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In 1882-4, Frances Groome's Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland described Gairsay like this:
Gairsay, an island of Evie and Rendall parish, Orkney, 1¼ mile E of the nearest part of Orkney mainland, and 1½ NW of Shapinshay. It measures 2 miles in greatest length, and 1½ mile in greatest breadth; consists chiefly of a conical hill of considerable altitude; rises steeply on the W side; includes, on the E and on the S, some low, fertile, well-cultivated land; contains, close to the S shore, remains of a fine old mansion, once the seat of Sir William Craigie; and has a small harbour, called Millburn, perfectly sheltered on all sides, mainly by Gairsay itself, and partly by a small island in the harbour's mouth. ...
Pop. (1851) 41, (1871) 34, (1881) 37.
Gairsay is now part of ORKNEY ISLANDS Council. Click here for graphs and data of how ORKNEY ISLANDS has changed over two centuries. For statistics about Gairsay itself, go to Statistics.
How to reference this page:
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Gairsay, in Orkney Islands and Orkney | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time.
URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/22114
Date accessed: 08th April 2026
Click here for more detailed advice on finding places within A Vision of Britain through Time, and maybe some references to other places called "Gairsay".
