south isles - hoy south isles - hoy the high island · hoy (on ha-ey, high island) is the largest...

north and west coasts arebounded by spectacular cliffs,while the southeast coast hasso many bays that the Vikingscalled it Vagaland, Land ofVoes. This becameScotticised into Wawis, andthen Anglicised to Walls. Theold pronunciation of Waas,however, has survived.

Geology The difference interrain is caused by the rocks.Hoy is mostly composed ofUpper Old Red Sandstone,overlying the Middle Old RedSandstone, which makes upmost of the rest of Orkney.The start of the steep slopes ofthe Ward Hill (HY229023,479m) and Cuilags(HY209033, 435m) mark the

boundary between the twotypes of sandstone, which canalso be clearly seen in the cliffsto the west. The horizontalbeds of sandstone have weath-ered to give dramatic verticalred and yellow cliffs, highest atSt John's Head (HY187033,351m), the tallest vertical seacliff in Britain.

Old Man of Hoy Hoy is per-haps most famous for its OldMan (HY177008, 137m), agreat rock stack which standson a lava flow. This hard out-crop forms a skerry whichprotrudes about 200m out tosea from the base of the greatstack and has been a key factorin its formation. Early in the19th century there was a sec-

HOY (ON Ha-ey, HighIsland) is the largest Orkneyisland after the Mainland,

being about 20km (12.5mi)long by 9km (5.6mi) wide.Most of the island is more like

the Scottish Highlands thanOrkney, only the southern endbeing low and fertile. The

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MV “Hamnavoe” passing the Old Man of Hoy on her way to Scrabster

St John’s Head and the Old Man of Hoy

SOUTH ISLES - HOY, THE HIGH ISLAND

HOYATTRACTIONS

HOY

North Hoy Nature ReserveWard HillWhaness BurnDwarfie StoneBerrie DaleRackwickRora HeadOld Man of HoySt John’s HeadCuilagsBraebuster BrochThe WitterChapel & cemetery, BuGreenhill Broch, Whaness

WEST COAST

Mel-FeaLyrie GeoSummer of HoyCandle of the SneukLittle RackwickHeldale WaterHoglinns WaterThe BerryHa WickTornessMelberry& Sands Geo

NORTH WALLS

Water of HoyBetty Corrigall’s GraveLyrawa Hill viewpointScad HeadLyrawa Burn and BayPegal Burn and BayLynessScapa Flow Visitor CentreLyness Naval CemeteryWee Fea viewpointCrockness Martello TowerBinga Fea viewpointMelsetter HouseNorth BayBrimsLifeboat MuseumDuncan’s Geo chambered cairnThe Skeo BrochChapel of Brims

SOUTH WALLS

LonghopeHill o'White Hammars ReserveGreen Hill BrochOuter Green Hill BrochHackness Martello Tower & BatteryOsmondwall CemeteryGreen Hill of Hestigeo BrochCantick Head Lighthouse

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SOUTH ISLES - HOY

The Hoy Hills and Hoy Sound from Stromness

parishes of North and SouthWalls, the latter usually beingcalled simply Longhope locally.The east and south are mostlyagricultural with many shel-tered bays and much evidenceof past human settlement.The interior is heather moor-land, bounded by cliffs to thewest and a lower rocky coast-line further south.

Moaness Pier is the arrivalpoint for the ferry fromStromness and Graemsay.Overlooking Burra Sound, theBu has an interesting oldhouse dating from 1615, withcrow-stepped gables. Nearerthe pier, Burra House wasbuilt as a manse in 1798.

An old chapel surrounded byan ancient graveyard sits abovethe Sands of Klibreck, facingBurra Sound and Graemsay.The broch which once domi-nated this bay may have stoodto the north in the field calledBurraquoy.

There was a twin 12-poundersite called t Skerry, next to BuFarm. This battery is very wellpreserved and was built about1941. It affords good views

across Hoy Sound and theskerries which are exposed atlow tide. many seals lie uphere.

Burra Sound In Burra Soundthe blockship Inverlaine was aprominent wreck. This 8,000ton tanker had struck a minein 1940 and was eventuallysunk in this position in 1944.Although seemingly solid the

ship was moved by a stormand is now under water.There are the remains of sev-eral other blockships in thearea, all of which are also sub-merged.

The northeast part of Hoy ismore fertile, and there is aruined broch or fort at Broughof Braebuster (HY052213).The Green Hill of Quoyness

ond leg on the landward side,showing how ephemeral ourcoastal features are.

Other lava flows in the area atthe Kame of Hoy(HY198049) and Too of the

Head (HY192988) have acharacteristic columnar for-mation, while there is a promi-nent volcanic plug at TheWitter (HY224047).

Glaciation At the end of the

Ice Age the HoyHills retainedglaciers which formed thelarge corries at Nowt Bieldand Quoyawa on the WardHill, Enegars below Cuilagsand small coastal ones such asRunnarto and Stours Kinoranear the Old Man. TrowieGlen is a fine example of ahanging valley. Terminalmoraines from glacial melt-water are prominent at theSandy Loch and in Rackwick.Although Orkney gets littlesnow, the Hoy Hills are oftenwhite in winter, due to theirheight.

North Hoy Whether the vis-itor arrives on foot fromStromness at Moaness Pier, orby the car ferry via Lyness,Hoy splits into three areas,north, west and south. Thenorth is dominated by largehills, deep valleys and precipi-tous cliffs, while the dramaticwest side also has a veryimposing coastline, as well as aremote and largely unvisitedinterior.

South Hoy is divided into the

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Mist covers the top of St John’s Head with the Old Man and Rora Head behind

The 351m face of St John’s Head is the highest vertical sea cliff in UKClimbers on the Old Man


The 351m face of St John’s Head is the highest vertical sea cliff in UK

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Berrie Dale, near Rackwick, is the largest area of relict woodland in Orkney

The spectacular beach at Rackwick has a large expanse of sand and is framed by high cliffs at each end

The north side of Rackwick has large sandstone boulders

SOUTH ISLES - HOY

avoid damaging them. Thereare fine views from all of thesummits with perhaps thebest being from the Howes ofQuoyawa.

Cuilags (435m) makes anattractive addition to a walk toSt John’s Head. Its summit isa335m straight climb from theSandy Loch. The ramparts ofEnegars (HY203038, 350m)are awe inspiring. They arebest viewed early or late in theday. as they face north.

Trowieglen There are severalother good walks, of whichone is via Trowie Glen to theKnap of Trowieglen(ND240985, 399m) andeither down Lyrawa Burn orPegal Burn (ND294975) tothe main road. This wild areaincludes several lochans withRed-throated Divers, whichshould not be disturbed dur-ing the breeding season.Trowieglen is a good exampleof a glacial hanging valley. Itssheltered sides are good forbotanising.

broch (HY250028) has beenhalf eroded by the sea, but stillstands 4m high. It is in a gooddefensive position with com-manding views of BurraSound and the Bring Deeps.

Dwarfie Stone Below theDwarfie Hamars lies an isolat-ed block of sandstone knownas the Dwarfie Stone(HY243004). Thought to

date from about 3000BC, thisrock-cut tomb has a passageand two cells and there is alarge block nearby which orig-inally blocked the entrance.The marks of the stone toolsused to hollow out the cham-ber can be clearly seen andthere are various interestingVictorian graffiti. There is aboardwalk path across the bogso wellies are not needed.

After a serious heather fire in1984, many sub-peat dykes,together with banks andmounds suggesting a prehis-toric agricultural settlementwere revealed in the nearbyWhaness Burn area(HY025245).

Carbuncle From the DwarfieStone it is said that a“Carbuncle” can at times beseen on the northeast of theupper slopes of the Ward Hillduring May, June and July inthe late evening. This is saidto “shine or sparkle with lightwhen seen from below”, but thesource has never been foundby anyone climbing to seek itssource. The tale may well befictional, especially as it isgiven prominence by WalterScott, whose writings werenot exactly complimentary ofOrkney.

Ward Hill of Hoy (ONVarda, Beacon, 479m) is thehighest hill in Orkney. WithCuilags and Knap ofTrowieglen it forms the HoyHills, which are so prominentfrom all over Orkney andnorthern Caithness.

There are several possibleroutes up the Ward Hill. Thesteepest and most direct is viathe Burn of Quoys andQuoyawa. Earlier routes arefrom the south via the NowtBield, from the north via theRed Glen and from Rackwick.

The ridge walk is well worth-while. Many alpine plantsmanage to grow in this fellfield. Care should be taken to

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Arctic Bearberry


The top of the Ward Hill

Dragonfly on the Dwarfie Stone

The top of the Ward Hill

Moaness Pier

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The Dwarfie Stone lies below the Dwarfie Hamars opposite the Ward Hill

The rock-cut interior of the Dwarfie Stone is very well finished

The Ward Hill (m) dominates the north of Hoy

SOUTH ISLES - HOY

kiln. This was used to dryoats and bere as well as inmaking malt.for ale.

Beach Like many beaches inOrkney Rackwick is verychangeable. The bay is shal-low and at low springs a largearea of sand is exposed. Thenorth end is always boulder-strewn but the south end hasfine sands which reach pastthe Burnmouth.

Coastal sand dunes give wayto machair then peatbog. Thelarge variety of habitats in asmall area, combined with rel-atively sheltered climate makeRackwick a good place forthose studying insects andplants.

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RACKWICK (ON Reka-Vik,Jetsam Bay) is a dramatic con-trast to the rest of north Hoywith its wide sand and boul-der beach, bound on bothsides by 150m cliffs. Thislarge and quiet glen, whichwas once well populated withcrofters and fishermen, is nownearly deserted except for hol-iday homes. It has a beautyand a climate all of its own.

Beware, with its extensivemarshy areas, it is also one ofthe favourite places in Orkneyfor the dreaded Culicoides

impunctatus, or Midgie. Incompensation, Hoy is by farthe best place to see dragon-flies and damsel flies. Theyare common near pools andsteams in late summer.

From Moaness Pier toRackwick along picturesquesingle track road about 8km(5mi). This passes the flanksof the Ward Hill to the northand the Knap of Trowieglento the south, before the open-ing out into the wide expanseof Rackwick Valley. TheDwarfie Stone nestles under

the precipitous and somewhatforbidding Dwarfie Hamars.

Rackwick can also be reachedon foot from the carpark eastof Sandy Loch. The path fol-lows the Burn of Redglen andthe Rackwick Burn, passingBerrie Dale woodland on theway. This route is strongly rec-ommended for walkers.

Cra’as Nest Museum is an18th century croft. The househas box beds, a dresser and oldwooden furniture. There isalso a byre and a barn with a

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RACKWICK

Berrie Dale, near Rackwick, is the largest area of relict woodland in Orkney

Rackwick panoramic in midwinter

Rackwick fishermen in the 19th centurya Burnmouth Cottage window

Cra’as Nest is now a museum

Rackwick aerial view from the southeast in February

The spectacular beach at Rackwick has a large expanse of sand and is framed by high cliffs at each end

SOUTH ISLES - HOY

St John’s Head From the OldMan there are several alterna-tive return routes to Moanesspier, depending on time andenergy. The energetic walk viaSt John's Head, Cuilags andthe Kame may be the mostspectacular. Leaden Geo andHendry’s Holes are sites of for-mer attempts at lead mining,while the vertiginous viewfrom the Bre Brough and thenearby 351m drop below SuiFea (378m) are not for thoseaverse to heights.

Manx Shearwaters still nest inthe craigs of Enegars above theKame. The slopes into theMeadow of the Kame are verysteep and a more gentle returnis via the summit of Cuilags(435m), with wonderfulpanoramic views, to the SandyLoch.

Other routes back from theOld Man are to head to thesummit of Moor Fea (304m)and directly back to Rackwick

or to take a detour to BerrieDale woods. Alternatively fol-low the clifftops to the dra-matic red rocks of Rora Headbefore returning to the path.

The coast here has many cavesand geos and is spectacular ofa summer’s evening or duringa winter storm.

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Old Man of Hoy The pathfrom Rackwick to the OldMan is steep at first and the6km (3.75 miles) return walktakes about 3 hours. Alongthe way there are panoramicviews of Rackwick and thePentland Firth, which are wellworth stopping to admire. Anumber of interesting plantsinhabit the slopes above thepath including ArcticBearberry, Dwarf Juniper andLeast Willow.

There are several dramaticviewpoints from which toadmire the Old Man, includ-ing from the south side ofRunnarto (HY004178, ONHraun, Heap of Stones), fromThe Knee or Tuaks O’the Boy,the nearest point to the stackand Scarsa (ON Scard, Notchin a Ridge).

It was first climbed in 1966,when the event was televisedlive, a major feat at that time.

Climbers regularly ascend theOld Man and neighbouringcliffs, but this is not anendeavour to be undertakenlightly. In former times theyoung men of Rackwick werewell known for their climbingability, when they went insearch of birds’ eggs, using sim-mons made from heather astheir ropes.

It is possible to descend to thebase of the cliffs in dry weath-er in several places by takingobvious paths down the steepslopes, but this is not recom-mended, and is dangerousexcept in dry weather. Thepath to the foot of the OldMan is called the Stowar Road.There is a fine rock-fishingstance at the Trough to theseaward of the stack, while thebay to the south is called theSooth Loop, and that to thenorth, The Neuk. Both aregood places for flotsam to col-lect.

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THE OLD MAN OF HOY & ST JOHN’S HEAD

The Old Man of Hoy and Rora Head from the north

The path to the Old Man follows the contours of Moor Fea

SOUTH ISLES - HOY

Panoramic view with the Kame of Hoy, (300m), St John’s Head (351m) and the Old Man of Hoy (137m)

The Old Man of Hoy in 1815 by William Daniell

still spectacular. There is a largecolony of Great Black-backedGulls here in summer. This is thefirst easily accessible beach south ofRackwick.

Little Rackwick has a shinglestorm beach and is the final restingplace of several wrecks and muchflotsam. Fishermen fromRackwick and Brims used to pullup their yoles on this beach in set-tled weather. The Grimsbytrawler Ross Pumawas lost here in1968, the crew were rescued.

Many of the inland lochans hostbreeding Red-throated Divers insummer, which should not be dis-turbed. Usually they are heardlong before they are seen as they flyover. They may be observed dis-cretely from a distance.

The southern part of the route isdescribed in the South Walls sec-tion, below. The complete routevisa Berry Head, Tor Ness andBrims can be followed.Alternatively return via HeldaleWater. This coastline is the onlyreally remote part of Orkney. Inplaces the nearest house is over8km (5mi) away so it is a goodplan to inform others of your plansbefore setting out.

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West Coast Walk The reallyenergetic can try Orkney's mostspectacular walk, which goes southfrom Rackwick to Torness(ND254884). It can also be donethe other way around, but is thenmostly uphill. In view of change-able weather conditions and thechance of mist, waterproofs, map,compass, GPS and torch are rec-ommended.

This walk takes in magnificent cliffscenery, with very fine views acrossthe Pentland Firth. It will take awhole day due to the distanceinvolved (12km, 7.5mi) and roughterrain. With the many cliff viewsto admire, care must be taken toleave plenty of time.

Starting from Rackwick there is asteep 200m climb to the CraigGate. The route drops down into

the valleys of several valleys. Shortdiversions to coastal viewpoints orlochans make it longer.Midsummer is probably the besttime for wild flowers, birds andcolours. After passing WillieYoung’s Cairnbelow the summit ofMel Fea (324m), the route passesseveral spectacular geos. Theseinclude Geo of the Lame and LyrieGeo, where young men fromRackwick used to catch ManxShearwaters.

The Summer of Hoy Burn (ONSunn-moerr, South March orBorder) when full, forms a spectac-ular waterfall next to the Sneuk(ON Snokr, Snout, 165m). Thereare good views northwest alongthe cliffs from northwest of theBurn of Forse (ON Fors,Waterfall, ND220948). In thiscase the outfall is much lower, but

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Rugged cliffs north of the Sneuk

WEST COAST CLIFFS

Lyrie Geo and the Sneuk

HOY ATTRACTIONSWEST COAST

Mel-FeaLyrie GeoSummer of HoyCandle of the SneukLittle RackwickHeldale WaterHoglinns WaterThe BerryHa WickTornessMelberry& Sands Geo

Ross Puma went ashore in Little Rackwick in 1968

Little Rackwick, the Green Heads and Berry Head from the northwest

SOUTH ISLES - HOY

The Sneuk from the south

Rackwick and Mel Fea with Cuilags and the Ward Hill in the background

seen gathering at dusk in thebay at Rackwick. Puffins nestin small numbers in grassybanks on the cliffs.Guillemots and Razorbillsalso breed on suitable ledges.

The Mountain Hare is quitecommon in Hoy, but absentfrom the other islands.Conspicuous in winter intheir white coats if there is nosnow, they revert to a normalcoat in summer. Otters arealso present along the ScapaFlow coastline, though manymore spraints than animalsare seen. Early morning orlate evening is the best time tolook, while suggested spots arePegal Bay, Lyrawa Bay, MillBay and North Bay inLonghope.

The upland nature of Hoy hasresulted in many sub-arctic oralpine plants at relatively lowaltitudes. Dwarf Willow,Purple Saxifrage and WildAzalea are all present, whilevery low levels of grazing onthe moors has allowed muchlong heather to develop.

The dangers of accidental firein the heather were madeapparent in 1984 when a Boys'Brigade group accidentally setfire to the heather nearRackwick. The fire burnt fordays and travelled severalmiles right round to thenorthwest side of the WardHill, before being put out. Alarge part of a conifer planta-tion was destroyed in theprocess.

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RSPB Hoy Nature Reserve(3925ha) This Reserve coversmost of the uncultivated landin the north of Hoy. TheWarden can be contacted onTel (01856) 791298. Thisreserve has a variety of habi-tats, ranging from the mostnortherly natural woodland inBritain at Berrie Dale (ONBerg Dalr, Cliff Valley,HY202015) to the tundra-like high tops of the hills and

the sea cliffs. The wood hasHazel, Rowan, Downy Birchand Aspen and may reflect thetype of vegetation, whichexisted before the arrival ofthe Neolithic farmers.

On the hills there are RedGrouse, Curlew, MeadowPipit, Golden Plover andDunlin, while Red-throatedDiver frequent the hill lochs.These latter should only be

watched from a distance toavoid predation of eggs andchicks by Skuas. Divers areusually hear before they areseen as they shuttle back andfore from their feedinggrounds to their nests.

There is a large colony ofGreat Skuas, the secondbiggest in UK after Foula.They will certainly dive-bombif their nests are approached.There are also Arctic Skuas,which declined steadily fromover 400 pairs in the 1980sdue to depredation fromBonxies and shortage of food.

Hoy has no Orkney Voles andthus not many Hen Harriers,or Short-eared Owls, butPeregrine, Kestrels, Merlin,Buzzards and even an occa-sional Golden Eagles orWhite-tailed Sea Eagles maybe seen. Stonechats andWheatears are common lowerdown, while Twite are alsopresent on the moors.

The Fulmar is the commonestbird on the high cliffs, butthere are also other breedingseabirds, especially at thenorth end, where there is asmall colony of ManxShearwaters which can be

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RSPB HOY NATURE RESERVE

Purple Saxifrage flowers in March

Rackwick Burn

Dwarf (or Least) Willow

Laurie Campbell

Plantation below the Ward Hill which was partially destroyed by fire in 1984

Mountain Azalea

Clubmoss

Arctic Bearberry

Laurie Campbell

Laurie Campbell

SOUTH ISLES - HOY

Great Skua (Bonxie)

Stonechat

Laurie Campbell

Mountain Hare

Red-throated Diver

could not be buried in hal-lowed ground she was buriedhere on the parish boundary.

In the 1930s peatcuttersfound the burial. During thewar soldiers put a fence roundthe grave and tidied it up. Theartist Harry Berry made thepresent tombstone and enclo-sure. Even the hardest heartmust stop for a moment andfeel something here.

Lyrawa Hill Nearby, onLyrawa Hill, there is apanoramic view over ScapaFlow from the site of a WWIIanti-aircraft battery. Lowerdown at Scad Head lies acoastal defence gun battery.Initially a12-pounder, this waschanged to a twin 6-pounderin 1941. No overhead protec-tion was ever installed here.

Voes Each voe has a burnrunning into it. These includeLyrawa Burn, Pegal Burn, MillBurn and the Burn of Ore.Pegal Burn (ND295976),Orkney's largest, is particular-ly beautiful. Sandstone boul-ders have been worn intointeresting shapes along theshore and the contrasting

colour of wild flowers, burnand shore are dramatic.

There is a picnic site by thebridge, and the sheltered val-ley has a variety of trees,shrubs and wild flowers.Lyrawa, Pegal, Mill and OreBays are all shallow and ebbdry. The whole coastline isprime Otter territory.

Lyness Ferry Terminal Theferries Hoy Head and Thorsvoeoperate regular sailings to andfrom Houton and also toFlotta. Booking is essential asmany sailings are full long inadvance. The north of theisland can be convenientlyexplored on foot or by bikefrom Moaness. The south endis mostly low lying and is finefor walkers or cyclists, perhaps

assisted by a taxi or two tocatch the ferry back.

Viewpoint A good panoramaof the whole of south Hoy,Scapa Flow and the PentlandFirth can be had from the eastridge of Wee Fea(ND288942, 150m). A roadgoes up the hill from near theHoy Hotel to the under-ground oil tanks and NavalCommunications Centre builtin WWII.

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NORTH WALLS (NorthWaas) is the mid parish ofHoy. It stretches from theWater of Hoy in the north to

Aith Hope in the south. Thesingle track road winds up anddown and offers spectacularviews over Scapa Flow. The

area takes its name from thesewaas, or voes (ON Vagr, Bay).

Betty Corrigall On the parishboundary, near Water of Hoylies Betty Corrigall’s Grave(ND2810998). She was a girlwho committed suicide afterbecoming pregnant to a sailorin the 19th century. She triedto drown herself but wassaved so she hanged herself inthe byre. Tradition has it thatthe father was a local man wholeft on a whaling ship boundfor the Nor’Waast. Since she

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Pegal Bay and Scapa Flow

Lyness with the ferry and Crockness Martello Tower in the background

HOY ATTRACTIONSNORTH WALLS

Water of HoyBetty Corrigall’s GraveLyrawa Hill viewpointScad HeadLyrawa Burn and BayPegal Burn and BayLynessScapa Flow Visitor CentreLyness Naval CemeteryWee Fea viewpointCrockness Martello TowerBinga Fea viewpointMelsetter HouseNorth BayBrimsLifeboat MuseumDuncan’s Geo chambered cairnThe Skeo BrochChapel of Brims

Betty Corrigall’s Grave near the Water of Hoy

Scapa Flow and Bring Deeps from Lyrawa Hill AA battery

SOUTH ISLES - HOY

Rowan at Pegal Burn Eroded rocks at Pegal Burn

Lyrawa Hill AA battery overlooks the battery at Scad Head

There was a Barrage BalloonCentre at Ore Hill, which in1941 maintained 81 balloons,and was supplied with hydro-gen from a portable unit atRinnigill. The permanent fac-tory there took so long tobuild that it hardly saw usebefore the balloons left inmid-1944. The remains of thefactory and its special pier canstill be seen today(ND318938).

Boom defence was veryimportant, and the nets weremaintained at Lyness. Thewharf was too small in 1939and the cost of extension wasso great that when completedin 1944, it was called GoldenWharf. With a length of185m and a least depth of 9m,this pier could berth very largeships. Today one pier sup-ports a Tern colony and onanother many Tysties nest inthe crevices.

The oil storage tanks on thesurface were considered vul-nerable and in 1939 under-ground storage tanks underWee Fea were started.Norwegian miners fromSpitzbergen were employed toexcavate the huge reservoirs.The first was ready in

September 1942, but it wasAugust 1943 before the full100,000 ton capacity wasfilled with oil. Piers were alsoa problem but finally threewere built, one at Rinnigill forhydrogen, the North Pier forferries and supplies and theWest Pier for tugs and smallcraft.

Virtually no shore facilitiesand few telephone lines exist-ed in 1939 and HMS IronDuke was used as HQ. Shoreoffices were completed in1942, but it was 1943 beforethe Naval HQ andCommunications Centre onWee Fea, overlooking Lyness,was ready. This centre finallyput all defence sectors inScapa in direct communica-tion with 270 staff handling

nearly 9,000 calls per day dur-ing 1943 and 1944. Thisimpressive building even hasround porthole-like windows.

Anti-aircraft batteries, search-light batteries, radar stationsand supply depots were allestablished. In addition therewere depot ships, stores ships,a hospital ship, a convertedtrain ferry with a cinemaonboard and everything elseneeded to keep a huge militaryestablishment operational.

By mid-1944, after the inva-sion of France, the base wasalready running down and inSeptember 1945 many of thehuts were given to the Frenchfor temporary accommoda-tion in their war- ravagedtowns. Finally, on 29th March

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LYNESS (ON Hlidar ness,Slope Ness), the site of thegreat Royal Naval Base devel-oped in WWII, is in the mid-dle of the area the Vikingscalled Vagaland. The flatland, with relatively deepwater close to the shore andwith much sheltered anchor-age nearby was ideal for such abase. Although the Navymoved to Lyness briefly in

1919, the Longhope Hotelwas their base during WorldWar I, with smaller vesselsmooring at Longhope, andlarger ships north of Flotta.

During the 1920s and 1930s,Lyness became the base forsalvage of the German fleet,Mill Bay being used to beachand strip the hulks before theywere towed south for break-

ing. The last to be lifted, SMSDerfflinger, lay off Rysa allthrough WWII, not far fromher erstwhile adversary, HMSIron Duke, which was herselfbombed and beached in 1940.

In 1939, with war looming,Lyness soon became busy anda rash of camps and buildingsmushroomed on the land-scape. HMS Prosperine, as thebase was known, had civil con-tractors as well as Naval,Army and Air Force person-nel. All played their part insetting up the base.

The proliferation ofunplanned and largely wood-en buildings would have beenan excellent target for anincendiary raid, but nonecame.

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Lyness in 1979 before the removal of the oil tanks

Entrance to one of the Wee Fea oil tanks

LYNESS NAVAL BASE

Lyness from Wee Fea Naval HQ & Communications CentreAerial view of Rinnigill and Ore Bay

SOUTH ISLES - HOY

One oil tank has been retained as part of the Visitor Centre

Lyness from Wee Fea

Repairing boom defence netting at Lyness

naval escorts. In all 85freighters and 16 Royal Navywarships were sunk. TheGerman losses included manyaircraft, over 30 U-boats andseveral surface ships.

The convoys assembled ini-tially from Iceland, but fromSeptember 1942 they sailedfrom Loch Ewe. Scapa Flowwas the home base for all ofthe naval escorts.

Marine Energy Work com-menced in 2010 to refurbishthe base as a centre for theassembly, storage and servic-ing of marine renewable ener-gy devices. Research anddevelopment plus deploymentof these devices can also takeplace at Lyness. The existingberth has been refaced andfendered giving 265m ofmooring space.

4000m² of hard standing hasbeen laid to assist with assem-

bly and servicing devices.Future plans are to providesteel framed buildings insecure compounds with office

and communication facilitiesas the site and the industrydevelops.

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1957, the Lyness Naval Basewas officially closed.

Scapa Flow Visitor CentreToday much has been tidiedup at Lyness. Many of thedilapidated buildings and hutbases left from WWII havegone and all but one of thelarge oil tanks have been cutup for scrap. The OrkneyIslands Council has retainedthis tank and the pump house.

The latter has been convertedinto a museum and interpreta-tion centre, the pumpingmachinery and boilers havingbeen cleaned up and restored.Interpretation displays andsmall artefacts make this avery interesting visit.

The inside of the oil tank hasbeen transformed into a dis-play area, with an ever-increasing selection of military

equipment and artefacts fromboth World Wars now on dis-play, including vehicles, guns,searchlights and other largeritems. Outside are severalguns off WWI German ships,AA guns of the type used inWWII, one of the propellersfrom HMS Hampshire andsome of the railway stock usedon the Golden Wharf inWWII.

Lyness Naval Cemetery(ND301947) is the last rest-ing place for brave naval per-sonnel from many famousincidents. There are graves ofpeople who died at Jutland, onHMS Hampshire, HMSVanguard, of Germans killedduring the Scuttle, and ofcrew from HMS Royal Oak.There are also graves ofGerman submariners fromWWI and aircrew fromWWII.

Russian Convoy MemorialIn August 2009 the ArcticConvoy Memoirial wasunveiled near the VisitorCentre. Between August1941 and May 1945 78 con-voys operated from the UKand the USA to arctic Russianports. In all about 1,400 mer-chant ships and nearly 400

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LYNESS NAVAL BASE

Memorial to HMS Vanguard crew Russian Convoy Memorial

Lyness Naval Cemetery

Scapa Flow Visitor Centre, Lyness

Propeller raised from HMS Hampshire WWI German gun at Scapa Flow Visitor Centre, Lyness

Scapa Flow Visitor Centre, Lyness - Pumping House

SOUTH ISLES - HOY

Homestead), with sand dunesand a fine walk out to thepoint at Torness(ND255885), where there issometimes a large Arctic Terncolony in the breeding season.The beaches, dunes andmachair are full of wild flow-ers in summer. Care should betaken here if cattle are grazing.

Torness Many ships attempt-ed to avoid the worst part ofthe Pentland Firth, the MerryMen o’Mey or the Auld Ebbs ,by skirting the coastline ofSouth Walls. In darkness orpoor visibility it was all tooeasy to miss the low-lyingshores of Ha Wick or Tornessand be carried ashore by tideand sea.

The installation of the light in1937 was itself the probablecause of the loss of theJohanna Thorden on Swonathat year. The master wasunaware of the new light, mis-taking it for the south Swonalight. Before the beacon wasinstalled this was a veritablegraveyard for ships,

St John’s Kirk was built in1883 as a counter attraction tothe nearby Free Kirk. It wasbuilt by public subscriptionand often referred to as TheFisher Kirk owing to theesteem in which its longestserving Missionary was held.Except for gas heating, all thefittings, including the pewsand oil lamps, are original. Itis open daily. Services andrecitals are held here occasion-ally.

Heldale Water is up to 50ftdeep in places. It has beenstocked by Orkney TroutFishing Association, withBrown Trout and Arctic Char. The steep banks make wadingdifficult and anglers need totake their own boats. Theloch provides the mains watersupply for Hoy and Flotta,including the Oil Terminal.

The Berry (ON Ber,HeadlandND237908, 175m) is themost southerly high headlandon the west side of Hoy. Thisprominent landmark is thehighest point of the spectacu-lar coastline between LittleRackwick and Torness. FromGreen Heads to Broughs o’theBerry there is a series of geos,caves, waterfalls and dramaticscenery to explore.

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Melsetter House (ND270893)and Rysa Lodge were designedby William Lethaby for theMiddlemore family in Artsand Crafts style. At Melsetterthe original L-shaped housefrom 1738 was incorporatedinto the 1898 design, and thewhole forms perhaps the mostattractive country house inOrkney, which was describedby William Morris’ daughteras “a sort of fairy palace on theedge of the northern seas”.

The walls are harled withsandstone dressings andgables have crow-steps. Theroof is Caithness slate, while

the light and airy interiorremains mostly original.There is a paved courtyardand a fine old walled garden aswell as a small chapel dedicat-ed to St Colm and Margaret.

The chapel roof is a vault ofunreinforced concrete in theshape of an upturned boat.Nearby, the farmhouses echothe boat theme and are alsoworth a look. Visits are byappointment only, Tel(01856) 791352.

Melsetter There is an excel-lent sandy beach belowMelsetter (ON Melr Setr, Sand

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Melsetter Beach with Tor Ness in the background

Heldale Water from the east end

St John’s Kirk is now in the care of the St John’s Church Trust

Melsetter House was built in 1898 in “Arts and Crafts” style

Melsetter House Chapel

Victorian mail box

Melsetter and the Pentland Firth from Binga Fea

SOUTH ISLES - HOY

Walks North Walls has much tooffer the walker. The old militarysites around Lyness have alreadybeen described. Three walks inare suggested, in order of difficul-ty.

Brims Walk Start from the westend of The Ayre where “Vote forJo” can still just be made out on ashed. Follow the road to the OldLifeboat Shed and then the coastto Brims Ness. From here thereare a series of geos and archaeo-logical sites, with fine viewsacross the Pentland Firth.Return via a track past TheWitter and an old quarry.

Heldale & Hogglins Water A2km track leads from near StJohn’s Manse to the waterworksat the east end of Heldale Water.From here follow the loch shorenorthwards and climbBakingstone Hill(160m) for afine viewpoint. Descend to theGreenheads Burn and climb toHoglinns Water before descend-ing back to the pumping station.

Little Rackwick to TornessFrom the summit of Bakingstonene Hill descend to LittleRackwick. Follow the ruggedcoastline to Green Heads, from

where there are fine views to thenorth. In wet weather the burnhere has a good waterfall. Afterthe diverted Hoglinns Burn it is asteep but very worthwhile 100mclimb to Berry Head.

The coastline to the south is veryspectacular but the slope is alsovery steep so care needs to betaken here, especially in wetweather. A diversion via the

Berry Lochs and The Berry(199m), descending via LittleBerry to the coast is less precipi-tous. Continue southeast to HaWick and Tor Ness. Return tothe public road via the Melsetterbeaches and dunes and farmroads.

Viewpoint Binga Fea (ONND281926, 156m), the hillwhich overlooks Longhope, has amast on its summit. A track goesup past watertanks to the top.There is a grand panoramic viewfrom here stretching from mostof Scapa Flow and the PentlandFirth to Cape wrath in the west.

North Bay, the inner part ofLonghope, is very shallow. Themuddy shores are excellent forwaders. Many waterfowl, includ-ing a flock of Barnacle Geeseoverwinter in this area. Ottersfrequent the shores, and seals arealways present, especially on theskerries when ebbed dry.

Longhope Lifeboat Station(ND291887) at Brims is now a

museum, with its prime exhibitthe former lifeboat ThomasMcCunn, the Watson boat whichserved here from 1933 to 1962.This craft undertook several dar-ing and dramatic rescues and isnow in course of restoration.

The station here has saved over500 lives since being establishedin 1874. In many long and diffi-cult services rescues were carriedout with much skill by the crews,who until 1926 had only oar andsail as power. Trawlers returningfrom Icelandic waters to home-ports such as Grimsby andAberdeen were frequent casual-ties in the Pentland Firth.

Coxswain Dan Kirkpatrick wasperhaps the most deserving of

fame with his rescues of crewsfrom the Ben Barvas on thePentland Skerries in 1964 andthe Ross Puma at Little Rackwickin 1968. On 17th March 1969,the lifeboat TGBwas capsized inviolent seas, with the loss of all 8crew while on a mission to theLiberian freighter Irene during avery strong southeasterly gale.

The Tamar class lifeboat TheHelen Comrie, 16-05, arrived inOctober 2006, and is based inLonghope Harbour. She has aspeed of 25 knots and a range of250nm, with twin 1,050hp cater-pillars. Her crew of 6 can operateall systems from any of 6 seats.

Brims Brims Ness (ON Brim,Surf ) has a rugged west coast,which was the graveyard of manysailing ships. The names ofcoastal features attest to this.One of the few known cham-bered cairns on Hoy is atDuncan’s Geo (ND287878).Wall facings can still be seen aswell as four orthostats, one ofwhich may be the back-slab.

Nearby, Skeo Broch occupies avery good vantage point over thewestern approaches to thePentland Firth. Part of the towercan be made out, as well as anouter bank and ruined outbuild-ings. Just along the shore theruined Chapel of Brims(ND283883) measures about9m by 3m internally and is sur-rounded by an enclosure.

The Hillock of Salwick, is a smallbump in a field on the way to theLifeboat Museum. This burntmound probably used a nearbyspring as the water source .

445

Longhope Lifeboat Museum, Brims Longhope Lifeboat Museum, Brims

Aith Hope from The Ayre

Brims Lifeboat Shed from The Ayre


444

North Bay, Longhope from the Ayre

Berry Head (175m) faces the Pentland Firth

SOUTH ISLES - HOY

a holt.Brochs At The Green Hill ofHesti Geo (ND337890) amound covers a large broch,some of which has been erod-ed by the sea. The remains ofan outer bank and outbuild-ings can be made out. Furthersmall brochs at Outer GreenHill on the way to CantickHead and Green Hill,Longhope show the impor-tance of the area in Iron Agetimes.

Osmondwall, (ON Asmunda-Vagr, Asmund’s Bay of theOrkneyinga Saga), or KirkHope, is the first sheltered bayafter Cantick Head, and a veryuseful anchorage for shipsusing the Pentland Firth.There are several burialmounds, burnt mounds,brochs and religious sites.

SOUTH WALLS is the officialname for the peninsula universallyknown as Longhope. It is attachedto Hoy by The Ayre (ON Eyrr,Gravel or Sandy Bank). In formertimes this became flooded atextreme tides during stormsurges.

Longhopevillage is situated on theSouth Ness. Across Moasound itis only about 500m by sea to the

North Ness, but nearly 8km (5mi)by road. Longhope boomed dur-ing the 20th century wars whenLyness was a major naval base.Today it has the only general storeon Hoy, a, pub and a sheltered lit-tle harbour. The RNLI LonghopeLifeboat is based here.

Archaeology A StandingStone, several burnt moundsand brochs as well a number

ot tumuli are indicated on theOS map. Until recently verylittle investigation had beendone here. Recent surveys andexcavations are set to remedythis situation.

Neolithic Outer Green Hill(ND343896) was assumed tobe a small broch or round-house. Excavation hasrevealed revetment walls,enclosing a chamber with acorbelled roof. Late Neolithicpottery and a stone scraperwere found. This may be aMaeshowe-type chamberedcairn. Some Bronze Age.Worn beach stones were usedin some of the internal con-struction.

Bronze Age The Roeberrytumulus, west of the light-house, was also investigated.This had upright stonesexposed from previous dig-ging. A number of stone cistswere found surrounded bywalling. An inner round wallwas surrounded by a well-built rectangular outer wall.Both cremated and unburnthuman bone was present, butno pottery. Fish and Volebones were also found, suggestthat Otters used the mound as

447


Outer Green Hill was thought to be a broch

Outer Green Hill revetments Outer Green Hill central passage

WWII AA battery site, Hill of Wards

Green Hill of Hestigeo is a large broch mound near Cantick Head

HOY ATTRACTIONSSOUTH WALLS

LonghopeHill o'White Hammars ReserveGreen Hill BrochOuter Green Hill CairnHackness Martello Tower & BatteryOsmondwall CemeteryGreen Hill of Hestigeo BrochCantick Head Lighthouse

446

Longhope RNLI Lifeboat at its berth in Longhope Harbour

The Ayre looking west

SOUTH ISLES - HOY

Longhope Harbour with the previous RNLI Lifeboat, small boats and the Hoy Head

The Orkneyinga Saga says thatthough converted, Sigurd con-tinued to use the magic RavenBanner, woven by his mother.the symbol of Odin. But itwas to be his undoing, as hewas killed at the Battle ofClontarf, in 1014, whilst hold-ing it aloft.

Longhope Lifeboat MemorialThis poignant sculpture by NorthRonaldsay artist, Ian Scott, com-memorates the loss of theLonghope Lifeboat TGB and allher crew on 19th March 1969.They were on their way throughthe Pentland Firth against a fero-cious easterly gale to assist the shipIrene., when the lifeboat becameoverwhelmed between SouthRonaldsay and the PentlandSkerries.

A sandstone obelisk is a memorialto the crew of the Grimsby trawler,ST Leicestershire, which was lost on28th January 1938. She was only 2years old when she went ashore onthe Tift near Tor Ness. in a stormShe was 162ft long, 432GRT andcarried a crew of 15.

Martello Towers were copiedfrom the design of towersbuilt in Corsica as defences

449

The fertile ground and goodfishing mean that this area hasfor long been an attractive tolive.

Cross Slab An ancient chapeldedicated to St Comb stood inthe Osnawall graveyard west of

the current vault until 1887when it was demolished. Anancient cross slab was found atthis time, which is now in theNMS. The Melsetter chapelwall has a replica. The currentMoodie Mausoleum was builtto keep the bodies of this fam-

ily who were landowners inthe area from the 16th to the19th century.

Viking conversion It washere that Olaf Tryggvasonforcibly caused Earl Sigurdthe Stout to be baptised in995. According to theOrkneyinga Saga, "Olaf sent amessenger to him, asking Sigurdto come over to his ship as hewanted a word with him.

'I want you and all your subjectsto be baptized,' he said whenthey met. 'If you refuse, I'll haveyou killed on the spot, and Iswear that I'll ravage everyisland with fire and steel.'

The Earl could see what kind ofsituation he was in and surren-dered himself into Olaf 's hands.He was baptized and Olaf tookhis son, called Hvelp or Hundi,as a hostage and had him bap-tized too under the name ofHlodvir. After that, all Orkneyembraced the faith. Olaf sailedeast to Norway taking Hlodvirwith him, but Hlodvir didn'tLive long and after his deathSigurd refused to pay homage toKing Olaf."

September sunrise from Cantick Head


Moodie family mausoleum at Osmundwall

Cantick Head Lighthouse was completed in 1853

ST Leicestershire GY241 lost on the Tift in 1938

448

Cantick Head Lighthouse was completed in 1853

Kirk Hope or Osmondwall from near Cantick Head

SOUTH ISLES - HOY

TGB MemorialPictish cross slab

which can be observed fromthe car in many locations.

Hill of White Hamars is aScottish Wildlife TrustReserve and “has attractivecoastal cliffs with caves, natu-ral arches, stacks and a largeblow-hole. The many narrowinlets provide good opportu-nities for short-range viewingof cliff-nesting seabirds. Thiswas the first SWT reserveestablished to protect themaritime heath, which is ablaze of colour in early sum-mer. Primula scotica is one ofthe many plants to be seenhere. It flowers twice, in Mayand then in July and August.

South Walls and Longhopetogether have a varied selec-tion of habitats which includemost typical of Orkney withthe addition of the plantationsaround Melsetter and aboveLyness. The area merits morethan a flying visit if the visitorwishes to sample its manydelights.

451

against North African pirates.In March 1794 two RoyalNavy warships, Fortitude (74guns) and Juno (32 guns)attacked one of these forts atPortella Point. After a can-nonade lasting over 2 hoursthe ships had to retire. Thetower was only taken after 2days of fighting.

The British were so impressedthat they ended up buildingnearly 200 Martello Towers.Of these 103 were in south-

east England, bout 50 aroundIreland and 3 in Scotland.The forts at Hackness andCrock Ness are two of these.The former is now restoredand maintained as a visitorattraction by HistoricScotland.

Cantick Head Lighthouse(ND347894) was the fourthtower to be built in the 1850sin Orkney. The light wascompleted in 1858 by DavidStevenson and was designed

to make for safer passage intoLonghope and Scapa Flowfrom the west. It was madeautomatic in 1991. The 22mtower has 49 steps, while thelight has a nominal range of18 miles.

The Lighthouse and accom-modation are grade B listedfor their architectural and his-toric interest and the keepers’cottages are now high classself-catering units. There aresweeping views of thePentland Firth from here.Pods of Orcas have been seenclose-in on several occasions.

WWII sites South Walls hasseveral remaining World WarII sites of interest includinganti-aircraft gun positions,and the remains of a radar sta-tion near the StromabankHotel. This was one of sever-al such sites around Orkneywhich could detect low-flyingaircraft and ships.

Wildlife Aith Hope, NorthBay and Long Hope are hometo wintering waterfowl. Aflock of Barnacle Geese staysmost winters and roosts onSwitha. The low lying shore-lines and beaches which ebbdry are excellent for waders,

450


HOY SERVICES

Getting to Hoy& FlottaOrkney Ferriescarferries Hoy Head andThorsvoerun numerousservices from Houton in Orphir. Advancebooking is essential for vehicles, Tel 01856811397. See current timetable for details. BusService to Houton from Kirkwall operatedby Stagecoach Tel 01856 870555

Accommodation see adverts and latestIslands of Orkney and VisitOrkneybrochures.

Where to Eat and Drink StromabankHotel, ***SMALL HOTEL, in Longhope,family-run hotel evening meals and lunches Tel 01856 701494 Royal Hotel, Longhope - traditional pub serv-ing meals Tel 01856 701276 Hoy Hotel & Anchor Bar, Lyness lunches May -Sep, bar open daily from 7pmTel 01856 791377/701273Scapa Flow Visitor Centre Cafe, Lyness(summer only)Benethill Cafe, Moanessopen daily in sum-mer Tel 01856 791119

Tours and Local TransportSeveral operators run taxis, minibuses andtours. See the latest Islands of Orkneybrochurefor details.

Shop & Fuel JMF Groat in Longhope is theonly general store and petrol station. Tel01856 701272 No shop at the north end.

STROMABANK HOTEL

Stromabank Hotel, Longhope, Orkney KW16 3PA

Tel 01856 701494

[email protected]

www.stromabank.co.uk

Situated ear Longhope Village with expansive views of

the islands and the Pentland Firth. Conservatory

Restaurant and four en-suite bedrooms - one suitable for

the disabled. The Stromabank Hotel is an ideal and com-

fortable base from which to explore Hoy.

THE HOY

HOTEL

South Road, Lyness,

Hoy, Orkney KW16 3NT

Tel 01856 791386

Tel/Fax 01856 791377

Centrally located near theLyness ferry terminal.

Five bedrooms all en-suite.

Lyness, Hoy

JMF GROAT

& SONS LTD

Anchorfast Buildings,

Longhope, HOY

Tel 01856 701272

Fax 01856 701251

[email protected]

Licensed General

Merchants, Post Office,

Fuel and Gas, Haulage

and Delivery Service

Supplying your needs

during your visit to HoyBar and Restaurant

Primula scotica

SOUTH ISLES - HOY

Spring Squill

Aerial view of Longhope from the east in midwinter

Sea Plantain

The battery nearby had eight24-pounder guns coveringSwitha and Cantick Soundsand was protected by anembankment and stone para-pet. Behind the guns were thebarracks and stores, while themagazine was partially under-ground and surrounded by ablast-wall.

In 1866 the guns werereplaced with more powerful68-pounder guns firingthrough embrasures and extraaccommodation was providedat the battery. During WWIthe tower was used as a signalstation, while in WWII aradar scanner was mounted ontop.

Stone for the fortificationscame from Bring Head in thenorth of the island. The wallsof the towers are 3m thick onthe seaward and 2m thick onthe landward side. TheHackness Tower and Batteryare now under the care ofHistoric Scotland, and con-siderable renovation has takenplace, including the reinstalla-tion of a 68-pounder gun onthe parapet, which is occasion-ally fired.

453

Hacksness Martello Towerand Battery (ND339112),along with another tower onthe north side of Longhope atCrockness (ND324935), is anearly 19th century military fort.They were built between 1813and 1815 to guard Longhopeagainst attack by AmericanPrivateers during theNapoleonic Wars.

The United States haddeclared war against Britain in1812 and due to the threat ofaction by the French in theChannel many vessels weretaking the northabout routethrough the Pentland Firth.Ships collected at Longhopeuntil a warship escort arrivedand were vulnerable to attackwhile they waited.

During times of war privatelyowned British, Dutch, US andFrench vessels were autho-rised to terrorise enemy ship-ping, and presented a severethreat to trade. Escorted con-voys became standard practiceduring this time.

These officially-sanctionedpirates had been a danger forcenturies. Indeed Earl PatrickStewart had a warship, theDunkirk, ostensibly to defendagainst privateers in the early1600s, but which may wellhave been used for some inde-pendent piracy of his own.

As in 1914 and 1939, ScapaFlow defences were non-exis-tent at the time of greatestdanger and fully effective onlyafter peace was declared. The10m towers contain livingaccommodation for the guncrew, a magazine below and arevolving gun carriage on top.

The original 24-pounder gunhad a 360º arc of fire and avery good view of anyapproaching ships. The tow-ers thus commandedapproaches to Longhope fromseaward and the rear.

452

HACKNESS MARTELLO TOWER & BATTERY

Graffitti in the Martello Tower

Martello Tower at Hackness overlooking Switha Sound

Hackness Martello Tower barracks with folding beds Hackness Martello Tower magazine

68-pounder gun on Hackness Martello Tower

Officer’s room in the Martello Tower

SOUTH ISLES - HOY

Hackness Gun Battery Magazine with blast-wall Hackness Battery Barracks Room with beds, racks and original table

Martello Battery at Hackness showing embrasures and ready use magazine

Hackness Battery from the Martello overlooking Longhope and Crockness

impressive. Large quantities ofboom defence netting weredumped in Calf Sound at theend of the war and are slowlycorroding away.

For most of WWII Flottabecame a huge army camp, withhuts, roads and facilities all overthe place to cater for the largenumber of personnel manningall the installations. New pierswere also built and nowGibraltar Pier is used by theferry linking Flotta to Houtonand Lyness, while SutherlandPier is used by the OilTerminal.

Two wreck buoys which theferry passes on the approach toFlotta recall incidents in WWI.In January 1916 the oilerPrudentia dragged her moor-ings, ran across the bows ofHMS Iron Duke, and later sank.A much more serious incidentoccurred on 9th July 1917, whenthe battleship HMS Vanguardblew up at her moorings withthe loss of over 800 men.

A hut dating from WWI recallsthe detection and sinking of theGerman submarine, UB116, on28th October 1918. She wasdetected by hydrophones, whichwere being monitored from this“Silent Cabin” at Quoyness.

After the war the hut wasdragged to Peerie Lurdy for useas an extra room.

North Sea Oil The discovery ofoil under the North Sea in theearly 1970s was to lead to muchlonger-lasting and economicallybeneficial developments on theisland. Flotta Oil Terminal(ND350950) was developedoriginally by the Occidental OilCompany in 1976, to take crude

oil from the Piper and Claymorefields in the North Sea, the for-mer starting in 1976, the latterin 1977. It was then taken overby Elf Enterprise and is now runby Talisman Energy.

The Terminal exports a sizeablefraction of Britain's oil, and hasgiven a big boost to the Orkneyeconomy over the last 35 yearsthrough employment and royal-ty payments. Large ships are

FLOTTA (ON Flat-ey, FlatIsle), belonged to the oldBishopric estate, and was feuedout along with Burray. In the18th century it became part ofthe Stewart of Burray estate, andeventually most of the farmsbecame owner-occupied. By1911 the population was 431 onthis quiet, but industriousisland.

20th Century Wars brought aninflux of servicemen and devel-opment to Flotta, which wasmuch used by the Navy in bothWorld Wars. There was even agolf course at Roan Head withits own steel jetty as well as a

huge cinema, of which one wallremains standing above the pier.

A large Royal Navy PortSignalling and ObservationStation was built at StangerHead (ON Steines-gardr,Standing Stone Farm,ND375925) in WWI, andenlarged in WWII. Access tothis tower is difficult, but there isa marvellous view from the topover Scapa Flow and its south-ern approaches.

Flotta had several gun batteries.At Stanger Head there weretwin 6in coast defence guns inpits with underground maga-

zines defending Hoxa Soundwhich were enclosed in a perma-nent structure similar to NessBattery at Stromness. This wasmostly destroyed in quarryingoperations.

Buchanan (ND375935), facesthe Sound of Hoxa, and duringWWII covered the inner boomdefence net. Initially it mountedan open-sited 12-pounder, butthis was replaced with a twin 6-pounder in a standard enclosedbattery. The battery is typical ofsuch installations with a con-crete observation tower, gunemplacement and protectedmagazine, plus searchlight hous-es on the shore, all powered by agenerator house.

At Roan Head in WWI therewas a twin 12-pounder in a con-crete parapet to cover the boomdefence net. From Gate/InnanNeb (ND349923) another cov-ered the boom in WWI, whilein WWII a twin 12-pounderconcrete gun house, with a singletower and underground maga-zine was installed. In additionthere were several AA and bar-rage balloon sites on the island.

The Golta peninsula also sawmuch wartime activity. InWWI the stone St Vincent Pieron Roan Head was built by menfrom that battleship. The near-by and now ruinous YMCAbuilding dates from this time.

During WWII a rocket batterywith 66 launchers and a grid ofover 100 shelters was installedon Golta. Although never firedin anger the flames and noiseduring tests were apparently

454 455

The battleship “HMS Vanguard” blew up off Flotta in 1917

SOUTH ISLES - FLOTTA

Innan Neb Coastal Battery

Royal Navy Port Signalling and Observation Station Stanger Head, Flotta


Innan Neb Coastal Battery, Flotta

Crown copyright

was found on Flotta, implyingthe presence of a Pictish chapel.The old farm name of Hallywellsuggests the presence of a holywell. Traditionally there is one,Winster’s Well on Roan Head.

An altar front with a fine crosscarved on it was found manyyears ago on the island. Thisimplies the existence of an earlychapel somewhere on Flotta,but the provenance of the stoneis unknown and there is no suchsite visible today.

Wildlife As on some of theother smaller islands the lessintensive farming results inbeautiful pastures of wild flow-ers in summer time. The verges,coastline and uncultivated areasall allow plants to thrive.Although not famous for itsbirdlife, the quietness of Flottamakes viewing of many com-mon species easy.

Seals lie up on many of the flatrocks around the shore, andOtters are regularly seen nearthe OilTerminal. Stanger Head

is a good place from which to seethe Harbour Porpoises whichare resident in Hoxa Sound formuch of the year.

There are several panoramicviews across Scapa Flow and the

South Isles, especially fromStanger Head and from WestHill (ND352939), one of thefew places in Orkney fromwhich both Kirkwall andStromness can be seen.

457


Aerial view of Flotta Oil Terminal from the north with Pan Hope on the left

Carved 8th century altar front found on Flotta now in NMS

Flotta from West Hill

NMS

456

again part of the scene in ScapaFlow.

Production fell dramatically in1989 after the Piper Alpha dis-aster, when the platform explod-ed with the tragic loss of 167men. Following installation ofthe Piper B platform in 1992and addition of several smallerfields, output was over 10 mil-lion tons of oil and gas in 2002,of which about one third wasfrom Foinaven. A peak of over13m tons was reached in 1995.

Flotta lost the Foinaven contractin 2008. In 2009 it handledabout 3m tons of crude oil outof a total of just over 68m tonsfor UK as a whole.

Oil-developments have beenconfined to Flotta, which meansthat Orkney has benefited fromthe new jobs and royaltiesbrought by the oil, without hav-ing to suffer much change to thelife of the community. Newtechnology is being applied tomaximise the older fields, and it

is to be thought that the termi-nal will continue to benefit thecommunity for a long time tocome. Hopefully its excellentrecord in avoiding pollution willalso be maintained.

Visiting Flotta Despite the oildevelopments and relics ofwartime, Flotta makes an inter-esting visit. Compact enough toexplore on foot, this little islandhas many contrasts of old andnew, past and present. Wellserved by ferries, there is still asubstantial local population.The Orkney Ferries vessel HoyHead calls at Flotta several timesper day and connects to Houtonand Lyness.

Archaeology Nothing nowremains of the supposed stand-ing stone at Stanger Head or atthe eponymous farm near thekirk. In the 19th century an altarslab dating from the 8th century


“Gibson’s Folly”, Pan Hope, Flotta

Scapa Flow and Flotta Oil Terminal from Wideford Hill

Kirk Bay and the Head of Banks, Flotta

Creels at Pan Hope, Oil Terminal in the background

SWITHA (ON Swein-ey,Sweyn’s or Sow Isle) is smallisland to the east of CantickHead. It is the winter roost for alarge flock of GreenlandBarnacle Geese (Branta leucop-sis), which feed on neighbouringSouth Walls. About 1,000 ofthese geese winter here, or about4% of the UK population.Switha is designated as an SPAto protect them.

There is an Arctic Tern colonyand Leach's Petrel have beenseen here in the summer. Thecoastline is mostly rocky withlow cliffs but there is a shinglebeach at the southeast end, ThePool, where seals haul out. Afew Grey Seals come ashore onSwitha to pup and mate inautumn.

Two standing stones and a pos-sible chambered cairn suggestthat Switha may possibly havebeen used in Neolithic times forburials. The Noust of Switha isless than 2km from Kirk Bayon Flotta, while The Pool isthe same distance from KirkHope, making the island easi-ly accessible by small boat.

CAVA (ON Kalf-ey, Calf Isle).This small island has a light-house on the north end. Thecapital ships of the GermanHigh Seas Fleet were mooredand scuttled around the north ofthe island. Cava is now unin-habited.

There is a record of a murdertaking place in 1774, whenWilliam Mallich killed HughInksetter after a fight. PirateGow is said to have left twoStromness girls on the islandafter leaving Stromness in 1725.They were said ti be “well treat-ed” and to have been put ashorewith a pile of presents. Whetherthey had “unwanted gifts” ninemonths later is unrecorded.

The lighthouse was installed in

1898. Originally it was a 9.5mcast-iron tower, but this wasreplaced by a modern fibreglassstructure in 1988. Materialsand men were transported in byhelicopter.

FARA (ON Faer-ey, SheepIsland). is situated between Hoyand Flotta . It was formerlyinhabited by several families, butwas deserted in 1947. Theisland is well named as sheep areits only inhabitants today. It isquite lightly grazed and in sum-mer the grassy heath is full ofwild flowers. Waders, RedGrouse, Eiders and a few ArcticTerns nest here.

A large detachment of troopslooked after six barrage balloonsites and an anti-aircraft gun

position on Fara in WWI. Anarrow gauge railway partiallyencircled the island. It was usedto move ammunition for theguns and hydrogen bottles forthe balloons.

Small flat cars were towed by a20hp Ruston Hornsby locomo-tive. Although it and all of thetrack were scrapped in the late1970s, the route of the track canstill be made out. The hydrogenwas shipped across fromRinnigill on Hoy. A large gas-production plant was builtthere, and was ready for opera-tion in 1944, just in time for thebarrage balloons to be relocatedto London.

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SMALL SOUTH ISLES - CAVA, FARA & SWITHA

“Hoy Head” passing Cava Lighthouse on its way to Lyness

Aerial view of Cava, Fara and Longhope from the northeast

Aerial view of Switha and Cantick Head from the northeast

Lifeboat helicopter installing a new minor light on Cava

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SMALL SOUTH ISLES - CAVA, FARA & SWITHA

Ruined farmstead, Fara

Greenland Barnacle Geese roost on Switha in the winter

Aerial view of Fara from the south

Laurie Campbell

Coastal Defence Hoy Lowmust be the only lighthouseanywhere with its own gunbattery! The twin 6-pounderbattery, with watch tower andmagazine was installed at thePoint of Oxan in 1943, as theywere no longer needed inBurray once the Barriers hadreached sufficient height.

Four searchlights mounted ontwin mountings were alsopositioned there, but the gunemplacement had no overheadcover. The whole complexmakes an interesting visit and

there are good views of theHoy Hills, Stromness andHoy Sound from the directortower. The guns here, as wellas those at Skerry and Scad

Head on Hoy, were controlledfrom the BOP at Ness Batteryon the north side of HoySound.

GRAEMSAY (ON Grims-ey,Grimr's Isle) lies between Hoyand Stromness and remainscompletely unspoilt. It is sep-arated from the Mainland byHoy Sound and from Hoy byBurra Sound, both of whichhave strong tides, and thus itguards the western entrance toScapa Flow. The ferry whichserves Moaness in the north ofHoy also serves Graemsay.

Geology Outcrops of base-ment rocks occur rarely inOrkney, but these very oldgranite schist rocks, often withlumps of whitish quartz areprominent on the north coastof Graemsay, between thePoint of Oxan and the Bay ofSandside. The same rocksform Brinkie's Brae inStromness and also appear at

Yesnaby. The rest of theisland is composed of LowerStromness flags, as is much ofthe western part of Stromnessparish. This does not weatherto very fertile soil and as aresult much of Graemsay isgrassy heath.

Lighthouses In the late1840s two lighthouses, HoyHigh and Hoy Low, were builtto act as leading lights to thewestern approaches of HoySound to clear the submergedBow Rock of Hoy and KirkRocks off Warebeth. At thattime there was no pier on theisland, so a slipway was builtat the Bay of Sandside. Stonefrom the North Isles was cutat the Point of Ness inStromness and by 1851 thelights were operational.

Hoy Low was automated in1966, while Hoy High waiteduntil 1978. Graemsay is quitedifferent to any other island inOrkney and has a charm all toitself. Covered in wild flowersin summer, it makes a verypleasant stroll on a fine day.The Bay of Sandside is partic-ularly attractive for a picniclunch, and never crowded!

In the past many of theGraemsay men went to sea,but with the demise of theHudson's Bay connection,Arctic Whaling and theIceland Fishery, the popula-tion has now dwindled fromover 200 to under 30.

Shipwreck The full-riggedship Albion became a total losson the Point of Oxan, with theloss of 11 people on 1st January1866. Graemsay man JosephMowat was drowned duringthe rescue in the buried in theGraemsay kirkyard. Brokenpottery from the ship’s cargocan still be found along theshore at Oxan. The event ledto the basing of a lifeboat atStromness the following year.

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SOUTH ISLES - GRAEMSAY

WWII twin 6-pounder mounting, Point of Oxan, Graemsay

Aerial view of Graemsay from the west with Hoy Low Lighthouse, Bay of Sandside and Hoy High Lighthouse

Hoy Low Lighthouse and Coastal Defence Battery, Point of Oxan

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SOUTH ISLES - GRAEMSAY

Hoy High Lighthouse from the Point of Ness, StromnessThe ferry “Graemsay” serves Hoy and Graemsay

south isles - hoy south isles - hoy the high island · hoy (on ha-ey, high island) is the largest...

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