Castles · Scottish Islands
Balfour
Balfour in Orkney + Shetland, United Kingdom.
Anne Burgess — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1.5 h–3 h
- Free entry
- Family-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
About
Balfour is a place of interest in Orkney + Shetland, United Kingdom — drawn from open-data sources for visitor reference. See the linked Wikipedia article for the full description.
Photo gallery
Official information
Shapinsay is a picturesque island in Orkney, easily accessible by ferry from Kirkwall. Visitors can explore the village, enjoy nature walks, observe local wildlife, and visit the Heritage Centre to learn about the island's history.
From the Wikipedia article
Balfour is a village on the island of Shapinsay, Orkney. The village is situated on Elwick Bay, which was used as an anchorage by Haakon IV of Norway before sailing south to eventual defeat at the Battle of Largs in 1263. 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. 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.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
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. With his new-found wealth, Balfour purchased the estate of Sound, whose estate house had been burned down in revenge for the then owner's support of the Jacobite rising of 1745. In 1782, to make way for a new residence, Balfour cleared cottars from the south-west of the island, and appropriated part of the common, building the village of Shoreside to house those evicted. 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…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 59.0300, -2.9070
- District
- Orkney Islands
- Postcode
- KW17 2DX
- Parliamentary constituency
- Orkney and Shetland
- Opening
- Heritage Centre open Wednesday to Sunday throughout the summer season; closed during winter.
- Official site
- shapinsay.org.uk
Sources
- wikidata: Q4850747 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Balfour, Orkney (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby
Shapinsay Heritage Centre
Museums · 0.3 km
Elwick
Natural landmarks · 0.5 km
Balfour Castle
Hotels · 0.6 km
Broch or ringfort
Archaeological sites · 0.7 km
Elwick Mill
Watermills · 0.8 km
Helliar Holm
Lighthouses · 1.0 km
Helliar Holm Lighthouse
Lighthouses · 1.3 km
Mill Dam
Islands · 1.5 km
Bay of Carness
Natural landmarks · 1.6 km
Thieves Holm
Islands · 2.1 km
Broch of Steiro
Archaeological sites · 2.2 km
South Church, Shapinsay
Historic churches · 2.2 km
Nearby
📷 3Museums · Scottish Islands
Shapinsay Heritage Centre
Shapinsay Heritage Centre — a museum in scotland-islands, United Kingdom.
📷 5📷 5Hotels · Scottish Islands
Balfour Castle
Balfour Castle — a hotel in scotland islands.
📷 3Archaeological sites · Scottish Islands
Broch or ringfort
Broch or ringfort — a archaeological in scotland-islands, United Kingdom.
📷 3📷 3Where to eat & stay near Balfour
Places to stay
📷 5Hotels · Scottish Islands
Balfour Castle
Balfour Castle — a hotel in scotland islands.
📷 5Caravan parks · Scottish Islands
Kirkwall Bay Touring Park
Kirkwall Bay Touring Park — a caravan park in scotland islands.
📷 7
📷 6
📷 7📷 5Places to eat & drink
📷 4More castles in this region
📷 3
📷 5Castles · Scottish Islands
Borve Castle
Borve Castle — castle ruins in Benbecula, Scotland.
📷 3Castles · Scottish Islands
Cairnburgh Castle
Cairnburgh Castle — ruined castle that is located on the islands of Cairn na Burgh Mòr and Cairn na Burgh Beag, Argyll and Bute, Scotland, UK.
📷 3Frequently asked questions
- Where is Balfour?
- Balfour is in the Scottish Islands, United Kingdom (postcode KW17 2DX).
- What is Balfour?
- Balfour in Orkney + Shetland, United Kingdom.
- How do I get to Balfour?
- Drivers can use postcode KW17 2DX.
- Does Balfour charge admission?
- Balfour typically charges admission. Check the official site for current ticket prices and opening hours.
- How do I get to Balfour?
- Drivers can navigate to postcode KW17 2DX. It sits within the Orkney and Shetland parliamentary constituency.