Happy Valley – tribute to Edwin Harrold

A tribute to Edwin Harrold

Cartoon created for The Orkney News column in the July 2018 edition of iScot magazine, written by Fiona Grahame.

The quote, “What you don’t have, you don’t miss,” comes from an interview with Edwin Harrold’s former neighbour Ruby Spence, as outlined here.

Edwin Harrold was by all accounts quite a character. He lived a simple life at Bankburn Cottage off Bigswell Road, Stenness, in the West Mainland of Orkney. There he re-routed the Russadale Burn to power a small hydro-electric system to cover his modest electrical needs.

The area around Edwin’s house was landscaped to create a small woodland escape of a kind which is uncommon in Orkney. Visitors were welcome, and the magical-sounding Happy Valley no doubt left a lasting impression on many a young Orcadian.

Happy Valley is now maintained by the Friends of Happy Valley, a charitable organisation.

For more on Edwin Harrold’s life and work, read this months iScot magazine.