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Flow in October 1939. Soon after two 12-pounders were mounted on the WWI site.

Nearby a twin 6-pounder battery (HY495017) was installed by late 1940 in a concrete gun house with associated magazines and searchlights. A further twin 12-pounder battery was installed on the south side of Graemeshall coastal defence battery and Churchill Barrier No.1 Lamb Holm (HY487002). metal transmitting towers diminished. Netherbutton With the completion of the were built in 1940, and the originally was linked to the Barriers the guns were station was fully complete in Wick operations room, but moved to other sites in July 1941, by which time the from October 1940 it report- October 1943. The German air threat was much ed to the Combined Gunnery Graemeshall battery is typi- Aerial view of Holm and the cal of many around RAF Netherbutton was a WWII radar station then a BBC TV station HOLM (ON Homn, haven stone was found in Holm in Iron Age broch. At the east- shores and is mostly intact. or good anchorage) is pro- the 19th century, but its exact ern approach to nounced "Ham". The east- provenance is unclear. The and overlooking the fertile RAF Netherbutton Radar ern part of the parish is “Graemeshall Stone” may area of Paplay, this would be Station (HY463044), on the known as Paplay (ON Papa- have been associated with a good place to establish a main A961, -Holm byli, home or settlement of the chapel that once stood stronghold. This large unex- road, was the most northerly Papae). According to the near the mouth of the cavated mound may hide all of the "Chain Home" of Orkneyinga Saga the Sigurd Graemeshall Burn at “Mass sorts of secrets, but so far the radar stations built in the late who married Earl Erlend's Howe”, which may have visitor must use imagina- 1930s all the way from widow, Thora, the mother of been dedicated to Mary. tion. Land's End to Orkney. Each St Magnus, lived here. The such station had 4 steel tow- old church is on the shore at Castle Howe (HY514003), World War I There was a ers, which were the trans- Howes Wick (HY513005) which strongly resembles battery near Tower of Clett mitting aerials, here on the and this may well be the site the small stone castle of at Graemeshall in World west side of the road, and of a much earlier Celtic Cubbie Roo on Wyre, could War I, originally four 12- four wooden towers on the church. be the remains of a large pounders mounted on con- east side, which were the Norse strongpoint, and it crete parapets. These were receiving aerials. Although Picts A Pictish symbol may be built on top of an replaced in 1916 with three all the towers have now American 4-inch quick fir- gone, much remains of the Castle Howe may be a Norse castle built on a broch ing guns. Blockships were site including the transmitter sunk in all of the sounds room (now a house), the now blocked by the powerhouse and several Churchill Barriers. other buildings.

World War II At the start Initially the station used of the war Kirk Sound was equipment from other sites neither defended by guns, and by 1st June 1939 it was nor properly obstructed by operational, but with small blockships, thus allowing 90ft towers and obsolete U47 free access to Scapa electronics. Four 350ft

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A French Raid There is an attractive old storehouse at its eastern end with a steep roof and crow-stepped gables, which was built in 1649. It was looted in 1694 by two French privateers which sailed into Holm Sound, after kidnapping three fishermen who were forced to act as pilots. The store was originally used for the collection of goods used St Mary’s in about 1900 St Mary’s from Lamb Holm to settle skat, the tax due and Sector Operations Museum in Kirkwall has under Udal Law. and Graemeshall Loch are Dingieshowe in . Centre at Kirkwall (the various artefacts relating to both good spots for winter- There are good views from “Black Building”), which this and other aspects of The French landed on Lamb ing wildfowl and unusual here to the east to then controlled all of radio in World War II. Holm and stole all of the vagrants during the migra- and southwards to the South Orkney’s anti-aircraft guns animals there as well as sup- tion seasons. Both can be Isles. and fighter squadrons. St Mary's Village, and its plies of grain, meal and but- observed using the car as a sheltered Bay of Ayre was a ter. They also smashed a hide. Holm Sound and St St Mary’s There is a fine At the end of the war the sta- busy place during the boat and took household Mary's Bay are also particu- circular coastal walk via tion was re-equipped, but by Herring fishing season. goods, before landing next larly interesting in winter Skaildaquoy Point, and 1955 it was redundant. The Before the building of the to the storehouse and taking with Long-tailed Ducks, Howequoy Head to the Bay station closed in 1958, but Barriers a ferry ran from everything of value. Velvet Scoters and Great of Sandoyne. Return by side then found a new use as a here to . The name is Beacons had meanwhile Northern Divers. Otters fre- roads to the Loch of Ayre television relay station. One from an ancient chapel, been lit and soon over 400 quent the shores and are with its ruined broch and of the towers was raised to whose site is now lost. It people, many of them sometimes seen around the wildfowl. 411ft and the transmitter may well have been near the armed, were watching help- Barriers. Occasionally pods block used for the equip- broch, as the Loch of Ayre is lessly. The laird fired his of Dolphins appear, no Paplay The area around the ment. The remaining two also known as St Mary’s cannon but its range was too doubt chasing shoals of Old St Nicholas Kirk on the towers were finally disman- Loch, but it was more likely short to reach the ships. Mackerel or Herring. shores of Holm Sound is tled in 1986 by the same at “Mass Howe”, near the particularly attractive. The “Graemeshall” Pictish stone The many small roads and company which had built mouth of Graemeshall Burn Graemeshall House Walks There is a pleasant Beaches at Wester Sand and viewpoints are well worth them 47 years previously, where an inscribed Pictish (HY488017) has a large pri- walk out to the point at Howes Wick are small but exploring. Greenwall is one when the BBC moved to stone is said to have been vate collection of antiques Roseness (ND520990), interesting, and are good th of the oldest inhabited hous- Keelylang. Orkney Wireless found in the 19 century. collected by Norris Wood where there is a new light- places to look for migrant house. It is possible to con- waders. The fertile east part es in Orkney. Howes Wick and the Old Kirk with Roseness in the background over 55 years, the “Norwood Collection”. There are five tinue along the low cliffs to of Holm is known as Paplay. rooms of exhibits, and a Old storehouse built in 1649 Graemeshall houses the “Norwood Collection” small chapel. The house was originally built about 1626 by Bishop Graham as an extension to the older House of Meall and has since been extensively mod- ified. Open May to September, admission charge. Wildlife St Mary's Loch

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