Balfour, Orkney

Coordinates: 59°01′48″N 2°54′25″W / 59.030°N 2.907°W / 59.030; -2.907
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For other uses, see Balfour (disambiguation).

Balfour
Orkney Islands
CountryScotland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townORKNEY
Postcode districtKW17
Dialling code01856
PoliceScotland
FireScottish
AmbulanceScottish
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament
List of places
UK
Scotland
59°01′48″N 2°54′25″W / 59.030°N 2.907°W / 59.030; -2.907

Balfour is a village on the island of

Haakon IV of Norway before sailing south to eventual defeat at the Battle of Largs in 1263.[1] Today, the village still possesses a harbour, with mock defensive walls constructed at the same time as the castle. David Balfour even added a stone marked with the date 1725, taken from Noltland Castle on the island of Westray, to his defences.[2] A car ferry to Kirkwall, operated by Orkney Ferries, sails from a pier at the harbour. This became a roll-on/roll-off service in 1990.[3]

History

Originally known as Shoreside, Balfour was built in the 1780s by Thomas Balfour, a former tenant farmer who acquired a private income by marrying the sister of an Earl.

British East India Company
.

Balfour is dominated by its castle

In 1846 his grandson, David Balfour, inherited the estate, which now encompassed the whole of the island. The following year, he recruited an

Scottish Baronial Balfour Castle.[4][5]

At the same time, many changes were made to the village, which was renamed Balfour. While some of the village was demolished in order to improve the view from the castle, many improvements were made. Balfour added an imposing gatehouse, now the village pub and home to the local football team; a water mill and a gas works which remained operational until the 1920s. In order to supply the water mill, a river was dammed, creating the wetland known as

Mill Dam, which is now a significant bird habitat, owned and managed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. The reserve is home to many species of birds, including water rails, pintails, waders and black-headed gulls.[6] Whooper swans have also been known to breed here.[1]

In 1960 the castle was purchased by Tadeusz Zawadzki, a Polish Cavalry officer and now operates as a hotel.[7]

Electricity was introduced via undersea cable in the 1970s.[3]

The main street of the village.

Notable buildings

Balfour's former smithy is now home to the Shapinsay Heritage Centre, a craft shop and a cafe. The village also includes a shop and the island's only petrol pump.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Haswell-Smith, Hamish (2004). The Scottish Islands. Edinburgh: Canongate.
  2. ^ a b c Thomson, William PL (2001). The new history of Orkney. Edinburgh: Mercat Press.
  3. ^ a b Smith, Robin (2001). The Making of Scotland. Edinburgh: Canongate.
  4. ^ Miller, Ronald (1985). "The County of Orkney". The Third statistical account of Scotland. Vol. 20, no. 1. Scottish Academic Press. p. 181.
  5. ISBN 9780748608492
    .
  6. The Gazetteer for Scotland
    . Retrieved 14 August 2007.
  7. ^ "Balfour Castle website". Archived from the original on 8 October 2007. Retrieved 14 August 2007.

External links

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