Orphir (pronounced , Old Norse: Jorfjara/OrfjaraPedersen, Roy (January 1992) ''Orkneyjar ok Katanes'' (map, Inverness, Nevis Print)) is a parish and settlement on Mainland, Orkney. It is approximately southwest of Kirkwall, and comprises a seaboard tract of about , and includes Cava and the

Holm of Houton The Holm of Houton is one of the southern Orkney islands. Geography The Holm is in Midland Harbour, part of Scapa Flow. It is south of the Mainland parish of Orphir, near Houton whence its name.Anderson, Joseph (Ed.) (1893) "Introduction to ' ...

. The coast includes Houton Head, about tall, but all elsewhere is nearly level; and the interior is an assemblage of vales and hills, the latter culminating at about above sea level. A chief residence was the Hall of Clestrain; and chief antiquities include the ruins of Earl Paul's Palace, remains of pre-Reformation chapels, the Round Kirk and several tumuli. The ferry terminal of Houton is located in Orphir. The ferries to Flotta and Hoy (Lyness) depart from this point."Orphir / Houton", VisitScotland.com
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Notable people

* John Rae (30 September 1813 – 22 July 1893), the explorer of Canada's Arctic was born at the Hall of Clestrain in this parish. *

Henry Halcro Johnston Colonel Henry Halcro Johnston CB CBE DL FRSE FLS (13 September 1856 – 18 October 1939) was a Scottish botanist, physician, rugby union international and Deputy Lieutenant for Orkney. As a member of Edinburgh University RFC he represent ...

, botanist and international rugby union player was born and died at Orphir. *

Jamie Halcro Johnston Jamie Halcro Johnston (born 8 October 1975) is a British politician who is a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Highlands and Islands (Scottish Parliament electoral region), Highlands and Islands region since 2017. A member of the ...

Scottish Conservative The Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party ( gd, Pàrtaidh Tòraidheach na h-Alba, sco, Scots Tory an Unionist Pairty), often known simply as the Scottish Conservatives and colloquially as the Scottish Tories, is a centre-right political par ...

MSP, was brought up at Orphir. *

Margaret Manson Graham Margaret Manson Graham (26 April 1860 – 14 October 1933) was a Scottish nurse who worked as a missionary in Nigeria. Early life Margaret Manson Graham was born at Orphir, Orkney, the daughter of Isabella Manson and John Graham. Her father was a ...

(1860-1933), missionary nurse in Nigeria, born in Orphir"Margaret Manson Graham"
in Elizabeth L. Ewan, Sue Innes, Sian Reynolds, and Rose Pipes, ed., ''The Biographical Dictionary of Scottish Women'' (Edinburgh University Press 2006): 142-143.

References

This article incorporates text from - Wilson, Rev. John ''The Gazetteer of Scotland'' (Edinburgh, 1882) Published by W. & A.K. Johnstone Villages on Mainland, Orkney Parishes of Orkney Tumuli in Scotland {{Orkney-geo-stub