Stronsay

A historical perspective, drawn from the Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland: A Survey of Scottish Topography, Statistical, Biographical and Historical, edited by Francis H. Groome and originally published in parts by Thomas C. Jack, Grange Publishing Works, Edinburgh between 1882 and 1885.

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Stronsay, an island in the North Isles district of Orkney, approaching to within 2¼ miles S by E of Spur Ness in Sanday, 23/8 E of Veness in Eday, 3 E of the Ness of Ork in Shapinshay, 7 NNE of Mull Head in Pomona, and 12 NE of Kirkwall. Its utmost length, from NNW to SSE, is 7¼ miles; its utmost breadth is 47/8 miles; and the land area of the entire parish is 16, 404 acres. By the Bay of Holland on the S, Odin and Mill Bays on the E, Papa Sound on the NE, and St Catherine's Bay on the W, Stronsay is cut into three peninsulas in such a way that no part of it is more than 1 mile distant from the sea, and that its coast-line has an extent of not less than 35¼ miles. The principal headlands are Links Ness and Huip Ness to the N, Grice Ness, Odin Ness, and Burgh Head to the E, and Lamb Head, Tor Ness, and Rousholm or Roithisholm Head to the S-all of them low, except Burgh and Rousholm Heads; while five islets, lying off its shores, are Papa-Stronsay to the NE, Auskerry to the S, Linga Holm to the W, and Little Linga and Holm of Huip to the N. The largest of eleven small lakes are Meikle Water (5 x 2 furl.; 28 feet above sea-level) towards the centre, and Lea Shun (4½ x 3½ furl.) in the S. Three mineral springs, all near one another on the E coast, were once in high medicinal repute. The surface is of moderate elevation; but an almost continuous ridge running through the island attains 154 feet at Burgh Hill in the SE, and 141 at St John's Hill in the N. The predominant rocks are clay and sandstone, and lead-ore has been found. The soil is mostly a strong clay, with a rich red clay soil; but Rousholm, the south-western peninsula, consists largely of sandy soil. The interior was formerly a tract of the flayed moorland common in Orkney, but now it is all improved or nearly so. The island is traversed by good roads; and much has been done in the way of reclamation, building, fencing, etc., in the course of the last forty years. Antiquities are tumuli, some Picts' houses, and a circular thick-walled structure at Lamb Head. The property is mostly divided among three. The parish of Stronsay and Eday comprises the inhabited islands of Auskerry, Eday, Papa-Stronsay, Pharay, and Stronsay, all of which are noticed separately. It comprehends no fewer than five ancient parishes - Eday and PapaStronsay, each consisting chiefly of its cognominal island; and St Peter's, St Nicholas, and Lady, consisting respectively of the northern, southern, and western sections of Stronsay. Besides the kirks of these parishes, there were anciently so many as 10 chapels-4 in Stronsay, one of which was called St Margaret's Kirk; 2 in Papa-Stronsay, dedicated respectively to St Nicholas and St Bride; 1 in Eday; and 1 in each of the pastoral islets of Little Linga, Linga Holm, and Auskerry. The ruins of the majority of these chapels still exist. Stronsay and Eday is in the presbytery of North Isles and the synod of Orkney; the living is worth £280. Stronsay parish church, built in 1821, contains 500 sittings; and Stronsay U.P. church, built in 1800, contains 391 sittings. Three new public schools-Central, North, and South-with respective accommodation for 126, 70, and 70 children, had (1884) an average attendance of 48, 32, and 44, and grants of £53, 18s., £18, 2s., and £40, 13s. Valuation of parish (1860) £3692, (1884) £4543. Pop. of parish (1801) 1 642, (1831) 1827, (1861) 2207, (1871) 2210, (1881) 2107; of Stronsay island (1841) 1234, (1861) 1210, (1871) 1267, (1881) 1274.

An accompanying 19th C. Ordnance Survey map is available, or use the map tab to the right of this page.

Note: This text has been made available using a process of scanning and optical character recognition. Despite manual checking, some typographical errors may remain. Please remember this description dates from the 1880s; names may have changed, administrative divisions will certainly be different and there are known to be occasional errors of fact in the original text, which we have not corrected because we wish to maintain its integrity. This information is provided subject to our standard disclaimer

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