LADY, a parish, in the island of Sanda, North Isles
of the county of Orkney, 25 miles (N. E. by N.) from
Kirkwall; containing 909 inhabitants. Lady derives its
name from the dedication of its ancient church, which
was in the form of a cross, to Our Lady, or the Virgin
Mary. The parish includes the eastern portion of the
island, is about nine miles in length from south to north,
and one mile in average breadth; it is bounded on the
west liy the ])arish of Cros.s and the bay of Otterswick,
and on all other points is surrounded by the sea. This
district is of singularly-irregular form, stretching out
into the sea by numerous narrow headlands of considerable
length, of which that called the Start projects from
the shore of the main land for more than two miles, in a
direction due eastward. The surface is generally flat,
having little elevation above the sea, and is subdivided
into many small districts; the principal are Elsness,
Overbister, Tressness, Coligarth, Newark, SiUbister, and
Northwall. At Elsness is an inlet of the sea, about 125
acres in extent, which is dry at low water; and at Tressness
is another, of more than twice the dimensions: both
might be easily converted into good harbours. On the
extremity of the Start, a lighthouse was erected in 1802;
it is 100 feet in height to the lantern, and displays a
revolving light, which may be distinctly seen at a distance
of eighteen nautical miles. In the northern part
of the parish are four considerable lakes, of which those
of Northwall and Westair are separated from each other,
and also from the sea, only by a narrow slip of intervening
land: these two lakes, with the others, less in
extent, and more widely detached, occupy by far the
greater portion of the north-eastern part of the island of Sanda.
The SOIL is generally sand, in some parts intermixed
with clay; about two-thirds of the parish are under cultivation,
and the remainder heath and waste. The exact
number of acres has not been ascertained: of the land in
cultivation, 2000 acres are arable, and the rest is good
pasture. The crops are oats, bear, potatoes, and turnips,
and in the culture of the two latter the drill system of
husbandry is prevalent; the principal manure is seaweed,
which is found to answer well. The breed of
black-cattle has been much improved since the introduction
of turnips. Garamount House, erected by the
late John Traill Urquhart, Esc|., of Elsness, is a handsome
modern mansion, finely situated. There is no village;
the population are chiefly agricultural, and employed
in the manufacture of kelp and in the fisheries.
The kelp manufacture, though formerly much more
extensive, still affords employment to a considerable
number of persons during the months of June and July;
and the produce is sent to Newcastle. Cod, turbot,
skate, and herrings abound in the surrounding sea, and
small quantities of dried cod are occasionally exported;
but there is no regular station for curing, and few more
fish are taken than are required for the supply of the inhabitants.
For ECCLESIASTICAL purposcs the parish is within the
limits of the presbytery of North Isles and the synod of
Orkney. The minister's stipend is £158. 6. 8., including
an allowance of £8. 6. 8. for communion elements;
with a manse, and a glebe valued at £4. 8. per annum:
patron, the Earl of Zetland. Lady church, rebuilt in
1814, is a neat and spacious structure containing ample
accommodation for all the parishioners. There is a
place of worship for members of the United Presbyterian
Church. The parochial school of Sanda is common to
the two parishes of that island, namely. Lady, and Cross
and Burness; it is situated at the junction of the two
parishes, and the master has a salary of £46. 10., with
a dwelling-house. A school for the more immediate use
of this parish is supported by the Society for Propagating
Christian Knowlege, who pay the master a salary
of £15 per annum; he has also a house, with fuel, and
an allowance for the keep of a cow from the heritors.
There are numerous vestiges of ancient chapels of very
diminutive structure, few of them exceeding twelve feet
in length: the names of St. Peter's and St. Magdalene's
chapels only have been preserved. At Newark were
lately discovered the remains of a circular building of
flat stones, fitted together without cement: the walls
were about six feet thick, and in some jjarts surrounded
by an outer wall, with an interval of three feet i)etween;
the diameter of the inner wall was about twelve feet, and
the interior filled with stones, gravel, and a layer of red
ashes, interspersed with bones of cattle, sheep, swine,
rabbits, geese, and various kinds of shell-fish. There
are several tumuli in the parish; and at Coliness, numerous
graves were discovered lined with flag-stones, in
which were many skeletons nearly entire, one with a
wound in the upper part of the skull. In one of the
graves was found a gold ring, and on one of the flagstones
was a rudely sculptured cross.