Exploring Orkney’s wartime history

Orkney has a fascinating wartime history shaped by the vast natural harbour of Scapa Flow, which became the Royal Navy’s main fleet base during both World Wars.

At its peak, Orkney’s resident population of 22,000 were greatly outnumbered by up to 40,000 military personnel who were stationed here during the war.

Across the islands, you can still find many reminders from this period, with batteries, searchlights, gun emplacements and other wartime structures scattered throughout the landscape. This guide highlights some of the sites you can view or explore around Orkney today.

Scapa Flow

Scapa Flow is perhaps the most significant area in Orkney’s wartime story. This large, deep and sheltered natural harbour – almost completely surrounded by islands – made it an ideal base for the Royal Navy in both World Wards. Scapa Flow also sits close to the North Sea and North Atlantic, which meant the fleet could respond quickly to enemy activity and protect vital shipping routes. Because of this, Scapa Flow became one of the most defended areas in the UK, with coastal batteries, anti-aircraft sites, anti-submarine nets, and later the Churchill Barriers built to prevent enemy access.

One of the most dramatic moments in Scapa Flow’s history came just after the First World War. The entire German High Seas Fleet was held here while peace talks continued. Fearing the ships would be taken by the Allies, Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter ordered his crews to scuttle them on 21st June 1919. In one day, 52 warships were deliberately sunk – the largest loss of naval vessels in a single event. Many were later recovered, but seven major wrecks remain on the seabed today.

These surviving wrecks are a big reason Scapa Flow is now world‑famous for diving. The water is relatively clear and sheltered, and the wrecks lie at accessible depths. Divers travel from around the world to explore the unique sites that are open to the public, while others remain protected and prohibited from diving.

The Churchill Barriers and the South Isles

During WWII, life on Lamb Holm, Glimps Holm, Burray and South Ronaldsay changed forever. These islands had always relied on boats for access, but the Churchill Barriers – four concrete causeways – were constructed, finally linking them to the Orkney Mainland.

The barriers were built after a German submarine slipped past defences through Kirk Sound (where barrier no.1 now blocks) in October 1939 – just six weeks after the outbreak of WWII. It torpedoed the HMS Royal Oak, sinking the ship within minutes and taking the lives of 833 men. To stop this ever happening again, it was decided the four eastern channels into Scapa Flow should be sealed with permanent causeways.

Work began 1940 and finished in 1944. It was a huge undertaking involving more than 2,000 workers (including around 1,300 Italian prisoners of war) and the creation of around 66,000 concrete blocks which border each causeway.

Before the barriers, old ships were purposefully sunk in the channels as temporary blockages – some of these wrecks can still be seen today; such as SS Reginald sunk in WWI next to barrier no.3, and SS Collingdoc at barrier no.4.

Lamb Holm and Burray

After the first barrier, you arrive on Lamb Holm where you will find one of Orkney’s most loved landmarks, the Italian Chapel. This small, beautifully designed church was built during the Second World War by Italian POWs who were stationed here while constructing the Churchill Barriers. Led by fellow prisoner and artist, Domenico Chiocchetti, the chapel was built from two Nissen huts using scrap materials to decorate the interior and frontage. Read the full story of its construction here.

Driving across the third barrier brings you to Burray. Along its north coast and overlooking Weddell Sound are the remains of Northfield Battery. Built in 1940 and abandoned in 1943 following the construction of barrier no.3, the site once consisted of two 12-pounder guns, a twin 6-pounder gun (which was moved to Graemsay Battery), as well as three searchlights. Burray is also home to the excellent Orkney Fossil and Heritage Centre, which shares many wartime stories and artefacts.

South Ronaldsay

Crossing the fourth and final barrier takes you to South Ronaldsay. At Hoxa Head, a short walk leads to two well-preserved wartime sites – Hoxa Battery and Balfour Battery – which guarded over Hoxa Sound, the southern entrance into Scapa Flow.

Hoxa Battery dates from WWI and has a wider view out towards the Pentland Firth, whereas Balfour Battery became operational in 1940 and guarded the boom (consisting of floats, anti-motor torpedo spikes at water level and anti-submarine netting below) which stretched across the water to Buchanan Battery on neighbouring isle of Flotta. You can wander around these remains and enjoy expansive views across Scapa Flow.

Further south is Windwick Bay – a memorial here remembers the 188 sailors lost from HMS Opal and HMS Narbrough. Both ships were patrolling the east coast for German minelayers and submarines when they struck the cliffs during a blizzard in January 1918. Only one man survived by scrambling ashore and sheltering in a rocky crevice until help arrived.

Orkney Mainland

East Mainland

Rerwick Battery in Tankerness is one of Orkney’s best-preserved WWII coastal defence sites. Built in 1940, its high position guarded the entrances to Shapinsay Sound and Deer Sound helping to protect Kirkwall’s harbour. The nearby waters were also used to hold and inspect ships – up to 100 at once – to ensure supplies weren’t being carried to Germany. Today, you can still see gun positions salvaged from HMS Iron Duke, searchlights, an observation post, air-raid shelters and the remains of huts that once housed around 100 personnel.

Overlooking the first Churchill Barrier from the east is Graemeshall Battery in Holm, which once guarded this entrance to Scapa Flow before the barriers were built. First established in 1914, it was the only battery protecting this approach. Plans were made to upgrade the site in 1939, but work stopped after the sinking of HMS Royal Oak and the construction of the barriers, as the battery was no longer necessary. Various structures including gun emplacements, shelters, magazines, engine houses and searchlight positions can still be seen across the slope above Holm Sound.

Fascinating fact: The Ring of Brodgar, a UNESCO World Heritage Site dating back over 4,000 years, was frequently used during the war as a training area for defence exercises.

Though there are few surviving wartime structures built in Orkney’s capital of Kirkwall, the town is worth visiting for its museums to learn more about how war shaped life on these islands. The Orkney Museum displays many objects and stories from both World Wars, and the Orkney Wireless Museum houses a fantastic collection of wartime radar and communications equipment. Inside St Magnus Cathedral, you can view the recovered bell from HMS Royal Oak and a memorial to those who lost their lives after its sinking.

West Mainland

Heading west from Kirkwall, just past Orphir is the small settlement of Houton. Along the coast you will find Houton Battery which once helped to protect the western entrance to Scapa Flow. This site was first established in WWI but was later expanded during WWII. Today, you can still see searchlight positions along the shoreline and the concrete bases of gun sites, magazines and engine houses further inland.

In Stromness, the Stromness Museum is worth exploring for its displays on the scuttled German High Seas Fleet and artefacts from ships lost in Scapa Flow including HMS Vanguard and HMS Royal Oak.

On the outskirts of Stromness, Ness Battery and Links Battery sit along the west shore and are easily spotted from MV Hamnavoe. This stretch of coastline is dotted with old gun sites and searchlight positions, built to defend the western approach into Scapa Flow. Coastal defences have stood here since the 1860s, and during the First World War, three batteries – Hoy 1, 2 and 3 – guarded Hoy Sound. Parts of Hoy 3 can still be seen beside Stromness Golf Course, while traces of Hoy 2 survive within the grounds of Ness Battery.

The best-preserved site in the area, Ness Battery can be explored today as part of a guided tour. Its gun houses, shelters, magazines, wartime mess hall provided a sense of life for the soldiers stationed here. Along the coastal path, the remains of Links Battery include searchlight positions, engine houses and the bases of gun sites.

Heading north along the west coast leads you to Yesnaby. Here, you can explore the remains of a Second World War anti-aircraft gunnery school which is located adjacent to the car park. Crews trained here using the same close-range guns carried onboard Royal Navy ships, firing at targets towed by aircraft from HMS Tern. The abandoned structures include gun mountings, power plant structures, magazines and the bases of radar and observation towers.

Further north, the Kitchener Memorial at Marwick Head marks the loss of HMS Hampshire, which struck a German mine during a storm on 5^th June 1916 and sank within minutes. Of the 737 men who died was Lord Kitchener, best known from the ‘Your Country Needs You’ war recruitment poster; only twelve men survived. A second mine later sank HM Drifter Laurel Crown, losing another nine men. The 48-foot stone tower was built in 1926 and stands above the cliffs in their honour, with a memorial wall added in 2016 listing every name of those who died.

Hoy and Flotta

Hoy

Hoy is one of the best places to explore Orkney’s wartime history. The island forms much of the southern and western edge of Scapa Flow, resulting in thousands of military personnel being based here during both World Wars. Today, Hoy has the highest concentration of well-preserved wartime remains in Orkney, with pillboxes, magazines and abandoned structures across the landscape.

In WWII, the village of Lyness became the main naval base for the fleet at Scapa Flow, known as HMS Proserpine. By 1940, more than 12,000 people lived and worked here. The base had fuel stores, workshops, repair yards, accommodation, welfare facilities including its own cinema and churches. After the war, these structures were gradually dismantled, but many earthworks and concrete buildings remain.

Fascinating fact: The first enemy aircraft shot down by anti‑aircraft guns over Britain in WWII fell on Hoy. On 17th October 1939, during one of the earliest Luftwaffe raids on the UK, a German Ju 88 bomber attacked Scapa Flow and came close to sinking HMS Iron Duke before being brought down by Orkney‑recruited gunners.

The excellent Scapa Flow Museum – housed within the former 1937 pumphouse – tells the story of both World Wars, with many artefacts, photographs and the propeller and shaft from HMS Hampshire on display. Nearby, the Arctic Convoy Memorial and the Lyness Royal Naval Cemetery honour sailors and soldiers lost during the war.

On Hoy’s west coast, Skerry Battery and the nearby Scad Head Battery served as part of the western defences into Scapa Flow. Skerry Battery, built in 1940, survives as a cluster of concrete structures overlooking the rocky skerries; including two 12-pounder gun emplacements, a two-storey observation post, searchlights, engine houses and hut bases. Scad Head Battery, also built in 1940, is the larger of the pair and includes a twin 6-pounder gun emplacement, magazines, engine houses, searchlights and the remains of a cable-operated tramway once used to move supplies around the headland.

Flotta

On the island of Flotta, the Port War Signal Station at Stanger Head controlled ship movements in and out of Scapa Flow’s southern entrance whilst also acting as the Fire Command Post for nearby gun batteries. Built around 1938, it once included radio buildings, air-raid shelters, searchlights, accommodation blocks and water tanks.

Fascinating fact: During WWII, the world’s first surface-to-air missiles were tested at the Roan Head Z Battery at Golta on Flotta. These were to be used against enemy aircraft.

Nearby, Buchanan Battery is another well-preserved coastal site to explore. Named after Lieutenant Colonel Fred Buchanan, it consists of a maze of concrete structures including the director tower, observation post, spotlights, engine house and magazine.

Flotta was also home to one of Orkney’s largest wartime recreation buildings: a cinema built in 1943 to entertain the hundreds of military personnel stationed here. The abandoned building stands in ruin today near the pier, surrounded by woodland, with information boards dotted around the site.

Note: Please take care around ruined wartime sites. Respect property and livestock, and don’t enter any areas unless it’s clearly allowed. Many locations have open drops and pits.

By Amy Leith
Born and raised in Aberdeen with an admiration for Orkney and Shetland, loves to travel and visit new places, enjoys cooking, always listening to music, spends a little too much time on TikTok.

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