Balfour Castle

Balfour Castle is a historic building on the southwest of , Orkney Islands. Though built around an older structure that dates at least from the 18th century, the present castle was built in 1847, commissioned by Colonel David Balfour, and designed by Edinburgh architect David Bryce.
balfourcastle.co.uk
Wikipedia
Photo: Colin Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0.
  • Type: Hotel
  • Description: country house on Shapinsay, Orkney Islands, Scotland, UK
  • Also known as: “Balfour Castle, Shapinsay”

Places of Interest Nearby

Highlights include Shapinsay and Helliar Holm.

Photo: Purplebaron, Public domain.
is one of the smaller , a short ferry ride from Mainland Orkney. It measures about 7 miles north-south by 3 miles east-west, with a population in 2011 of 307, and Balfour the only village.

Islet
Photo: Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 2.0.
is an uninhabited island off the coast of in the Islands, . It is home to a 42-foot-tall lighthouse, which was built in 1893 and automated in 1967.

Islet
Photo: Des Colhoun, CC BY-SA 2.0.
is a small island in , Scotland.

Places in the Area

Nearby places include Balfour and Head of Holland.

Village
Photo: Shirley Grant, CC BY-SA 2.0.
is a village on the island of , . The village is situated on Elwick Bay, which was used as an anchorage by Haakon IV of Norway before sailing south to eventual defeat at the Battle of Largs in 1263.

Locality
Photo: Adam Ward, CC BY-SA 2.0.
is a locality, which is situated 3 miles south of Balfour Castle.

Photo: Gerd Eichmann, CC BY-SA 4.0.
is the chief town of the , which lie off the north tip of mainland . With a population of about 10,000 in 2020, has accommodation and other amenities and is the obvious base for exploring these islands.

Balfour Castle

Latitude
59.03175° or 59° 1′ 54″ north
Longitude
-2.91675° or 2° 55′ 0″ west
Inception
1847
Open location code
9CFV23JM+M7
Open­Street­Map ID
way 204661302
Open­Street­Map feature
building=­yes
Open­Street­Map feature
historic=­castle
Open­Street­Map feature
tourism=­hotel
Wiki­data ID
Q4850755
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Satellite Map

Discover Balfour Castle from above in high-definition satellite imagery.
© Stadia Maps, Airbus DS, CNES, PlanetObserver, and Copernicus

In Other Languages

From Basque to Portuguese—“Balfour Castle” goes by many names.

Places with the Same Name

Discover other places named “Balfour Castle”.

Notable Places Nearby

Highlights include Shapinsay Heritage Centre and Balfour Post Office.

Nearby Places

Explore places such as Shepperd Cottage and Sound Cottage.

Orkney Islands: Must-Visit Destinations

Delve into Kirkwall, Stromness, Hoy, and Shapinsay.

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