsprogramme. School pupils have carried out an energy audit, helped to plant more than 600 trees close to the school and carried out energy saving campaigns.[90][91]Shapinsay pupils have also won an award from the Scottish Crofters Commission for producing a booklet oncroftingon the island.[92]

Folklore

[edit]

Cubbie Roo, the best known Orcadiangiant,has a presence on Shapinsay. He was originally based on the historical figureKolbein Hrúga,who built Cubbie Roo's Castle in 1150 on the isle ofWyre,which is possibly the oldestcastlein Scotland, and was mentioned in theOrkneyinga Saga.[4]The figure Cubbie Roo has departed far from his historical origins and has become a giant in the fashion thatFinn MacCool(legendary builder of theGiant's Causeway) has in parts of Scotland and Ireland. He is said to have lived on the island of Wyre and used Orkney's islands as stepping stones. Many large stones on Orkney islands, including Shapinsay, are said to have been thrown or left there by the giant. Cubbie Roo's Burn is a waterway on Shapinsay that flows through a channel calledTrolldgeo.Cubbie Roo's Lade is a pile of stones on the shore near Rothiesholm Head, the westmost point ofStronsay.This is supposedly the beginning of a bridge between the two islands that the giant had failed to complete. The name derives from the Old Norsetrolla-hlad,meaning "giant's causeway".[93]

In 1905,The Orcadiannewspaper reported that a strange creature had been seen off the coast of Shapinsay. It was reportedly the size of a horse, with a spotted body covered in scales. Opinion on the creature's origin was divided, with some islanders believing it to be asea serpent,while others opined that it was merely a large seal.[94]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^The office of Stewart Depute was also known asSheriff Depute.[18]
  2. ^Traditionalists were scathing of these new farming practices which they dismissed as fashionable rather than practical. Captain James Sutherland referred to Balfour’s attempts to grow sown grass as “awkward and feeble” and described histurnipcrop as “pitiful”.[21]
  3. ^116,664 acres (47,212.2 ha) of farmland (90% of the archipelago's cultivated land excluding rough grazing) is now under grass, of which 40,668 acres (16,457.8 ha) are cut for hay or silage.[38]
  4. ^This was by no means Balfour's only contribution to Orkney architecture; he ownedMaes Howeon the Orkney Mainland, and paid for the construction of a protective roof which still exists today.[64]

References

[edit]
  1. ^"Map of Scotland in Scots – Guide and gazetteer"(PDF).Centre for the Scots Leid.Retrieved27 December2023.
  2. ^abArea and population ranks: there arec. 300islands over 20 ha in extent and93 permanently inhabited islandswere listed in the2011 census.
  3. ^abcNational Records of Scotland(15 August 2013)."Appendix 2: Population and households on Scotland's Inhabited Islands"(PDF).Statistical Bulletin: 2011 Census: First Results on Population and Household Estimates for Scotland Release 1C (Part Two)(PDF)(Report). SG/2013/126.Retrieved14 August2020.
  4. ^abcdefghiHaswell-Smith (2004),pp. 364–367
  5. ^ab"Orkney Placenames"Orkneyjar. Retrieved 10 October 2007.
  6. ^abcdeOrdnance Survey.OS Maps Online(Map). 1:25,000. Leisure.
  7. ^Anderson, Joseph (Ed.) (1893)Orkneyinga Saga.Translated by Jón A. Hjaltalin and Gilbert Goudie. Edinburgh. James Thin and Mercat Press (1990 reprint).ISBN0-901824-25-9
  8. ^Pedersen, Roy (January 1992)Orkneyjar ok Katanes.(Map) Nevis Print. Inverness.
  9. ^Stewart, Walter (mid-1640s) "New Chorographic Description of the Orkneys" in Irvine (2006) p. 13. Translated from the original Latin by Ian Cunningham.
  10. ^abcdefghijTait (2006),pp. 498–507
  11. ^Thomson (2001) p. 5
  12. ^This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:"Pont, Timothy".Dictionary of National Biography.London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
  13. ^Chambers, Robert (1874–1975).Biographical dictionary of eminent Scotsmen.Glasgow: Blackie & Son.
  14. ^abStewart, Walter (mid-1640s) "New Chorographic Description of the Orkneys" in Irvine (2006) p. 23. Translated from the original Latin by Ian Cunningham.
  15. ^John Maitland Thomson,Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland, 1634-1651(Edinburgh, 1897), p. 501 no. 1344.
  16. ^“Shapinsay, Balfour Castle”Canmore. Retrieved 30th December 2023.
  17. ^Irvine, James M. "The New Descriptions of the Orkneys and Schetland: Introduction." in Irvine (2006) p. 11.
  18. ^"The Pundlar Process".Fea, a genealogy with connections to Orkney, Scotland.Northern-skies.net.Retrieved13 October2007.
  19. ^abThomson (2001) p. 339
  20. ^abThomson (2001) pp. 339-41
  21. ^abThomson (2001) p. 341
  22. ^abThomson, William P.L. "Agricultural Improvement" inOmand (2003),p. 98
  23. ^Thomson (2001) p. 386
  24. ^Thomson (2001) pp. 347, 383
  25. ^Thomson (2001) p. 343
  26. ^See for exampleWightman, Andy(2015)The Poor Had No Lawyers.Edinburgh:Birlinn.
  27. ^Thomson (2001) p. 400
  28. ^Thomson (2001) pp. 401, 403
  29. ^abMiller, Ronald, ed. (1985). "The County of Orkney".The Third Statistical Account of Scotland.20(1). Scottish Academic Press: 181.
  30. ^abGlendinning, Miles; MacInnes, Ranald; MacKechnie, A. (1996).A History of Scottish Architecture: From the Renaissance to the Present Day.Edinburgh University Press. pp. 277–278.ISBN9780748608492.
  31. ^Thomson (2001) p. 402
  32. ^Wickham-Jones, Caroline (2007)Orkney: A Historical Guide.Edinburgh. Birlinn. Page 193.
  33. ^Thomson (2001) pp. 369-70
  34. ^Fenton, Alexander (1997).The Northern Isles.East Linton: John Donald.
  35. ^abThomson (2001) pp. 360, 362, 369
  36. ^"North Isles and beyond Wreck Database"Scapa Flow Charters. Retrieved 13 October 2007
  37. ^Thomson (2001) p. 420
  38. ^Thomson (2001),p. 422
  39. ^Thomson (2001) p. 431
  40. ^abcSmith, Robin (2001)The Making of Scotland.Edinburgh: Canongate.
  41. ^abHewitson, Jim "The North Isles", inOmand (2003),p. 186
  42. ^ab"Island Explorations—Shapinsay".The Orkney Website.Archived fromthe originalon 9 October 2007.Retrieved15 December2007.
  43. ^"Orkney storm beach".Orkney Landscapes.Fettes College. Archived fromthe originalon 8 July 2007.Retrieved12 October2007.
  44. ^"Voes, Ayres and Beaches"Archived6 May 2011 at theWayback MachineScottish Natural Heritage. Retrieved 12 October 2007.
  45. ^"Shapinsay".VisitOrkney. Archived fromthe originalon 14 October 2007.Retrieved12 October2007.
  46. ^McKirdy, Alan Gordon, John & Crofts, Roger (2007)Land of Mountain and Flood: The Geology and Landforms of Scotland.Edinburgh: Birlinn.
  47. ^Brown, John Flett, "Geology and Landscape" inOmand (2003),pp. 4–5
  48. ^Chisholm, Hugh,ed. (1911)."Orkney Islands § Geology".Encyclopædia Britannica.Vol. 20 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 279.
  49. ^"Mill Dam, Shapinsay: Star Species"RSPB. Retrieved 12 October 2007.
  50. ^"RSPB Bird Reports"Archived6 February 2012 at theWayback MachineVisitorkney.com. Retrieved 12 October 2007.
  51. ^ab"Shapinsay"The Orcadian. Retrieved 12 October 2007.Archived7 September 2008 at theWayback Machine
  52. ^ab"Mill Dam RSPB Reserve".Shapinsay Development Trust. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
  53. ^"Holm of Burghlee".Protected Planet. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
  54. ^"New effort in Caithness to save great yellow bumblebee".19 May 2014. BBC News. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  55. ^Brown, John Flett "Geology and Landscape" inOmand (2003),p. 19
  56. ^ab"Shapinsay"orkney.org. Retrieved 12 October 2007. Archived 9 October 2007 at theWayback Machine.
  57. ^"Lichens Species Action Plan"(pdf) Stirling Council. Retrieved 13 October 2007Archived8 September 2004 at theWayback Machine
  58. ^General Register Office for Scotland (28 November 2003)Scotland's Census 2001 – Occasional Paper No 10: Statistics for Inhabited Islands.Retrieved 26 February 2012.
  59. ^1798, 1841, 1931 and 1961–2000:Haswell-Smith (2004),p. 364; for 1851–61 and related pages for 1871–1901L"A Vision of Britain Through Time"visionofbritain.org.uk. Retrieved 17 October 2007.
  60. ^"Scotland's 2011 census: Island living on the rise".BBC News. Retrieved 18 August 2013.
  61. ^"Shapinsay Inhabited Island".General Register Office for Scotland. Archived fromthe original(Microsoft Excelspreadsheets)on 19 May 2011.Retrieved2 November2007.
  62. ^"Balfour Castle Feature Page".Undiscovered Scotland.Retrieved13 August2007.
  63. ^“The Douche”.Shapinsay Development Trust. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
  64. ^ab"Burroughston Broch Feature Page".Undiscovered Scotland.Retrieved15 December2007.
  65. ^Hogan, C. Michael (7 October 2007).Burroughston Broch.The Megalithic Portal.ed Andy Burnham. Retrieved 3 November 2007.
  66. ^Wenham, Sheena "The South Isles" inOmand (2003),p. 98
  67. ^"Agricultural Association".Shapinsay Development Trust.Retrieved27 November2023.
  68. ^"Shapinsay Renewables Ltd".Shapinsay Development Trust. October 2011.Retrieved11 June2016.
  69. ^"Shapinsay is positive about the future".Orkney Today.20 September 2007.Retrieved12 October2007.[permanent dead link]
  70. ^"Shapinsay Renewables Ltd.".Companies House. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  71. ^"Island hotel gets funds for community buyout".BBC News. 8 December 2022.Retrieved3 December2023.
  72. ^"Grants for projects across Scotland from Scottish Land Fund".North Edinburgh News. 14 December 2023.Retrieved27 December2023.
  73. ^Stewart, Andrew (15 June 2023)."Shapinsay's only cafe reopens following development trust purchase".Press and Journal.Aberdeen.Retrieved3 December2023.
  74. ^"Orkney Isles Preserves".Orkney.Com.Retrieved29 May2024.
  75. ^"Balfour Castle – Orkney"balfourcastle.co.uk. Retrieved 10 October 2007.
  76. ^"Shapinsay salmon farm expansion".Retrieved27 November2023.
  77. ^"Shapinsay"(pdf) Orkney Ferries. Retrieved 10 October 2007.
  78. ^“Klydon”.Ships Nostalgia. Retrieved 3 Dec 2023.
  79. ^“Clytus”.Ships Nostalgia. Retrieved 3 Dec 2023.
  80. ^Muir, Tom "Transport and Communications" inOmand (2003),pp. 216, 219
  81. ^“Shapinsay Ferry”.Undiscovered Scotland. Retrieved 3 Dec 2023.
  82. ^Orkney to get two electric ferries for three-year trialBBC News Website, 11 September 2023. Retrieved 3 Dec 2023.
  83. ^"Isle tunnel plans under spotlight".BBC News Website, 9 March 2005. Retrieved 18 October 2007.
  84. ^"Electric Bikes".Shapinsay Development Trust. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  85. ^"Electric Cars".Shapinsay Development Trust. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  86. ^Shapinsay Community School Standards and Quality Report 2022-23 and School Improvement Plan 2023-24.(2023) Orkney Islands Council. p. 4
  87. ^"Learning centre unit".UHI Millennium Institute. Archived fromthe originalon 8 August 2007.Retrieved12 October2007.
  88. ^"A 544-mile long nativity cracker".BBCnews website.14 December 2006.Retrieved12 October2007.
  89. ^"Grinder Skole".Shapinsay Community School & Nursery.Archived fromthe originalon 15 September 2007.Retrieved8 December2007.
  90. ^For example, the children designed an owl that fits over light switches, reminding people to turn out lights."When the lights go out on Shapinsay".Highlands and Islands Enterprise. 22 February 2007.Retrieved12 October2007.
  91. ^"Let's talk Renewables, Spring 2007"(PDF).Highlands and Islands Enterprise. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 7 April 2008.Retrieved12 October2007.
  92. ^"Shapinsay Primary School".Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education.Archived fromthe originalon 1 October 2012.Retrieved15 October2007.
  93. ^"Orkney's Giant Folklore"Orkneyjar. Retrieved 14 October 2007.
  94. ^"Monsters of the Deep—The 1905 Shapinsay Sea Serpent".Orkneyjar.Retrieved12 November2007.

Bibliography

[edit]
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related toShapinsay.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide forShapinsay.

59°03′N2°53′W/ 59.050°N 2.883°W/59.050; -2.883

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Shapinsay&oldid=1226280302"