| Old Norse name | Gáreksey |
|---|---|
| Meaning of name | Gárekr's isle[1] |
 Gairsay from Mainland Orkney | |
| Location | |
  Gairsay Gairsay shown within Orkney | |
| OS grid reference | HY446222 |
| Coordinates | 59°04′59″N 2°57′58″W / 59.083°N 2.966°W |
| Physical geography | |
| Island group | Orkney |
| Area | 240 hectares (0.93 sq mi) |
| Area rank | 99= [2] |
| Highest elevation | 102 metres (335 ft) |
| Administration | |
| Council area | Orkney Islands |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 3[3] |
| Population rank | 80= [2] |
| Population density | 1.2 people/km2[1][3] |
 | |
| References | [4] [5][6][7] |
Gairsay (Old Norse: Gáreksey) is a small island in Orkney, Scotland, located in the parish of Rendall, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) off the coast, astride one of the approaches to the bays of Firth and Kirkwall. It is about 2 miles (3.2 km) long and 1 mile (1.6 km) wide and includes one conical hill and a small harbour called Millburn Bay, which is sheltered by the peninsula known as the Hen of Gairsay.
- ^ a b Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 367
- ^ a b Area and population ranks: there are c. 300 islands over 20 ha in extent and 93 permanently inhabited islands were listed in the 2011 census.
- ^ a b National Records of Scotland (15 August 2013). "Appendix 2: Population and households on Scotland's Inhabited Islands" (PDF). Statistical Bulletin: 2011 Census: First Results on Population and Household Estimates for Scotland Release 1C (Part Two) (PDF) (Report). SG/2013/126. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
- ^ Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 5 Orkney (Northern Isles) (Map). Ordnance Survey. 2008. ISBN 9780319228111.
- ^ Anderson, Joseph (Ed.) (1893) Orkneyinga Saga. Translated by Jón A. Hjaltalin & Gilbert Goudie. Edinburgh. James Thin and Mercat Press (1990 reprint). ISBN 0-901824-25-9
- ^ "Overview of Gairsay". Gazetteer for Scotland. Retrieved 5 January 2008.
- ^ Pedersen, Roy (January 1992) Orkneyjar ok Katanes (map, Inverness, Nevis Print)