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Home , Burray, Churchill Barriers, Egilsay, Flotta, HMS Hampshire (1903), HMS Royal Oak (08)

NORTH PAPA RONALDSAY

WESTRAY

SANDAY

ROUSAY

EGILSAY

WYRE OUTLINE 6 1 HOXA HEAD WEST GARRISONED VANTAGE-POINT AND THE MAIN GATEWAY MAINLAND TO IN TWO WORLD WARS

2 THE FOUR CAUSEWAYS SEALING THE EASTERN APPROACHES TO SCAPA FLOW ITINERARY WARTIME 4 5 3 FORTRESS BEAUTIFUL AND POIGNANT TESTAMENT TO FAITH AND EAST INGENUITY IN A TIME OF WAR MAINLAND Orkney in wartime - Britain’s heavily-defended northern SCAPA FLOW fortress in two world war conflicts. 4 STROMNESS MUSEUM ORKNEY’S WARTIME NAVAL 3 Orkney’s strategic location and the excellence of the HISTORY BROUGHT TO LIFE great natural harbour of Scapa Flow, led to these tranquil THROUGH A UNIQUE COLLECTION islands becoming a major military base, with thousands 2 of servicemen and women being stationed here on ship 5 NESS BATTERY and shore. The impact of these people and their stories A CRUCIAL PART OF THE DEFENCES OF THE WESTERN 1 is all around you. APPROACHES TO SCAPA FLOW Follow this itinerary for an introduction to Fortress Orkney. 6 KITCHENER MEMORIAL, MARWICK HEAD SOUTH HONOURING A NAVAL TRAGEDY LONGHOPE RONALDSAY

Churchill Barriers Italian Chapel Italian Chapel interior

SEE MORE WEEKEND ITINERARIES AND SPECIAL OFFERS AT VISITORKNEY.COM/WEEKEND YOUR 1 HOXA HEAD 2 THE CHURCHILL BARRIERS 3 ITALIAN CHAPEL 4 STROMNESS MUSEUM Hoxa Head overlooks the main channel The four barriers blocking the eastern Of the 1300 Italian prisoners of war As you drive from the Italian Chapel to ITINERARY into Scapa Flow. Imagine being stationed approaches to Scapa Flow were built brought from North Africa to Orkney in Stromness (see the suggested route here many miles from home, watching the on the orders of Sir , early 1942, 600 were housed in Camp 60 on highlighted on the map), look out for to-ing and fro-ing of ships large and small. following the audacious and deadly the small island of Lamb . They were wartime ruins in the fields either side of There were so many that at they mission of U-47. On the given permission to convert two Nissen the road, all that remains of extensive AUTUMN/WINTER have been described as a forest of ships. 14th of October 1939, the submarine huts into a chapel. Guided by Domenico defences which ringed Scapa Flow. The manoeuvred round the blockships sunk Chiocchetti, they transformed the bare Orkney anti-aircraft barrage was famous TIME: 1 DAY’S TOURING Garrison duties included manning the searchlights here, or one of the gun to secure the channel between the huts into a beautifully decorated interior. for its effectiveness in preventing air DISTANCE: 52 MILES batteries watching over the boom Mainland and , and torpedoed Chiocchetti returned to Orkney from his attacks on the fleet. And for its noise! defences which prevented enemy the Royal Oak, with the loss of home in in 1960, to assist with Picture the sight in 1918, of Britain’s from entering. more than 830 men and boys. the renovation of the chapel. On his swaying at anchor in Scapa In the First World War, Gunner Astle, part Led by contractor Balfour Beattie departure, he wrote a letter to the people Flow, when the ships of Germany’s High of the Hoxa garrison in 1917-18, whiled and with a workforce including 1300 of Orkney in which he said: Seas Fleet sailed in under the terms of ITINERARY WARTIME away his spare time by keeping a journal in Italian prisoners of war, the Churchill “The chapel is yours - for you to love the armistice which brought the war to which, in 1918, he describes watching the Barriers were a massive civil engineering and preserve. I take with me to Italy an end. Imagine, then, the scene in 1919 71 ships of the German achievement. The work was dangerous the remembrance of your kindness and when the German fleet was scuttled by steam past to be interned. and difficult but provided permanent wonderful hospitality. . .” its crews. A handful of the proud warships connections between the Mainland, Lamb remain on the seabed today, attracting When you visit, follow the path straight Holm, Burray and . The Italian Chapel is open daily, experienced divers from around the world. to the top of the hill for a panoramic view please check opening times with the of the gun batteries and other defences There are small car parks at the ends of Kirkwall iCentre. In Stromness, the Stromness Museum’s from both world wars. Keep away from each barrier, and interpretation panels galleries include the story of Orkney’s the crumbling ruins and the cliff edge. tell the story of the construction. wartime naval history, with artefacts on The garrison’s barracks were right next display including poignant memorabilia to where you are standing and you are bringing the human stories of two world witnessing the same view the young wars to life. The museum’s opening soldiers saw each day. hours are restricted from Monday to Saturday in the winter months so please check before visiting.

The German Fleet in Scapa Flow WW1

Hoxa Head HMS Royal Oak Wartime artefacts, Stromness Museum

SEE MORE WEEKEND ITINERARIES AND SPECIAL OFFERS AT VISITORKNEY.COM/WEEKEND YOUR 5 NESS BATTERY 6 KITCHENER MEMORIAL, OTHER PLACES TO VISIT IF YOU HAVE MORE TIME Near Stromness, you’ll find theNess MARWICK HEAD There is lots to see and do in every corner of Orkney ITINERARY Battery, which guarded the Hoy On the 5th of , the armoured whatever the season; the quieter months are a great Mouth entrance to Scapa Flow in both cruiser, HMS Hampshire, left Scapa Flow time to sightsee at a slower pace. If you have time to world wars. As well as the remains of en route for Russia carrying Secretary of explore further, see the suggested sites below: the batteries, several of the wooden State for War, Lord Kitchener, with his In , guided tours of HMS Tern, a Royal Naval Air AUTUMN/WINTER accommodation huts are intact. In one staff and the ship’s crew of more than 700 Station operational in World War Two are available by of them, painted murals of rural TIME: 1 DAY’S TOURING men. That evening, in stormy conditions arrangement. on the walls no doubt helped homesick off Orkney’s west coast, the ship struck DISTANCE: 52 MILES servicemen through their tours of duty a mine and sank. There were only 12 In Kirkwall, the Orkney Library and Archive has a lot of at the Ness. survivors. material about wartime Orkney, including the diary of Gunner Astle who was stationed at Hoxa Head during Although the artillery guns were removed The Kitchener Memorial at Marwick the First World War. in 1955, the site was used by the Territorial Head commemorates this tragic loss of Army right up until 2001. Scheduled ITINERARY WARTIME life, a sombre but fitting final stop on your Visit , Kirkwall to view the guided tours of Ness Battery take place itinerary. The remains of Fortress Orkney Royal Oak Memorial. during the summer months and by special are evocative of a time and a place and arrangement at other times. See Ness of the scale of effort by so many people Take time to also visit the Royal Oak Memorial Garden, Battery website for details. in wartime, but the lonely memorial on a at Scapa Beach. windswept headland, with its spectacular views seaward, is a reminder of the true cost of conflict.

FINDING OUT MORE Local bookshops have a good selection of books about wartime Orkney and the story of Scapa Flow.

Our one-day itineraries are designed to give you a taste of Orkney. We hope that your short break will inspire you to come back for a longer stay and further explore Orkney

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Ness Battery Kitchener Memorial, Marwick Head

SEE MORE WEEKEND ITINERARIES AND SPECIAL OFFERS AT VISITORKNEY.COM/WEEKEND