Happy Valley Local Nature Reserve

The site, which includes a house, was originally known as "Bankburn". Bankburn was built in the late 19th century for the Laird of Bigswell, William Isbister and his wife Jane Bewes. The Bigswell properties were one of only three properties in Orkney that have a lineage that can be traced directly back to the 15th century (J. Storer Clouston). They are now divided as a result of crofting reform and forced sales but Bankburn was not formally designated a croft and the landlords were not forced to sell. The properties were clearly of more historical importance than monetary value and Bankburn now represents all that is left of the Bigswell estate that is not in private hands. The garden was…