It’s called Balfour Castle and it’s on...

It’s called Balfour Castle and it’s on the island of Shapinsay in the Orkney Islands. Accommodations for six guests. Four-poster and canopy beds. Other antique furnishings. Garden-fresh vegetables, fresh eggs, butter, cheese, poultry, meat, shellfish. A private boat is available for charter. The castle was built in 1847. Turrets, lofty ceilings. Guests stroll along deserted beaches, study the ocean from towering cliffs. Rates: 68 per day, full board with wine. Flights from London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Inverness. For reservations write to Balfour Castle, Shapinsay, Orkney Isles, United Kingdom.

Small Hotels

Beverly Beyer has updated her handy little book, “Passport to Europe’s Small Hotels & Inns.” Names more than 850 properties in 23 European countries. It’s pocket-size. Sells for $6.95. Beyer has been a hotel snooper since 1960. Selects hotels/inns based on comfort, appeal, location, value, dining. Some are bargains, others are pricey.

In Portugal, Beyer describes Hotel Da Nazare in the village of Nazare: “Terraces and dining room overlook this colorful fishing village. One of the better places to eat. Fifty rooms with glorious views. Rates: Doubles with bath, $35.” Her choice in Positano, Italy: Palazzo Murat. “A sumptuous baroque villa with antique-filled rooms, balconies, patio with breakfasts beneath a waterfall of flaming bougainvillea and hibiscus.”

Beyer says her readers are “adventurers” and that although they may “splurge occasionally, there is always a rucksack in their souls.” Describes them as “footloose and independent.” Besides naming inns/hotels, Beyer provides tips on packing, budgeting, car rentals, Eurailpasses, bus passes, etc. If you can’t find Beyer’s book in your local store, write for listings to John Wiley & Sons, 605 3rd Ave., New York 10158-0012 or telephone (212) 850-6164.

Barge Bargains

Barging in France is generally expensive, but Bill Forsythe does trips for bargain hunters. Rates $500/$750 per week. Four vessels in the Burgundy region. Forsythe’s barges accommodate six to 10 passengers. Private cabins/showers. To keep prices low, only breakfast/lunch served. Evenings are spent exploring villages, discovering inexpensive restaurants, bistros. Forsythe says his barges feature central heating, libraries, stereos, bars, bicycles. (Just keep in mind that these aren’t luxury liners. ) Contact Forsythe c/o Cruises in France, 6 Clearbrooke Circle, Rexdale, Ont.,, Canada M9W 2E3.

Puerto Rico’s Paradores

Paradores are popular in Puerto Rico. Modeled after those in Spain. Rates $30/$60 a night. Of the dozen operated by the Puerto Rico Tourism Co., three are on Puerto Rico’s northwest coast. Another paradore does business in a small fishing village on the southern coast. A couple of others welcome guests in the mountains on working coffee plantations. Other privacy offered at Villa Esperanza on the little island of Vieques. For reservations call toll-free (800) 443-0266.

New Zealand

A couple of magazine-size guides are available free from New Zealand. One is titled “New Zealand Book 1987.” Contains maps, photos, tips on dining/shopping. Details on seven regions. The other guide (“New Zealand Outdoor Action Holidays”) provides background on fishing, boating, sporting lodges, farm visits, bike tours, mountaineering, trekking, four-wheel drive safaris. For copies write to the New Zealand Tourist & Publicity Office, Suite 1530, 10960 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles 90024 or telephone (213) 477-8241.

Pocket Guide

The Eurailpass people have published a 12-page pocket-size booklet. Tells about the Eurailpass, the Saverpass and the Eurail Youthpass. Eurailpasses priced from $280 for 15 days, Youthpasses sell for $310 for one month and the Saverpass for two or more vacationers traveling together (15 days) during March figures out to $199.

Tickets are good for travel in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland. For copies of the booklet write to Eurailpass, P.O. Box 325, Old Greenwich, Conn. 06870-0325.

Reader Recommendations

Oregon--Gary Pollock, San Rafael: “Highly recommend Fiddleback Manor, Old Highway 101, P.O. Box 288, Port Orford, Ore. 97465. On a sheltered hilltop just a mile south of Port Orford in southern Oregon. The entire 10-acre estate rents for about $850 a week.”

Napa Valley--Bill Muster, Los Angeles: “Gracious hospitality from English innkeepers Janet and Geoffrey Villiers and their daughter Lisa at the tastefully redecorated Country Garden Inn, 1815 Silverado Trail, Napa, Calif. 94558. Complimentary wines, champagne breakfast. Rustic surroundings on Napa River. Large room with Jacuzzi, $110. Others from $55.”

Big Bear--Ellen Krahforst, Los Angeles: Praises Sleepy Forest Cottages. “So quiet you can hear the trees growing. It cost $79 a night for two of us.” For reservations call (714) 866-7444.

San Francisco--Mrs. Eleanor Sweet, Encino: “An 1880 Victorian mansion, the Langtry. Decorated with antiques, completely refurbished. Bed and breakfast, $75. Write to the Langtry, 637 Steiner, San Francisco, Calif. 94117.”

Utah--D. J. Cass: “A brand new B&B;, Cedar Breaks, Center and 4th streets, East Moab, Utah 84532. Daily rate, $37.50 for two with full breakfast. At the gateway to Arches National Park and Canyonlands.”

New Zealand--Nick Danny, Long Beach: “Just returned from farm stays in wonderful New Zealand. Recommend farms of Don and Carol Blake, Maungaiti, Main S. Road, RD1, Tokoroa, New Zealand; Albert and Dorrie Toogood, Mandeville, RD7, Gore, New Zealand. Rates run $55 for two including all meals. Contact White Heron Holidays, 34C Constellation Drive, Mairangi Bay, New Zealand.”

France--Richard C. Hartman, Fullerton: Enjoyed Hotel Bedford, 17 Rue de l’Arcade, Paris, France. “A large room for two with very modern bath was 560 francs. Also recommend Hotel du Rosier et Muse, Route D107, 48150 Meyrueis, France. Excellent room and bath for 360 francs.”

Ireland--John D. Goldson, Rancho Mirage: Bailick Cottage, Midleton, County Cork. Rates run 17 per night. “Worth every penny.”

Scotland--Charlotte and Herb Reid, Sierra Madre: “A small hotel in Scotland, the Cultopuhey House, Crieff, Perthshire. Ideally situated for golf at Gleneagles, 45 miles from Edinburgh. Bed and breakfast, 15-17.50 per person.”

England--Constance Zahn, Riverside: “Enjoyed the charming family-run Croft Hotel (nine rooms with bath) in a tranquil residential neighborhood, 18 Prideaux Road, Eastborne, East Sussex, England. Excellent value--$58 a night per couple with full breakfast. Reductions for children.” Zahn also recommends renting a “luxury self-catering cottage in the country. (Write to Glebe House, Bridgerule, Holsworthy, Devon EX22 7EW). Rate, $700 for the week for a four-bedroom, two-bath house that sleeps 10.”

England--Enid Sandler, Santa Monica: “A couple of my favorites I’d like to share with your readers--the Woolpak, a small coaching inn, Chilham, Kent CT4 8DL, England. Rates last year were 34 double, 20 single with a full English breakfast, service and tax included; Brompton House, St. Johns Road, Bath, BA2 6PT, England, a former rectory for St. Mary’s Church set in its own attractive gardens, a 10-minute walk from the heart of Bath. Rooms are tastefully furnished. Rates in ’86 were 16 single, 30-35 double, breakfast, service, tax included.”

Reader Recommendations should be brief (typewritten or printed). Cannot be used without prices and addresses. Please, no brochures.