Eday

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.

This edition is copyright © The Editors of the Gazetteer for Scotland, 2002-2022.

It has taken much time and money to make the six-volumes of Groome's text freely accessible. Please help us continue and develop by making a donation. If only one out of every ten people who view this page gave £5 or $10, the project would be self-sustaining. Sadly less than one in thirty-thousand contribute, so please give what you can.

Use the tabs on the right of this page to see other parts of this entry Arrow

Eday, an island and a parish in the North Isles district of Orkney. The island, at its southern extremity, lies 3½ miles N by E of Shapinshay, 4¾ WNW of Stronsay, 6 E of Rousay, and 13½ NNE of Kirkwall; and extends 7½ miles in a direction nearly due N, to within 1½ mile W of Sanday, and 2½ miles E by S of Westray. It contracts, in the form of an isthmus at the middle, from an extreme width of 3 miles in the S and of 2 in the N; forms the headlands of Warness in the extreme S, Venness in the SE, Fersness at the north-western extremity of its southern division, and Red Head, a high promontory of red granite, in the extreme N; and has two excellent harbours, Fersness Bay, immediately N of Fersness Head, and Calf Sound, a narrow strait dividing it in the extreme NE from Calf island. The interior, which contains several small fresh-water lakes, rises to a moderate elevation in a ridge extending almost from end to end; abounds in an excellent kind of sandstone, which is quarried, and has been much used for building in Kirkwall, and even exported to London; comprises some fertile land to the E and S, with soils variously of sand, gravel, loam, and clay, but is mostly a deep heathcovered peat moss, a plentiful store of fuel for the northern Orkneys. By the trustees of the late Mr Samuel Laing the estate of Carrick, already noticed, was sold to the late Robert James Hebden, Esq., who introduced sheep-farming on a large scale into Eday with much success, his flock being composed of Cheviots, which thrive well on the island. He further improved a large extent of land around his residence in the NE part of the island, and built a commodious farm-steading, with water-driven machinery. His son and successor, Harry Carwardine Hebden, Esq. (b. 1841; suc. 1877), holds 7500 acres, valued at £1351 per annum. The antiquities of Eday co prise a number of tumuli, remains of several Picts' houses, and an ancient standing stone 16 feet in height. There is a post office of Eday under Kirkwall; a small inn stands at Calf Sound; and two public schools, North and South Eday, with respective accommodation for 75 and 82 children, had (1880) an average attendance of 49 and 43, and grants of £50, 17s. 6d. and £39, 4s. 6d. Pop. (1861) 897, (1871) 822, (1881) 720.

The parish comprehends also the island of Pharay, with its holms, protecting the harbour of Fersness; the islet of Red Holm, lying to the N of Pharay; the Calf of Eday island, flanking the outer side of Calf Sound; and the islets of Little Green Holm and Meikle Green Holm, lying to the SW of Eday-all, except Pharay, uninhabited and pastoral. Ecclesiastically it is united to Stronsay, forming one charge with that parish. There are in it an Established Church (1816), served by a missionary of the royal bounty; a U.P. Church (l831); and a new Baptist chapel (1881). Valuation (l88l) £1654, 7s. Pop. (1801) 7l8, (1831) 961, (1861) 979, (1871) 905, (1881) 802.

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

If you have found this information useful please consider making
a donation to help maintain and improve this resource. More info...

By using our site you agree to accept cookies, which help us serve you better