The Isle of Shapinsay - Orkney

We actually spent 2 days on Shapinsay - catching the 25 minute car ferry from Kirkwall each day - each way.  Both days we were up early, sun was shining - air was cold (4 to 5 layer days) and the Kirkwall wharf was delightful to mooch around.

The MV Shapinsay arrives in Kirkwall

They off load on bikes, and reload on foot

and the cars have to reverse on.

These 2 little wire haired terriers remained on the car deck - we actually met them later!!.

and the man climbed the stairs to the Passenger's Lounge - basic, but warm.

We sail out of Kirkwall Bay along the Point of Carness - there are farms and WW11 Gun emplacements here

and next below is the uninhabited island of Helliar Holm

with its automated Lighthouse

And ahead of us is Shapinsay

and the Balfour Castle

Shapinsay is 6 miles at  its longest

and is known as the "green" isle

because of its fertile farming

and the little harbour is charming



Balfour Castle was the creation of two distinguished men, David Balfour, the 4th Laird of Balfour and David Bryce, the pre-eminent Scottish architect of his generation and leading exponent on Scottish Baronial style.

 It has 7 turrets, 12 external doors, 52 rooms and 365 sections of windows, and much of the stone used was quarried on Shapinsay.

Work commenced in 1847, being completed 3 years later.

This tower on the shoreline is called the "Douche" - it is a saltwater shower topped with a dovecot!!

From Shapinsay's wharf there are lovely views across to the island's farms and houses.



Below is Balfour Castle's original gatehouse, 

which also became the "Pub" in town at one time

Below is "The Smithy" a lovely cafe with the Shapinsay Heritage Centre above

The chef was the lady with the 2 wire haired terriers on the Ferry - and she made us a wonderful fresh crab sandwich there on our first day in Balfour village.

We spent a lot of time on both days in the Heritage Centre, going through photos and records - the 2 locals there were just so helpful and interested to research more on my great grandfather - they gave me a lot of information.

This late 18th century village was built out of the Isle's middle old red sandstone as a home for smiths, carpenters and masons employed on the Balfour Estate.

Right opposite "The Smithy" on the shoreline is a small garden which extends in mid summer as extra seating for the cafe - apparently seals are often seen from here.

Well, our next stop was the old Church and Kirkyard (definitely a 5 layer day)

where I knew my Great Grandfather was buried.

This is the only cemetery (kirkyard) on Shapinsay

and is still being used today

However this Church where my great grandfather was the Reverend from 1898 to 1908 is now a ruin,

along with the Balfour family vault below.

We walked and walked looking for my Great Grandfather's Headstone - and compared to the grim Glasgow Cemetery where we found his wife, my Great Grandmother's grave along with her parents, this was so well kept - ruins and all, and in such a lovely position.

I found it - covered in lichen, 

The Shapinsay Heritage people had supplied me with the exact wording on my Great Grandfather's headstone.

*****

"Erected by his widow and family in loving memory of the

Reverend Duncan Colqhoun Kerr,

Minister of this parish for 9 years

and Clerk to the Presbytery.

Born 6th January, 1857, died 17th January, 1908

A loving husband, a tender father, a loyal friend.

A devoted son of the Church and a faithfull follower of Christ.

He that overcometh shall inherit all things"

He was only 51 when he died - and Jean from the Heritage Centre was also able to check the records to find out what he had died of - he was ill for 1 month and 24 days with acute Brights disease causing the onset of peritonitis.

His grave and headstone was right opposite the front door of the Church

The old Bell is still there

Above the door on a lintel is written 1656

It is believed this Church was originally built in 1559, 

then rebuilt again in 1802

the records say it operated up until 1988

We then walked up the road looking for the Manse

and found it up on a hill overlooking the old Church and it's Kirkyard

so this is the Manse - the house my Grandfather and his five siblings lived in whilst in Shapinsay

My grandfather (Pop) was 18 (though he had gone to Sea at age 16), and the youngest two,  Aunt Queenie and Uncle Cecil were only 10 and 8 years old when their father died, the family of course would've had to have left the Manse pretty soon after his death.

Above is the Gate to the old Manse, it is now a private home.

*****

Looking across from the Manse - there is another Church and its Manse.

For an Island with never a population over 600 - why were there 2 Church of Scotlands on Shapinsay?? 

 This was explained to me at Shapinsay's Heritage Centre - my Great Grandfather was part of the EC - Established Church (census papers and other records prove this) , however all over Scotland from 1843 to 1929 there had been a breakaway from the Established Church known as the "Disruption of 1843" to the Free Church of Scotland, which joined with the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland to form the United Free Church of Scotland (which itself re-united with the Church of Scotland in 1929).  This Church is still operating today - it was being renovated when we were there - it has no Kirkyard, so the old Church's Kirkyard is still used.

We then went looking for Pop's School - found the sign, but the building has gone.

Time to drive around the island

to check out some of the farms

Love the fencing above - Concrete corner posts!

Neat little Post Box

Beautiful scenery all around

These Orcadian farmers love their bright doors

Our next stop was at the Broch of Burroughston

a lovely peaceful spot on the shoreline

with a seal there to amuse us

This ancient Broch was unearthed in the 1860's - how did they carry that lintel over the door 3,000 years ago?

Below is Shapinsay's standing stone - known as Mor Stein

All over the Island

 the farmers use the WW11 Nissen huts for shedding

There are some impressive WW11 Gun Emplacements on Shapinsay

- which of course we visited!

Back to Balfour Castle to see if we could have a look around
- it is now a private residence.



How lucky were we,

 the head gardener was an Aussie, and he invited us into the grounds

He was responsible for guiding the reconstruction and refurbishment of the gardens for the new owners, who bought Balfour in 2009.

The marble paving was sensational - I believe an Italian tiler was employed for this.

The new owners have sensitively refurbished Balfour Castle with the utmost respect for the "Balfour" heritage

In the rejuvenation of these gardens, the greatest care has been taken to retain its style and its character. This Australian green keeper/horticulturalist  from Sydney, was extremely proud of the work they have done under these new owners  - they had recreated the original sunken garden, which over the last 50 years had been overgrown with conifers (I pinched the photo below from Shapinsay's brochure - it shows how close the conifers on the left hand side were to the castle prior to this work.)



In place of those conifers, they now have this attractive miniature maze.
*****

 This young man was so enthusiastic and happy to be at Balfour, and part of this design team, plus he had just married an Orcadian in Kirkwall a few weeks ago, so he is there to stay.

The very first Balfour - the 4th Laird of Balfour planted trees in the late 18th century and these existing woods were extended when the castle was built.

We were told we could wander around the two acre walled garden

Yes, was definitely the answer

Long hedged pathways led us to this traditional four square design wall

Victorian garden

This garden supplies the Castle with fresh produce all year - a couple of French chefs are employed here.

This garden is doubled (by inner walls) to create upper and lower sections

There were originally four glasshouses

and raised beds were constructed to augment drainage and thus permit early planting.

It was pleasant to hear how respected the original creators and owners  - the Balfours were - their family line expired in the early 1960's, it was then cared for by others  and now it has today's caring new owners.

We wandered back through the woods

to the front Castle greens

dressed with canons and the Castle's cattle.

A bit sad to leave Shapinsay on the ferry back to Kirkwall - a most interesting and informative couple of days for moi, and a few questions answered on our past on my father's side!

My grandfather left Shapinsay, and went to Sea, at the age of 16 - his father's death was January  1908

******

Later that same year Pop was an apprentice on the four masted barque - the Falls of Halladale - one of the last "windjammers".  It belonged to the celebrated Glasgow Falls Line: - a fleet which was built for carrying cargo and for speed under sail.  On 4th August, 1908, the "Falls of Halladale" left New York bound for Melbourne.  Captain Thompson was in command of the ship, which carried a general cargo of 500 sewing machines, plumbing iron, 6,500 gallons of oil, 14,400 gallons ov benzene, glassware, coils of fencing wire and 56,763 American slate tiles - value 35,000 UK pounds.  102 days after it set sail from New York the Falls neared the  Victorian coastline - a mist hung over the sea and the Captain thought they were 15 kilometres from the coast - as the fog lifted the crew on the Falls found themselves with full sails set and billowing, and only a few hundred metres from the shore, heading straight for the rocks.  When the danger was discovered it was too late - the anchors could not be let go in time and the ship had no headway to change tack.  The Falls struck heavily amidships, about 200 metres from shore at 3 am on 14th November, 1908.  Within minutes water poured into the holds and the crew safely disembarked and rowed for three hours until they beached at the Bay of Islands.

(This coast of Australia is called - The Shipwreck Coast)

*****

The vessel lay in a small bay just to the west of Peterborough with its sails set - providing a spectacle for sightseers. Below is a photo of the Falls after running ashore - 2 salvage ventures were not successful, and the Captain was found guilty of a gross act of misconduct in that he carelessly navigated the vessel - his certificate was suspended for six months. 

Thousands of the slate tiles were salvaged and are on display in some heritage houses, and the ship is now a popular diving site.

Pop decided to stay in Australia, met and married my Grandmother in 1916 (the Grandaughter of a Cornish Tin miner who immigrated to Australia in 1856)   We researched her (Nana's)heritage at the beginning of our UK trip in Cornwall.

At age 28,  Pop joined the Australian Imperial Force and left Melbourne on the HMAT (Trooper)  Nestor (A71) for Europe and WW1 on 2nd October, 1916.

The photo above is from the Australian War Memorial of the HMAT Nestor fully loaded with unidentified soldiers being farewelled by a packed crowd of well wishers on the wharf prior to the troopship leaving Melbourne on 2nd October, 1916, and Pop was one of these soldiers.. Pop returned to Australia in January, 1918, and my father was born in January, 1919.

The Orkneys - part 2

The main reason we decided to travel to the Orkneys, was basically to find my Great Grandfather's grave and also to have a look at where my grandfather and his 5 siblings spent their youth before my Grandfather went to sea, however we found there was a lot more to Orkneys than we had imagined - in fact it was amazing.

The Orkney archipelago is located 16 kilometres north of mainland Scotland and comprises of over 70 islands and skerries, of which only 20 are inhabited.  The Orkneys have a long and colourful history - it is no exaggeration to say that the isles are a place where this history remains part of everyday  life - every corner of the islands has its ancient monuments, most of them in remarkable state of repair.  

Much of the early history is dominated by the Vikings, and from 9th Century the Kingdom of  Norway -  in 14th Century the Orkneys became associated with the Kingdom of Scotland.

We drove to the Bay o'Skaill in the west Mainland to check out the dwellings of the Orcadian Stone Age Man.

This prehistoric village is situated on the shore of a long white sandy beach on the Bay o'Skaill

This whole community was hidden under sand until 1850, when a massive storm blew away the sand and exposed this historic village

It was at the time thought to be an Iron Age settlement - around 500 BC

However, radiocarbon dating in the early 1970s confirmed that this Skara Brae settlement dated from the late Neolithic (3100BC) - prior to the construction of the Pyramids.

In 1868 remains of four ancient houses had been unearthed and in 1925 a further 4 .

Because of the protection offered by the sand that covered the settlement for 4,000 years and the cold weather, the building and their contents, are incredibly well-preserved.

Not only are the walls of the structures still standing

and the alleyways roofed with their original stone slabs

but the interior fitting of each house give an unparalleled glimpse of life as it was in Neolithic Orkney.

- it is estimated they were lived in for 600 years.

They were advanced people for their time, and developed a sophisticated drainage system pre-empting the toilet.

The houses were sunk in the ground to protect against the harsh Orkney winds and provide insulation and all linked together.

Each house shares the same basic design -  a large square room, with a central hearth, a bed on either side and a shelved dresser.

Some 200 yards inland from Skara Brae is Orkney's finest large Mansion, and represents the last 400 years in a continuous habitation of the area that dates back 5000 years.

Skaill House's owner in 1850 - the Laird of Breckness recognised the significance of what emerged after the storm, and cleared part of the ancient site of its enveloping sand in 1850.

We toured through the house - rather nice

Asian porcelain was quite popular

The current encumbent is the 12th Laird of Breckness - Major M.R.S. Macrae.

*****

We then turned our eyes to the War years in Orkney

The map above shows Scapa Flow where the German fleet scuttles itself in 1819.

There are 4 islands joined to the Orkney mainland by a series of causeways,

known as the Churchill Barriers.

Winston Churchill ordered these four causeways to be built early 1940 primarily as a naval defence to protect the anchorage at Scapa Flow

After the Royal Navy Battleship HMS Royal Oak was sunk at her moorings in October, 1939, within the natural harbour of Scapa Flow in a nighttime attack by the German U-boat U-47 who had entered Scapa Flow through Kirk Sound between Lamb Holm and the Orkney Mainland.

Although the shallow eastern passages had been secured with measures including sunken block ships, booms and anti-submarine nets, the Germans still navigated the U-47 around the obstructions at high tide

and launched a surprise torpedo attack on the Royal Naval Battleship at anchor in Scapa Flow (killing  over 800 Navymen) and then escaped seaward using the same channel by navigating between the block ships.

******

550 Italian prisoners of war, captured in North Africa during World War 11, were brought to Orkney in the early 1940's to work on the Churchill Barriers..

The camp consisted at first of thirteen or more cheerless huts, but the active Italians made concrete paths, and planted flowers until the whole area was transformed.

One prisoner (Chiocchetti) made the figure of St. George above, built up from a framework of barbed wire covered with cement.

They created new amenities - a theatre with scenery and a recreation hut, which included in its equipment a concrete billiard table - one thing the camp still lacked - a chapel.

In 1943, Camp 60's new commandmant, and a Catholic father agreed that a place of worship was required.  The "Italian Chapel" was constructed from limited materials by the prisoners.

Two Nissen huts were joined end-to-end,  the corrugated interior was then covered with plasterboard and the altar and altar rail were constructed from concrete left over from work on the barriers.  Chiocchetti created a front facade out of concrete, concealing the shape of the hut and making the building look like a church.

Most of the interior decoration was done by Domenico Chiocchetti, a POW.

He painted the sanctuary end of the chapel and fellow-prisoners decorated the entire interior.

Chiocchetti remained on the island to finish the Chapel, even though his fellow prisoners were released shortly after the end of the war.  In our books it is stunning.

This Chapel overlooks the Churchill Barriers built by Camp 60 on Lamb Holm

These Churchill Barrier's bases were built from gabions enclosing 250,000 tons of broken rock from quarries on Orkney.  The gabions were dropped into place from overhead cableways into waters up to 59 feet deep.  The bases were then covered with 66,000 locally cast concrete blocks in five tonne and ten-tonne sizes - the five tonne blocks were laid on the core, and the ten-tonne blocks were arranged on the side in a random pattern to act as wave-breaks.

Just in closing - the use of POW labour for War Effort works is prohibited under the Geneva Conventions, the works were justified as 'improvements to communications' to the southern Orkney Islands.

*******

Next - the Jewellery trail

Orkney has a many incredible jewellery designers - we visited "Sheila Fleet's' studio that afternoon, we met her, and were shown around the studio - Sheila employs 30 staff at her studio at Tankerness. 

We were kindly shown how it all works from Sheila's designs

the art of enamelling

and the final result.

We also visited the Ortak and Aurora studios - no photos, but there are 9 incredible designers in the Orkneys.

******

Our last stop today was back in Stromness- for a quick wander, 'specially to the "well" which Captain Cook and Sir John Franklin used when servicing their ships in this Port.

A wonderful long day - back to the Hotel - great Orcadian "schnitzel" thingo, and the next couple of days are why we are really here - across to the Isle of Shapinsay to find a "grave".