Gairsay
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Gairsay is an island in Orkney, Scotland. The island is currently inhabited by one family, who issue their own postage stamps. Gairsay is one of the few Scottish islands permitted to do this due to the lack of a Royal Mail service.
According to the Orkneyinga saga, in Norse times Gairsay was the home of the Norse chieftain Sweyn Asleifsson, one the last great Vikings. He farmed during the summer months and spent the winters with his 80 men at arms in a drinking hall called Langskaill. Viking exploits took place during the spring and autumn.
A mansion was built on the site of the drinking hall in the seventeenth century by a wealthy merchant, Sir William Craigie .
[edit] References
- Haswell-Smith, Hamish (2004). The Scottish Islands. Canongate. ISBN 1-84195-454-3.
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