Birsay

Parish on the Orkney mainland

For the hamlet in Canada, see Birsay, Saskatchewan.

Birsay Parish, with the Brough of Birsay in the background

Birsay (/ˈbʌrsiː/) (Old Norse: Birgisherað)[1] is a parish in the north west corner of The Mainland of Orkney, Scotland. Almost all the land in the parish is devoted to agriculture: chiefly grassland used to rear beef cattle. There are various ancient monuments in the parish.

## Ancient monuments

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Two important ancient monuments are maintained by Historic Scotland and bring many visitors to the area in summer. These are the prehistoric and Norse settlements on the tidal island of Brough of Birsay and the ruins of the Earl's Palace on the Mainland opposite, at the northern end of the village.

On the western part of Mainland Orkney's north shore there is other evidence of prehistoric man, including the well preserved ruins of the Broch of Gurness.

## Earl's Palace

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Earl's Palace, Birsay

Main article: Earl's Palace, Birsay

The late 16th-century palace was built by Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Orkney (1533–93). Though extensively ruined, it can be seen to have consisted of four ranges round an open courtyard, with small towers at the corners, an unusual form of building in Scotland at this date, and unprecedented in the north of the country. The date 1574 was formerly carved above the main (south-facing) entrance. The building has been uninhabited since the late 17th century. It was originally adjoined by walled garden enclosures, an archery range and a bowling green. This building, along with the Earl's Palace, Kirkwall and Scalloway Castle in Shetland (all Historic Scotland), were the main residences of the Stewart Earls of Orkney in the Northern Isles.

St Magnus Church, Birsay Mill near Birsay

## St Magnus Church

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Main article: St Magnus Church, Birsay

Near the palace is the St Magnus Church of the parish of Birsay and Harray (Church of Scotland; open in summer). Architectural fragments in the walls, and archaeological investigation of the foundations, suggest that this was the site of the first cathedral of Orkney in the 11th-12th centuries, known as Christchurch, founded by Earl Thorfinn the Mighty (d. c. 1065) after his return from a pilgrimage to Rome. The seat of the diocese was transferred to St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall, in the later 12th century, though the Bishops of Orkney continued to have a residence in Birsay (known by the Latin name Mons Bellus) into late medieval times.

The nearby bridge may also be medieval in origin.

## Notable people

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* Samuel Trail was minister of the parish 1844 to 1868. He was Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1874.[2]
* Harald Leslie, Lord Birsay

## See also

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* Point of Hellia
* Wheebin standing stone

## References

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1. ^ Anderson, Joseph (Ed.) (1893) Orkneyinga Saga. Translated by Jón A. Hjaltalin & Gilbert Goudie. Edinburgh. James Thin and Mercat Press (1990 reprint). ISBN 0-901824-25-9
2. ^ "Arbuthnott Parish, Kincardineshire: Records for genealogists".

## External links

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Birsay.

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Birsay.

Photographs

* Palace Ruins: 1
* Palace Ruins: 2

59°08.0′N 3°18.1′W﻿ / ﻿59.1333°N 3.3017°W﻿ / 59.1333; -3.3017

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Orkney

List of Orkney islands

Inhabited islands|

* Mainland
* Auskerry
* Burray
* Eday
* Egilsay
* Flotta
* Gairsay
* Graemsay
* Holm of Grimbister
* Hoy
* Inner Holm
* North Ronaldsay
* Papa Stronsay
* Papa Westray
* Rousay
* Sanday
* Shapinsay
* South Ronaldsay
* South Walls
* Stronsay
* Westray
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Other islands|

* Eynhallow
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* Lamb Holm
* Switha
* Swona
* North West islands
* North East islands
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Towns|

* Kirkwall
* Stromness

Mainland parishes|

* Birsay
* Deerness
* Evie
* Firth
* Harray
* Holm
* Orphir
* Rendall
* St Andrews
* St Ola
* Sandwick
* Stenness
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Topics|

* Geology
* Prehistory
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* Witchcraft

Politics|

* Earls of Orkney
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* Flag of Orkney
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* Orkney and Shetland (UK Parliament constituency)
* Orcadian Women's Suffrage Society

Sport|

* Kirkwall Ba game
* Orkney Amateur Football Association
* Orkney F.C.
* Orkney representative football team

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Scandinavian Scotland

Rulers|

* List of kings
* Earls of Orkney
* Crovan dynasty
* Lords of Argyll
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* Uí Ímair

Notable women|

* Aud the Deep-Minded
* Bethóc, Prioress of Iona
* Bjaðǫk
* Cacht ingen Ragnaill
* Gormflaith ingen Murchada
* Gunnhild Gormsdóttir
* Helga Moddansdóttir
* Ingeborg of Norway
* Ingibjörg the Earls'-Mother
* Isabel Bruce
* Máel Muire ingen Amlaíb
* Margaret, Maid of Norway
* Margaret, Queen of Norway
* Margaret of Denmark, Queen of Scotland
* Ragnhild Eriksdotter
* Ragnhildis Olafsdottir

Other notable men|

* Caittil Find
* Ingimundr
* Ljótólfr
* Olaf the White
* Olvir Rosta
* Páll Bálkason
* Ragnall ua Ímair
* Sweyn Asleifsson
* Thorbjorn Thorsteinsson
* Thorstein the Red

History|

* Kingdom of the Isles
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* Lochlann
* Orkney
* Outer Hebrides
* Shetland
* Davidian Revolution
* Scottish–Norwegian War (1262-66)
* Scotland
* Norway

Archaeology|

* Bornish
* Birsay
* Bishop's Palace
* Brough of Birsay
* Camas Uig
* Cubbie Roo's Castle
* Earl's Bu
* Jarlshof
* Kirkwall Castle
* Linton Chapel
* Maeshowe
* Old Scatness
* Port an Eilean Mhòir boat burial
* Rubha an Dùnain
* Scar boat burial
* St Magnus Church

Artifacts and culture|

* Birlinn
* Chronicles of Mann
* Darraðarljóð
* Galloway Hoard
* Hogbacks
* Lewis chessmen
* Manx runestones
* Orkneyinga saga
* Ounceland
* Sen dollotar Ulaid
* St Magnus Cathedral
* Udal law

Althings|

* Delting
* Dingwall
* Law Ting Holm
* Lunnasting
* Nesting
* Sandsting
* Tingwall
* Tynwald

Language|

* Middle Irish
* Norn
* Old Norse
* Pictish
* Old Norwegian

Etymology|

* Scottish island names
* Northern Isles
* Hebrides

Battles and treaties|

* Bauds
* Brunanburh
* Clontarf
* Dollar
* Barry
* Epiphany
* Isle of Man
* Largs
* Renfrew
* Skyhill
* Tara
* Vestrajǫrðr
* Treaty of 1098
* Treaty of Perth

Associated clans and septs|

* Gunn
* Uí Ímair
* Somhairle
* Macaulay of Lewis
* Mac Coitir
* MacDougall
* MacLeod
* Macruari
* MacDonald

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