- Elevation
- 31 m
- above sea level
- Local time
- UTC+00:00
- Europe/London · UTC+00:00
- Population
- 307
- 307
- Airports
- KOI Kirkwall Airport10 km
- EOI Eday Airport17 km
About Shapinsay
Shapinsay is an island. Location: Orkney Islands, Scotland. Population: 307.
Shapinsay (, Scots: Shapinsee) is one of the Orkney Islands off the north coast of mainland Scotland. With an area of 29.5 square kilometres (11.4 sq mi), it is the eighth largest island in the Orkney archipelago. It is low-lying and, with a bedrock formed from Old Red Sandstone overlain by boulder clay, fertile, causing most of the area to be used for farming. Shapinsay has two nature reserves and is notable for its bird life.
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
At a glance
- Length
- 7.5 km
- Area
- 27.8 km²
Source: Wikidata
Photos of Shapinsay
-
United Kingdom Hydrographic Office · Public domain -
Bill Boaden · CC BY-SA 2.0 -
Bill Boaden · CC BY-SA 2.0 -
Gairsay See above · CC BY-SA 2.0 -
Thieves Holm Des Colhoun · CC BY-SA 2.0
Travel notes for Shapinsay
From Wikivoyage
Shapinsay is one of the smaller Orkney Islands, 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. The whole island was owned and remodelled in the 19th century by the Balfours; their grandiose castle can't be visited but there are several prehistoric sites such as Burroughston Broch.
It's usually obvious what a Viking placename indicates - think of Westray or Sanday - but no-one knows what Shapins might have been. One suggestion is hjalpandis-øy, helpful island, for the shelter it afforded on the sea approach to Kirkwall.
Get in+
Shapinsay is close to Mainland and has no air service. Orkney Ferries sail from Kirkwall in a small ro-ro taking 30 min. There are six sailings M-Sa and three on Sunday year-round, and most visitors simply day-trip. Until April 2025 the return fares are adult £6.10, child £3, conc £4.0, car £19.40.
1 Balfour is the ferry port and only village.
Source: Wikivoyage · CC BY-SA 4.0 · abridged
Climate of Shapinsay
This month · November
A wet month
Day 9° · Night 5° · Rain 129 mm
- Hottest month
- August (day 15°)
- Coldest month
- February (night 2°)
- Wettest month
- November (129 mm)
- Driest month
- May (53 mm)
Bars: average monthly low and high temperature. Below: precipitation. Monthly averages for 1970–2000 at about 18 km resolution, adjusted for elevation. Highlighted months are mild and relatively dry. Source: WorldClim 2.1 (CC BY 4.0).
Show values as a table
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average high (°C) | 7° | 6° | 7° | 8° | 11° | 13° | 14° | 15° | 13° | 11° | 9° | 8° |
| Average low (°C) | 3° | 2° | 3° | 4° | 6° | 8° | 10° | 10° | 9° | 7° | 5° | 4° |
| Precipitation (mm) | 112 | 87 | 99 | 67 | 53 | 55 | 61 | 74 | 104 | 120 | 129 | 119 |
How to get to Shapinsay
The nearest airport is Kirkwall Airport (KOI), 10 km to the south as the crow flies. The nearest large city is Aberdeen, 217 km to the south.
Airports
- Kirkwall Airport (KOI) Kirkwall, Orkney Islands 10 kmsouth
- Eday Airport (EOI) Eday 17 kmnorth
- Wick John O'Groats Airport (WIC) Wick 67 kmsouth
Nearby large cities
- Aberdeen Population: 198.6K 217 kmsouth
- Dundee Population: 148.2K 287 kmsouth
- Edinburgh Population: 515K 346 kmsouth
- Glasgow Population: 626.4K 364 kmsouth
Straight-line distances; road distances are longer. Airport data: OurAirports.
Day trips from Shapinsay
Within 100 km: 38 historic and cultural sites, 565 natural sites, 224 lakes, rivers and coasts.
0–25 km305 places
- Rousay Island 16 kmNW
- Eday Island 16 kmN
- Wyre Island 9 kmNW
- Auskerry Island 18 kmE
25–60 km276 places
- Hoy Island 33 kmSW
- Papa Westray Island Island 33 kmN
- Flotta Island 28 kmSW
- Hesta Head Natural site 30 kmS
60–100 km246 places
- Clett Island 61 kmSW
- Neave Island Island 99 kmSW
- Glass Islands Island 84 kmSW
- Garbh-eilean Island 83 kmSW
Straight-line distances.
Nearest towns and villages
Nearby attractions & nature
Everything nearby-
The Ouse Lake, Orkney Islands1 km E
-
Ward Hill (Shapinsay) Island, Orkney Islands1.4 km SE
-
Bay of Furrowend Natural site, Orkney Islands1.9 km W
-
Ling Holm Island, Orkney Islands2.1 km NE
-
Ness of Howe Natural site, Orkney Islands2.7 km SE
-
Veantrow Bay Natural site, Orkney Islands2.1 km NE
-
Elwick Natural site, Orkney Islands2.1 km SW
-
Strombery Natural site, Orkney Islands3.4 km SW
More lakes, rivers and coasts in United Kingdom
-
Gairsay Island, Orkney Islands6.5 km NW
-
Wyre Island, Orkney Islands8.8 km NW -
Thieves Holm Island, Orkney Islands4.7 km SW
-
Sweyn Holm Island, Orkney Islands5.9 km NW -
Grass Holm Island, Orkney Islands3.4 km NW
-
Rousay Island, Orkney Islands16 km NW
Sources & licences
Data last updated: · 2 independent sources