Orphir
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Orphir (Old Norse: Jorfjara/Orfjara[1][2][3]) is a parish and settlement in Mainland, Orkney. It is averagely nine miles south west of Kirkwall, and comprehends a seaboard tract of about 7 by 3½ miles, and includes Cava and the Holm of Houton. The coast includes Houton Head, about 300ft tall, but all elsewhere is nearly level; and the interior is an assemblage of vales and hills, the latter culminating at about 700 ft above sea level, and commanding fine views.
A chief residence was the Hall of Clestrain; and chief antiquities include the ruins of Earl Paul's Palace, remains of pre-Reformation chapels, and several tumuli.
John Rae (September 30, 1813 – July 22, 1893), the explorer of Canada's Arctic was born at the Hall of Clestrain in this parish.
[edit] References
- ^ 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
- ^ Pedersen, Roy (January 1992) Orkneyjar ok Katanes (map, Inverness, Nevis Print)
- ^ Haswell-Smith, Hamish. (2004) The Scottish Islands. Edinburgh. Canongate.
This article incorporates text from - Wilson, Rev. John The Gazetteer of Scotland (Edinburgh, 1882) Published by W. & A.K. Johnstone
|
|||||||||||||||||
 |
This Orkney location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
