Ronaldshay, North, an island and a quoad sacra parish in Cross and Burness parish, Orkney. The island is the most northerly of the North Isles of Orkney, lying 2½ miles N of Tafts Ness in Sanday, and 15 E of Papa Westray. Divided from Sanday by North Ronaldshay Firth, very dangerous to navigation, it measures 3 miles in extreme length from N by E to S by W, and 2 miles in extreme breadth. Its outline is diversified by five headlands-Dennis Head in the NE, Brides Ness in the SE, Strom Ness in the S, Twinyas Ness in the SW, and Tor Ness in the NW. The seaweed-covered shores are flat and rocky; and the interior is much of it low and flat, but rises gently towards the middle of the island, which contains three small lakes, and consists partly of coarse slate rock. The soil is sandy but fertile, mixed in some places with clay, and mostly in a state of cultivation. Antiquities are several tumuli and vestiges of Burrian Castle, near which, on the southern headland, is a lighthouse built in 1854 at a cost of £12,927, whose flashing light attains its brightest state every ten seconds, and is visible at a distance of 17 nautical miles. Dr Traill of Woodwick is sole proprietor. The quoad sacra parish is identical with the island, and was constituted by the General Assembly in 1831, reconstituted by the Court of Teinds subsequent to 1843. It is in the presbytery of North Isles and the synod of Orkney; the minister's stipend is £120. The parish church is a parliamentary one, and there is also a Free church. Pop. (1811) 384, (1831), 522, (1861) 532, (1871) 539, (1881) 547.

(F.H. Groome, Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland (1882-4); © 2004 Gazetteer for Scotland)