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Guest Book/ Enquiries

We'd like to know what you think about our web site. Please leave your comments in this guest book so that they can be shared with other visitors.

Due to previous abuse of the guestbook, all entries will be vetted prior to being published on Guestbook.

Can you please Email us any Guest Book Entries you would like to make or if you would like to make any comments on the site.


Name:
            Allan Webster

Location:
            Ailsa Craig, Ontario, Canada

Date:
30 October 2009

Comments:

What a great site, My great-great grandfather was born in Stromness but his grandfather was from Birsay. As a relative of the Sabistons, it's neat finding out where my roots are from.
 

Name:
            Glenn Edward Bowie

Location:
            Red Wing, Minnesota

Date:
31 August 2009

Comments:

My paternal gramma was a Drever, born at Tosker, Lady, Sanday.
 

Images mostly from 35 mm slides, archives of trips in 76, 77, 81, and 83 are given in http://www.flickr.com/photos/wildlife_habitat/.

I am particularly proud of the three warriors image.
 

Name:
Brenda Finkle
 
Location:
Laurel, MD.
 
Date:
7 May 2008

Comments

Comments: I was searching Google images for photos of Birsay, clicked on the first link in the list, and imagine my joy when I discovered this site!

What a wonderful website. I enjoyed reading the newletters and exploring all of the pages. I do hope to get back there one day and bring Scott with me.

All of my love to you Aunt Sara and Uncle Frank.

I miss you.
 

Brenda
 

Name:
John C. Murray
 
Location:
Lake Providence, La.
 
Date:
20 January 2008

Comments

Just found your site and thought it was interesting. My family is originally from Scotland.
 
Name:
Jennifer Harrison
Location:
Kidderminster
Date:
25 March 2007

Comments

I love Birsay Island.
I always come to visit when visiting my friend who lives in Deerness.
The web site is interesting.  I have only just gone on line.  I would have liked more photos of Birsay Island parhaps i can find some on another Orkney site.

Try http://www.orkneynet.co.uk for photos - Webmaster

Name:
Joe Spence
Location:
Oxford, NY,USA
Email_Address:
 
Date:
28 February 2007

Comments

I just found your website.

My grandfather, Thomas D. Spence, was born at Hayon, Birsay, which I think is still in Spence family hands.  My father, Stuart and mother, Mary Lou, and my brother Adam have all been back in the last 10 or 15 years.

I hope someday to bring my children to Orkney, maybe frequenlty, to visit my home.

A proud Orcadian in the USA.

Joe Spence

Name:
Jack Matches
Location:
British Columbia, Canada
Email_Address:
jmatches@telus.net
Date:
15 February 2007

Comments

 I found your site very interesting.  I am planning a trip to Orkney this year and am researching information. 

I'm trying to find out  the location of Gelderhouse, which I understand is in Birsay. 

My  grandfather, George Matches, was born there.

He and my grandmother, Margaret (nee Windwick) Matches, emigrated to Canada c. 1910  
 

Name:
Malcolm Handoll
Location:
Stromness Orkney Islands
Email_Address:
malcolm@allfivesenses.com
Date:
06 January 2006

Comments

Birsay is our favourite area of Orkney and where we would most like to live - so I am delighted to see this website promoting the area. Any potential visitors reading this guestbook - do go to Birsay, it is beautiful! There are some pictures of mine, of the seaweed and rocks at Birsay, on my website www.allfivesenses.com taken one morning last summer.

Good luck to all businesses in and around Birsay!

Name:
muriel weadick
Location:
wasaga beach, ontario, canada
Email_Address:
muriel.weadick@sympatico.ca
Date:
15 July 2005

Comments

We have been attempting to 'leaf out' our family tree and have discovered a possible link to Birsay Parish. One James Mackie, born 18 May 1849, he married Harriett Margaret Anderson on 29 July 1881, in Prince Albert, North West Territories (now the Province of Saskatchewan, Canada), he died 23 July 1934 in Prince Albert. Their children: Josephine(my grandmother), John James, Albert, Clara, Helena, William Franklin, Oliver, Dennis Roy, Raymond, Gerald, Guy Brooklyn, and Tina. How he came to Canada or why, we do not know - perhaps someone in your locale could assist?

Name:
MYRA tAIT
Location:
EDINBURGH
Email_Address:
m.tait@napier.ac.uk
Date:
30 May 2005

Comments

My father was born in Bursay in 1913 (Arthur Armstrong Spence). He died about 5 years ago now and my daughter and I aim to come over to visit in July to try to find out a bit more about his background and whether any more of our family are still about! The site is very interesting and has a lot of information which we will use.

Name:
Hazel Evans (nee Jenkins)
Location:
Australia
Email_Address:
asheri@westnet.com.au
Date:
22 May 2005

Comments

Lovely site!!, I was born in the Manse, now St Magnus House my mother & father were in Birsay for most of the war years and made many friends there, my father was the missionary and was very fond of his church and the people and missed it greatly when he had to leave at the end of the war. I came back to Birsay just after september 11th. 2000 and stayed with Irene & Gillie Cumloquoy, old friends of my mother & father. It was lovely to see the church where I was christened and my brother also.

Name:
Jane Hanson (nee Comloquoy)
Location:
Sydney Australia
Email_Address:
nosnah@tpg.com.au
Date:
07 February 2005

Comments

Being born a Comloquoy I found this site fantastic. I will make a point of being a regular visitor.I also hope to visit soon and catch up on the relatives... Many thanks

Jane

Name:
Sally Jecelin
Location:
Timonium, Maryland
Email_Address:
jecelin@aol.com
Date:
06 December 2003

Comments

Sara and Frank---Love the website site-makes me even more anxious to visit Orkney. Please let me know if you receive this and if you have a personal email address. Mom (Aunt Sally)has moved to a new facility which I believe Nancy has written to you about. Hope you have a wonderful holiday season. One of these days Ed and I really want to visit you there. Love, your cousin Sally

Name:
Freida Murray
Location:
South Wales
Email_Address:
johncmurray@lineone.net
Date:
08 November 2003

Comments

Congratulations, this is a wonderful site. My gt.gt.grandfather was Miller at Boardhouse Mill, Birsay in 1821.

Gt.gt.grandmother lived in Old Gersetter Farmhouse late 1790s

Best wishes to all in Orkney, Freida Murray

Name:
Malcolm Ward
Location:
Email_Address:
link-request@walking-routes.co.uk
Date:
18 October 2003

Comments

Hi there

We run a website (www.walking-routes.co.uk) which contains nothing but links to on-line walking routes, maps, directions etc for the UK. Having added one or more links to the walks detailed on your site, we wondered if you would, in return, consider putting a link to our site on your pages?

For your convenience, the link HTML could be:-

www.walking-routes.co.uk

Best regards Malcolm

Name:
Joan M.Condit
Location:
Humble, Texas 77338-2221
Email_Address:
joancondit@yahoo.com
Date:
09 June 2003

Comments

This is one place I love to visit in the evenings,I,m Scottish,born in Dornoch quite a few years ago!!!I would apreciate your giving me some idea about bed and breakfasts in Caithness,my friend and neighbour will be coming over in July with me but I expect to be staying with friends and perhaps it would be easier for her to stay somewhere close by,do you think you can let me know what is available in the Wick or Thrumster area? Your web site is great,lets me keep up with the news and GOSSIP!!! Hope this message reaches you,I'll check my e-mail daily,OK.Kindest regards,Joan.

Name:
Harald Robertson
Location:
Cape Town South Africa
Email_Address:
mrr@telkomsa

Comments

Interested to come across birsay.org - via Orcadian website.

I was born in Sandwick but now living in RSA.

Regards HLR

Name:
Adeline  Leask
Location:
Shetland
Email_Address:
tushker@aol.com

Comments

These pages were very interesting. I come from Sandwick and I have just learned more about Birsay than I ever knew while living in Orkney. Keep up the good work

Name:
Adeline  Leask
Location:
Shetland
Email_Address:
tushker@aol.com

Comments

These pages were very interesting. I come from Sandwick and I have just learned more about Birsay than I ever knew while living in O rkney. Keep up the good work

Name:
kris westerman
Location:
stromness
Email_Address:
krisandkya@ntlworld.com

Comments

Fantastic to see the new web site up and running. Well done to all concerned.

Name:
Bill Fernie
Location:
Caithness
Email_Address:
bill@caithness.org

Comments

Congratulations on the new web site. We have added links to you on Caithness.org at Orkney Links http://www.caithness.org/links/orkneyislands.htm And Orkney Section http://www.caithness.org/orkney/index.htm

Name:
David & Yvonne Harrold
Location:
Stromness, Orkney
Email_Address:
harrold@orkney.com

Comments

Well done guys! An absolutely cracking job. The site is eye catching, relevant, accurate - a real professional job that puts Birsay ahead of the pack and on the map! When can I advertise!? Best Wishes, David

Name:
Alan G Clouston
Location:
Orphir, Orkney
Email_Address:
alan.clouston@virgin.net

Comments

Well done to the Trust and those directly involved in creating an excellent website. Hopefully other parishes will follow your example. Wish you continued success in the future.

Name:
Ron Young
Location:
Whitwell, Derbyshire, England
Email_Address:
ron.young@tiscali.co.uk

Comments

Congratulations on your new website. I have happy memories of holidays spent in Orkney and visits to Birsay. I will take my time to savour your site.

Best wishes

Ron Young

 
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