Westray (, sco, Westree) is one of the

Orkney Islands Orkney (; sco, Orkney; on, Orkneyjar; nrn, Orknøjar), also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago in the Northern Isles of Scotland, situated off the north coast of the island of Great Britain. Orkney is 10 miles (16 km) north ...

in Scotland, with a usual resident population of just under 600 people. Its main village is Pierowall, with a heritage centre, the 15th-century Lady Kirk church and pedestrian

ferry A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water taxi ...

service to nearby

Papa Westray Papa Westray () ( sco, Papa Westree), also known as Papay, is one of the Orkney Islands in Scotland, United Kingdom. The fertile soilKeay, J. & Keay, J. (1994) ''Collins Encyclopaedia of Scotland''. London. HarperCollins. has long been a draw ...

island. Westray has a number of archeological sites dating from 3500 BC, and remains of several Norse-Viking settlements. The spectacular sea cliffs around Noup Head are home to thousands of seabirds.

Geography and geology

Westray has an area of , making it the sixth largest of the Orkney Islands. The underlying geology is Rousay type Middle Old Red Sandstone, the flagstones of which make excellent building materials. There is very little peat and the soil is noted for its fertility.

History

At the time of the earliest known settlements, c. 3500 BC, in Westray and neighbouring

, it is believed that the two islands were joined.Keay, J. & Keay, J. (1994) ''Collins Encyclopaedia of Scotland''. London. HarperCollins. A Neolithic and Bronze Age site at the

Links of Noltland Links of Noltland is a large prehistoric settlement located on the north coast of the island of Westray in Orkney, Scotland. The extensive ruins includes several late Neolithic and early Bronze Age dwellings and is place of discovery of the Westr ...

is in the care of Historic Scotland. The site is severely threatened by the rapid erosion of the overlying sand dunes. Ongoing excavations have revealed over 30 buildings of Neolithic and Bronze Age date, the earliest of which overlaps in use with the

Knap of Howar The Knap of Howar () on the island of Papa Westray in Orkney, Scotland is a Neolithic farmstead which may be the oldest preserved stone house in northern Europe. Radiocarbon dating shows that it was occupied from 3700 BC to 2800 BC, earlier th ...

on the neighbouring island of Papa Westray (known as Papay to the locals), the oldest standing structure in NW Europe. The

Westray Wife The Westray Wife (also known as the Orkney Venus) is a small Neolithic figurine, in height, carved from sandstone. It was discovered during an Historic Scotland dig at the Links of Noltland, on Westray, Orkney, Scotland, in the summer of 2009. ...

, 4 cm carved Neolithic figurine was discovered on the Noltland dig in 2009; this is the oldest carving of a human found in the British Isles. In 2010 some local businesses reported a 45% increase in turnover since the discovery of the figurine. Since then, four further figurines have been found, together with a wealth of other artefacts (carved stone ball, decorated grooved ware pottery, numerous carved bone objects and beads etc.). In 2015, a substantial subterranean building dating from the Bronze Age was uncovered; this was very well preserved and is interpreted as a sauna. The excavations won 'Best Rescue Dig' of the year in the prestigious 2014 Current Archaeology awards. Several of the figurines and other artefacts from the site can be seen at Westray Heritage Centre and the excavation is open seasonally (free of charge). The Heritage Centre also exhibits the 'Westray Stone' - a neolithic carved stone from a chambered tomb which closely resembles the art style of the Boyne Valley in Ireland. West_View_Quoygrew_Westray_Orkneys_Jul14_DSC_5421

West_View_Quoygrew_Westray_Orkneys_Jul14_DSC_5421

Westray constituted a major family estate during the saga period. Largescale excavations of Viking-Norse period sites have been undertaken at Tuquoy, Quoygrew and Langskaill in recent years. Each of these was the site of a Viking-Norse settlement. Tuquoy has remains of a longhouse, a large rectangular building, and a

kitchen midden A midden (also kitchen midden or shell heap) is an old dump for domestic waste which may consist of animal bone, human excrement, botanical material, mollusc shells, potsherds, lithics (especially debitage), and other artifacts and ecofac ...

(refuse dump). Quoygrew (Scheduled Monument SM13504) has the remains of a longhouse dating from 1100AD. This was used continuously until the early 20th century. Langskaill appears to have been an Iron Age settlement in use from 500 BC to the 14th century. An underground chamber was discovered in Langskaill farm in 1965. The investigation appears to indicate the abrupt disappearance of the pre-Norse culture, indicating an invasion by force by the Vikings. The Viking-Norse invaders built a large high-status settlement over the site of the earlier settlement. It was at Noltland on Westray too, that one of the most impressive castles in Orkney, and indeed the Northern Isles, was built, Noltland Castle. The castle was commissioned in the 1560s by

Gilbert Balfour Gilbert Balfour (died 1576) was a 16th-century Scottish courtier and mercenary captain. He probably played the leading role in the murder of Lord Darnley, consort of Mary, Queen of Scots. He was the second son of Andrew Balfour of Mountquhanie in ...

, who probably played the leading role in the murder of Lord Darnley, consort of Mary, Queen of Scots. Balfour married Margaret Bothwell, the sister of

Adam Bothwell Adam Bothwell, Lord of Session (c.1527, Edinburgh – 1593, Edinburgh), was a Scottish clergyman, judge, and politician. He served as Bishop of Orkney (1559), Commendator of Holyrood House (1570), Extraordinary Lord of Session (1563–4), and as ...

, Bishop of Orkney who endowed him with Westray, when it was episcopal property. The Castle is situated above the Bay of Pierowall, was built in the 1560s. It is notable for an unusually large spiral staircase, "second only to Fyvie Castle, while its triple tiers of gunloops are without parallel in Scotland, if not Europe". However, Balfour was executed by the Swedes before he could use it. Other attractions include the Romanesque Cross Kirk and the Castle O'Burrian sea stack once used as a hermitage. Noup Head Lighthouse was constructed in 1898.

Economy and infrastructure

Flights leave the island's

Westray Airport Westray Airport is an airport at Aikerness, on Westray in the Orkney Islands, Scotland. It is best known for being one of the two airports joined by the shortest scheduled flight in the world, a leg of Loganair's inter-island service to Papa W ...

at Aikerness for Kirkwall on the Orkney Mainland, and to Papa Westray in the world's shortest scheduled flight, of two minutes. The main ferry terminal is at

Rapness Rapness is a settlement on the island of Westray in Orkney, Scotland. The slipway is the ferry terminal for the Orkney Ferries crossing from Kirkwall on the Mainland of Orkney and to/from the nearby island of Papa Westray. The B9066 road runs fr ...

with regular sailings by Orkney Ferries to Kirkwall. The island's main industries are fishing, fish farming and cattle farming. Tourism is also important to the island economy. The local cheese, Westray Wife, is an organic unpasteurised cheese available in mild and mature varieties. It marries well with the local range of Westray chutneys (all Fairtrade) and bakery goods (including oatcakes). Fresh fish, seafood and lobster is available locally and is of a very high standard. The Westray

Development Trust Development trusts are organisations operating in the United Kingdom that are: *community based, owned and led *engaged in the economic, environmental and social regeneration of a defined area or community *independent but seek to work in partners ...

is well known for its

renewable energy Renewable energy is energy that is collected from renewable resources that are naturally replenished on a human timescale. It includes sources such as sunlight, wind, the movement of water, and geothermal heat. Although most renewable energy ...

and recycling initiatives and plans to make the island self-sufficient in energy by 2012. A 900 kW community-owned wind turbine was erected in October 2009, the third large-scale such project in Scotland. “When the community realised it was their turbine, not someone else’s, there was no objection,” stated Alasdair McVicar of Westray Renewable Energy.

Wildlife

The spectacular sea cliffs around Noup Head are home to thousands of seabirds including 60,000 common guillemot and

black-legged kittiwake The black-legged kittiwake (''Rissa tridactyla'') is a seabird species in the gull family Laridae. This species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae'' as ''Larus tridactylus''. The English ...

, 30,000 razorbill and numerous

Atlantic puffin The Atlantic puffin ('), also known as the common puffin, is a species of seabird in the auk family. It is the only puffin native to the Atlantic Ocean; two related species, the tufted puffin and the horned puffin is found in the northeastern ...

and

black guillemot The black guillemot or tystie (''Cepphus grylle'') is a medium-sized seabird of the Alcidae family, native throughout northern Atlantic coasts and eastern North American coasts. It is resident in much of its range, but large populations from the ...

. During the 1990s the

black rat The black rat (''Rattus rattus''), also known as the roof rat, ship rat, or house rat, is a common long-tailed rodent of the stereotypical rat genus ''Rattus'', in the subfamily Murinae. It likely originated in the Indian subcontinent, but is n ...

(''Rattus rattus'') may have been present. There are now no reported sightings of rats In the island of Westray. Local resident Trevor Byres says this is due to a certain stone which effects the rats health, which has meant they have not survived. An Audit Of Alien Species In Scotland
(May 2004) (Microsoft Word). Edinburgh. Scottish Natural Heritage. Mice and the Orkney vole are present however, as are European otters. In the North end of Westray there seems to be a limited supply of grass and a certain Edgar Thomas says its every man for him self when it comes to sheep farming

Gallery

File:Westray House.jpg, A ruined house on Westray with traditional flag-stone roof File:Westray from Papay.jpg, Westray from

File:Westray - Fishing Village.jpg, Gill Pier File:Sunset Pierowall Village View Westray Orkney Jul14 DSC 5380.jpg, Sunset over Pierowall, across the bay. Jul '14 File:Westray - West.jpg, Western part near Midbea File:Westray - Noup Head Beacon.jpg, Lighthouse at Noup Head File:Westray - Cliffs 2.jpg, Cliffs at Noup Head File:Westray - Cliffs 1.jpg, Cliffs near Langskaill File:Westray - Seabirds.jpg, Flock of gulls File:Westray Skiffs.jpg, Skiffs racing in the Bay of Pierowall, Jul '05 File:Gravestone Groat Pierowall Orkney Jul14 DSC 5410.jpg, John & Jemima Groat family grave, Lady Kirk, Pierowall. Jul '14 File:Info Board Quoygrew Westray Orkneys Jul14 DSC 5420.jpg, Info board, Quoygrew Viking settlement. Jul '14 File:East View Quoygrew Westray Orkneys Jul14 DSC 5423.jpg, East view of Viking longhouse, Quoygrew. Jul '14

References

Bibliography

* ''Orkneyinga Saga: The History of the Earls of Orkney''. Trans. Pálsson, Hermann and Edwards, Paul (1978). London: Hogarth Press. . Republished 1981, Harmondsworth: Penguin. .

External links

One of Orkney's North Isles

Westray and Papa Westray

VisitOrkney page on Westray and Papa Westray
{{Authority control Islands of the Orkney Islands