Shapinsay

Shapinsay is one of the Orkney Islands and is situated just six kilometers north of Kirkwall, where the island is reached by a regular ferry service several times a day in about 30 minutes with modern ro-ro ferries.

Shapinsay has in an area of ​​7.5 km × 6 km an area of ​​29.48 km2 and has a max. Elevation of 70 meters rather flat. The 300 inhabitants live to a great extent in the small harbor town of Balfour Village and on the farms scattered across the island.

The climate allows not only the livestock and arable farming. In a study conducted in the 19th century, an extensive land clearing and most straightforward network paved rural roads was created.

Attractions

In the harbor lies Balfour Castle, built in the style of Scottish Baronials in the second half of the 19th century. The Mansion is situated along a grove, at the other end with a fenced garden setting largely preserved in its original state. Balfour Castle now serves as a hotel, but can be partly visited. It belonged to the Balfour family, who were the Lairds of the island from 1560 to 1961.

At Balfour Castle next to the Gatehouse include ( a gatehouse without function purely as a design element, today the island's Pub ) the Dishan Tower, the only municipal (salt water ) shower for Scotland ( with a pigeon loft upstairs), which in the course planned investment of Balfour Village was born. Balfour Village, which was founded during the Clearances of Balfour, in his day was the most technically advanced village planning and development of Scotland. Each of the houses for the liberated crofter had a centrally controlled water supply and sanitation as well as a gas connection for cooking stove, heating and lighting, supplied by a local gas station. Thanks in part to this very advanced supply infrastructure, the Balfour came relatively mild thereof in the judgment of the Napier 's Commission.

The Mor Stone is a menhir. At the Broch of Burroughston you can watch seals and Bloody Castle is a basement, which was viewed by 2007 as Cairn (see web link). In addition, here are stone boxes and found a ruined Stalled cairns. Elwick Mill was one of the largest water mills on Orkney. She is a studio today.