ANDREW'S-ST, a parish, in the county of Orkney;
containing, exclusively of the former quoad sacra parish
of Deerness, 9-6 inhabitants. This parish is situated on
the eastern coast of the mainland, and is bounded on
the north by the Firth of Shapinshay; on the east by
Deer Sound, which separates it from Deerness; and
on the west by the bay of Inganess. It is about six
miles in extreme length and two in average breadth,
and is connected with the peninsula of Deerness by a
narrow isthmus less than a quarter of a mile in length.
The coast is so singularly indented with bays and inlets
from the sea, that the form of the parish cannot be well
defined or its extent accurately ascertained; it is generally
estimated at thirteen square miles, and the length
of the line of coast at about eighteen miles. The surface,
though generally low, is intersected by three nearly
parallel and equidistant ridges of inconsiderable height,
and diversified with hills of gentle acclivity, the highest
of which has an elevation of 350 feet above the sea,
and, towards the north-east, terminates in precipitous
rocks, of strikingly romantic appearance. In one of
these is a remarkable cavern, sixty feet in length and
about thirty feet wide, communicating with the sea by
a passage, through which a boat may pass at certain
times of the tide. Deer Sound forms an excellent
roadstead for vessels in boisterous weather; it is about
four miles long and two miles broad, has a depth of six
or seven fathoms at the entrance, with a sandy bottom,
and affords good anchorage for vessels of any size.
Inganess bay, on the north-west coast, about two miles
and a half in length and more than a mile in breadth,
varies in depth from three to twelve fathoms, and affords
good anchorage and shelter from all winds. Neither of
these bays, however, is at present much frequented.
The SOIL is extremely various in different parts of the
parish, consisting of sand, loam, clay, and moss, alternating,
and frequently found in combination. The number
of acres under tillage is about 2'200; the chief crops
are oats and bear, with a small proportion of potatoes
and turnips. The farming is in a very unimproved
state; some attempts have been made to drain the lands,
but very little progress has hitherto been effected in the
general system of agriculture. Little attention has been
paid to the improvement of the breeds of live stock: the
horses most in use are of the Norwegian kind called
the Garron, strong and hardy, but seldom exceeding
fourteen hands in height; the black-cattle are small,
thin, and ill-conditioned, from the scantiness of the
pastures; and the sheep, inferior to those of the Shetland
breed, are also of a coarser texture of wool, though
the wool is of a much finer quality than that of the
sheep of the southern counties. The farm-buildings
are generally of stones and clay, roofed with thatch;
and the few inclosures that are to be seen, are made by
mounds of turf. The rocks are argillaceous sandstone
and flag, apparently of the old red sandstone formation,
alternated with trap; and traces of calc-spar and pyrites
of iron are found occasionally: slates of inferior quality,
and also freestone, are obtained in some parts.
The manufacture of kelp, formerly carried on here to
a great extent, has of late greatly diminished; and that
of straw-plat, which was also extensive, has been almost
discontinued. Fairs for cattle are held at Candlemas,
Midsummer, and Martinmas. The fish generally found
off the coast are, cod, haddocks, flounders, skate, thornbacks,
and coal-fish; and crabs, lobsters, cockles, and
other shell-fish are found on the shores; but no regular
fishery of these has been established. The herringfishery
was commenced in 1833, and is carried on to a
very considerable extent; curing-houses have been
erected, and there is every prospect of the formation
of an extensive and lucrative herring station at this
place. Communication with Kirkwall, and with other
parts of the mainland, is maintained by good roads, of
which that to Kirkwall is one of the best in the county.
Ecclesiastically the parish is within the bounds of the
presbytery of Kirkwall and synod of Orkney: the
minister's stipend is about £208, with a manse, and
a glebe valued at £14 per annum; patron, the Earl
of Zetland. The church, built in 1801, and enlarged
in 1827, is a neat structure, conveniently situated, and
containing 400 sittings. A Free Church place of worship
has been erected here. The parochial school affords
the general course of instruction; the master has a
salary of £27, with a house and garden, and the fees
average £9. There are some slight vestiges of ancient
chapels; and on the point of Inganess are traces of an
old circular fort of stones and earth, commanding the
entrance of Deer Sound. Several tumuli also remain,
one of which, on the glebe land, is about 140 yards in
circumference at the base, and twelve feet high; another,
nearly in the centre of the parish, is ninety yards in
circumference and sixteen feet high, and a third, of
much larger dimensions, is situated on the isthmus at
the southern extremity of the parish.