Scapa Flow tour on the mv Graemsay

Drizzle and mist did not deter passengers on the Scapa Flow Landscape Partnership Scheme’s tour of Scapa Flow on Sunday 25 July. Fifty folk set out from Stromness aboard the mv Graemsay, with limited visibility and the prospect of getting soaking wet!

However, as the boat progressed towards Hoy Sound the weather seemed to brighten up and the tour guides began to tell us about the wildlife and wartime history en route. Tim Dean pointed out the bird life around us – tysties (black guillemots), gulls and shags were plentiful as we began to turn into Burra Sound. Then it was Tom Muir’s turn on the microphone to enlighten us about Graemsay’s lighthouses and the coastal gun emplacements at Ness, Graemsay and the Skerry Battery on Hoy.

Grey seals were hauled out on the skerries in Burra Sound as we began to make our way along the stunning Hoy coastline. Tim told us about the geology, the flora on the slopes and the seabirds. Our skipper ensured we had good views of Bring Head and Candle of the Sale, as he steered the Graemsay closely along the coast.

Soon we were passing the coastal battery at Scad Head and Tom was telling us about the network of defences that protected the Home Fleet including the Barrage Balloons and Anti-aircraft Guns positioned on the small islands of Cava, Fara and Rysa Little.

The weather was really looking brighter as we approached Lyness and Joyce from SFLPS thought it was a good moment to get out the Orkney ice cream.

Our route took us past WWII buildings at Rinnigill where an old Admiralty crane called Ajax sits along the shore in front of a curious collection of buildings that included an early flight simulator and a fire fighting school for naval personnel aboard the fleet ships.

Heading into Switha Sound we were greeted to an impromptu viewing of the Pelamis P2 wave device being towed past us at close quarters. Then, as we cruised past the Port War Signal Station at Stanger Head, puffins were spotted swimming and flying in small groups.

We turned into Hoxa Sound and headed north along Flotta’s east coast, passing more remains of coastal defences. As we passed Golta on Flotta, we saw the remains of the YMCA building from WWI and the silhouettes of the ammunition shelters associated with the experimental WWII anti-aircraft rocked ‘Z battery’.

Continuing past Flotta we could see the buoy of HMS Vanguard in the distance. Tom described how this battleship spontaneously blew up at anchor in 1917 – with the tragic loss of 843 men.

We headed back via the Barrel o Butter, where harbour seals were hauled out, keeping a close eye on us as we went by. Soon we were moving along the Orphir coast and had excellent views of the searchlight emplacements built along the shore. They are particular nice examples, being elevated from the sea on stone platforms and accessible by steps running down the hillside.

The weather started to turn a little chilly now, but Stromness was in sight as we headed back home. Thanks to our guides and the boatmen, we’d had a fantastic cruise around a fascinating route.

Anne Bignall
Scapa Flow Ranger

A vist by the Environment Minister to the SFLFS office

Roseanna Cunningham, Environment Minister for the Scottish Government, spent this morning (Tuesday 20 July 2010) with the Scapa Flow Landscape Partnership team. Accompanied by Orkney-based Alan Younie of the Scottish Government RPID, and Gail Churchill of Scottish Natural Heritage, Roseanna spent an hour discussing the Scheme with the staff team. Christine Skene (representing the Scheme’s Steering Group) and I then went up Brinkie’s Brae, looking out over Graemsay, Hoy and Scapa Flow. We also admired the maritime heathland of Brinkie’s Brae itself, where the deep magenta flowers of bell heather were looking particularly fine – much brighter than the weather!

Rosanna showed a keen interest in the heritage of the area, and the Scheme’s work in conserving and promoting all the various aspects. She was interested in the active role being played by community groups around the area, and the sense of place that local people feel. She seemed very impressed by the range of work that was going on around Scapa Flow and the South Isles – I hope this visit will prove to be one of the highlights of her packed tour of Orkney.

Julian Branscombe

MV Gramesay trip around Scapa Flow

The trip organised for this coming Sunday (25th) is now booked up. We have been staggered by the response to this and hope to run it again next year.  We do apologise to anyone who had hoped to come along but we hope to see you next year!

Joyce

Tomb of the Eagles and Liddle Burnt Mound

Last Friday (9 July) I combined work and pleasure (well, I took my teenagers along with me) and visited the Tomb of the Eagles. The tomb was discovered by farmer, Ronnie Simison in 1958 when he went looking for stone to make corner posts for fencing. On a grassy mound, erosion had revealed a cache of tools which included axe heads a knife and other finds.

Excavations carried out over twenty years later revealed a Neolithic chambered cairn which contained over 16,000 pieces of human bone and over 700 bird bones. Most of these were identified as coming from white-tailed sea eagles, hence the name of the tomb.

This is very much a family business and Freda and Kathleen (daughters of Ronnie Simison) begin your visit by telling you the history of the site and show you some of the many artifacts which had been recovered during the excavations. Visitors are encouraged to handle the ‘finds’ and after lots of banter and many questions people can then make their way out to the site of the Bronze Age burnt mound and the tomb.

Visitors are encouraged to ask questions and to handle the artefacts as well as too see the artefacts on display in the Visitor Centre

Hoping for decent weather we arrived ill clad and I was very pleased when Kathleen offered us the use of wellies, waterproofs and an array of scarfs, hats, gloves and even socks!! So, there is no need to load the car down with these items as they are all provided.

Half way to the cairn you come across the remains of a Bronze Age site. This is known as Liddle Burnt Mound and excavations revealed the remains of a building which is thought to have been a house originally as there was a hearth, beds and a reservoir for water. A mound of stone and peat ash lay next to the structure which was the accumulated residue from peat fires.

Liddle Burnt Mound

After another short walk we arrived at the tomb. The view from here is spectacular and the family have set out benches along the path so you can rest and take in the view. It is not hard to see why our ancestors built a tomb here. There is some evidence to suggest that the cairn might align with the rising sun at certain times of the year too.

The tomb itself is a rectangular main chamber with side cells and stalls and is spacious enough to be able to stand up in. It’s thought that this was the final resting place for over 340 individuals. None of the skeletons were complete which suggests that the bodies were left to decay in the open air, and then the bones were taken into the tomb.

The Tomb of the Eagles

Radiocarbon dates suggest the tomb was build around 3000 BC and was in use for over 800 years.
We really enjoyed our visit and if you would like to know more then look up the web site at Http://www.tomboftheeagles.co.uk/ or look up http://www.orkneyjar.com/history/isbister/index.html
Joyce 
 

Scapa Flow Lighthouse Exhibition Re-opens at Stromness Museum

Stromness Museum has recently re-opened its newly revamped Scapa Flow Lighthouses exhibition, funded through the Scapa Flow Landscape Partnership Scheme. The exhibition is now open to everyone interested in finding out more about the lighthouses, beacons, buoys and other minor lights that protect the Flow’s water.

The exhibition is housed in newly designed display cabinets and includes a diverse range of lighthouse artefacts. The centre piece of the exhibition is the Catadioptric lens from Hoy Low Lighthouse on Graemsay. The lens, with its silver plated copper reflector, is now illuminated by a recently installed overhead light giving the impression the old lighthouse lens is permanently lit!

Also exhibited are several interpretation panels that provide fascinating information on many aspects of the lighthouses social history. You can read more about: lighthouse keepers, their families and life stories; the famous Stevenson engineers who designed many of Orkney’s and Scotland’s early lighthouses; how technology has changed how lighthouses operate over the decades; and, the Northern Lighthouse Board who continue to manage safety at sea to this day.

Research materials for the exhibitions were kindly provided by the Orkney Library Photograph Archives, Kirkwall Library and the Scottish Lighthouse Museum at Fraserburgh, with the help of Tom Muir from Orkney Museum.

Bryce Wilson, Honorary Secretary of Stromness Museum said “I am very happy with the new exhibition. It involved a lot of time and work re-organising the museum but the end result is well worth it”. Bryce has asked former lightkeeper Jim Budge to look after the polishing of the lens, who he has been happy to agree to this.

The lighthouses project receives financial support from Heritage Lottery Fun, Orkney Islands Council and the Scottish Government and European Community Orkney LEADER 2007-2013 Programme.

Our visit to Fara

On Saturday (10 July 2010) I joined Anne, our ranger and twelve enthusiastic visitors on a visit to the uninhabited island of Fara, which is 729 acres in extent. Leaving from Houton, the weather was perfect as we made the fifteen minute trip to the island.

The building on the shore is probably a pen used for holding sheep prior to shipping

Faerey means sheep island in Old Norse. Indeed, in 1805 a book written by Barry stated that ‘Fara … is noted chiefly for its excellent sheep pasture’.

There was once a healthy population on the island. In 1881 there were 68 people living here, including 16 children. By 1891 the Census tells us that 76 souls lived here. Goods and produce came by sea and at one time there were six jetties and at least seven boat nousts, a tremendous amount for such a small island.

On the left in the chapel which is still in remarkably good condition and on the right the remains of what could be the concrete base for a balloon mooring anchor.

During World War II the population increased by around 200 when six barrage balloon sites were established along with Light Anti-Aircraft Guns, with communication around the island being provided by a military railway line. Unfortunately the war also took some of the young men away to fight, and many did not return which reduced the population.

This is a wonderfully constructed horse mill with the `cog' still in place

During the 20th Century, people began to leave the island. By the 1960s there were not enough people left to make it worthwhile employing a teacher or to carry out the maintenance on the piers, with the five people recorded in the 1961

Like soldiers on parade, these trees were laid out as if they were awaiting someone to come along and take a picutre of them,  On the right is what might be an ammunition store.

Today it is home for a number of sheep. The owners also carefully manage the heather moorland to keep it in good condition for red grouse, and the island is used for grouse shooting during the season.

This is not the Scapa Flow Landscape Partnership team on a boozy day out but just some of the visitors who were viewing the collection of bottles that Magnus Spence had brought up from the sea bed.

We really must thank the J S and J D Robertson Group for allowing this trip to go ahead. The weather was wonderful, the island was beautiful and we all had a fantastic day out.

Book your space now!

The final boat trip for this year is a cruise around Scapa Flow on Sunday 25 July. The route will take in Stromness, Burra Sound, Lyness, Swith Sound, the Calf of Flotta, the Barrel o’ Butter and back to Stromness. Two tour guides will be on board to answer any questions you may have. Tim Dean will be telling us about the wildlife while Tom Muir will share stories with us and give us information on the war time buildings that we will see.

Leaving the Graemsay Pier in Stromness at 2pm, we will return at 5pm. The cost of the trip is £10 adults and £5 for children under 14.

To book please give Anne a ring on 07775265068 or Joyce on 873535 ext 2883, or you can email either of us anne.bignall@orkney.gov.uk or joyce.gray@orkney.gov.uk.

Vist of ODIN members to Ness Battery

Sunday 27 July saw a visit to Ness Battery by over 20 military history enthusiasts from ODIN (Orkney Defence Interest Network). The morning saw a tour around the site, ably led by Andy Hollinrake, finishing in the unique wooden accommodation buildings. Many of the ODIN members present had never seen the site, and relished the chance to enjoy it.

This was an excellent time for them to visit. The last year has seen a great leap forward in the understanding of the history of Ness Battery, from archive research, coupled by an excellent buildings survey undertaken by ORCA (Orkney Research Centre for Archaeology). The ODIN members were seeing the site just before this collated knowledge is put into practice by the restoration programme, which should start this winter.

Julian

Excavation at Cantick, Hoy

Getting Involved in Archaeology is one of the projects that come under our Landscapes of Peace programme. It involves a series of training courses which are being run by the Orkney Research Centre for Archaeology (ORCA). This is the second year of training, which is proving to be as much of a success as the 2009 programme.

The aim of the courses are to train volunteers in excavation techniques, planning, recording, artefact identification and a good working knowledge of Health and Safety. The sites chosen for this training are centred around The Cairns, an Iron Age site overlooking Windwick Bay in South Ronaldsay, and Cantick in South Walls, Hoy, which has an even longer history.

volunteers undertaking surveying

Survey training in Hoy and Walls was undertaken over four days with four local trainees attending. The conducted walkover survey looked at several square features identified in air photos by the Royal Commission. These appear to be a series of lazy beds and are not prehistoric monuments. The team also conducted some measured survey on one example as well as conducting a measured survey on a WWII searchlight emplacement in the valley of the South Burn. Building survey and recording was carried out at Muirs farmhouse in Rackwick.

Joyce Gray

Cantick excavations reveal deeper past

Another season of excavations at Cantick, South Walls, concluded last week following the continued investigation of a prehistoric burial mound. A team from ORCA (Orkney Research Centre for Archaeology) based at Orkney College were joined by students from Aberdeen and Durham Universities. Local volunteers also received field training in Hoy funded by the Scapa Flow Landscape Partnership Scheme.

The excavation at Cantick continued the work of last year that aimed to investigate part of the Bronze Age funerary landscape on the peninsula. A large burial mound that is situated on the southern cliff top was excavated and was found to contain a complex of central cists set within a circular stone constructed mound. Excavations last year revealed that this mound had a considerable history of burials along with refurbishment and maintenance of the mound structure. The most striking phase of this occurred when straight retaining walls were constructed around the outside, turning a round mound into a square. The central cists, or stone burial boxes, contained cremation burials, however there was evidence for inhumation burials as well in the form of unburnt human bone. This was found within the upper disturbed layers, but analysis has revealed that they probably represent the remains of two adults and two perinatal (around birth) burials. Not only did the burial mound display a remarkable change in architecture, from round to square, but also contained evidence for different burial rites; cremation and inhumation.

Last seasons excavations, then, posed a series of questions. The cist complex and cremation burials appeared to be Bronze Age but did they find origins in the Neolithic? The square outer revetment wall was certainly a secondary addition but did it date to the Iron Age following the square barrow tradition such as that in East Yorkshire, or the Pictish period with parallels found in Caithness and Shetland? Could it be that the square mound was unique to Cantick? This season’s excavations aimed to address these questions and untangle the complex history of the mound.

Central cists

The two quadrants excavated last season were reopened. They were extended in the corners with the aim of examining more of the external area of the mound and in the centre to investigate the central cists. The mound had been investigated by antiquarians and the central area consisted of loose stony material with some large bounding slabs. Excavation continued here throughout the two weeks to try and define this important area.

A large rectangular box cist was exposed last season in the south west part of the mound. The bulk of the perinatal bones were found within the upper disturbed fill. The contents of the cist were excavated this season and more perinatal bones were found in the same area. Whilst these did not represent an undisturbed burial, the concentration of small delicate bones in one location suggests that they had not been moved far. It seems that very young babies were buried in the top of the mound, perhaps during the Iron Age or later periods. In some societies young children were not considered truly human until they reached a certain age and were buried in peripheral places such as within old mounds or ditches.

The contents of the cist had been previously disturbed – first by otters and then antiquarians. The loose fill of the cist was removed revealing the disturbed remains of a cremation burial. But amongst the burnt bone fragments were thousands of tiny broken fish bones that could only derive from otter spraint. This suggests that the cist was used as a holt by otters in the past. The top of the cist must have been accessible from the surface at that time implying a lower height of the mound. The cist was then disturbed by treasure hunters and filled with spoil.

Excavation of central cists

The different phases of the mound were established in the main trench sections. These have provided important insights into the construction and modification of the external walls and significant clues as to their date. The original mound was constructed onto a slight platform of scalped glacial till. A preparation layer of grey clay was laid on the platform before the main mound core and revetment wall was constructed. A second revetment wall was then constructed outside. The primary mound was probably constructed around a central cist or chamber, but this could not be established this season. The practice of preparing areas for construction in this manner and the presence of multiple revetment walls of this scale certainly finds parallels in the Orcadian Neolithic rather than Bronze Age.
 
The secondary square wall was constructed above the outer primary revetment wall. The lower part of the mound appeared to have been levelled prior to this. A decorated fragment of Bronze Age pottery, typical in funerary contexts, was recovered from the layer below the later wall, suggesting a prehistoric date for this activity. The pottery, however, could have been caught up in later material and this phase could still belong to later periods.

Photograph showing the wall sequence

A small pit cut into the glacial till to the north west of the mound held the promise of an undisturbed buried cremation urn. However, the initial excitement of such a find was dampened as the fill of the pit contained nothing more than a flat slab.

Excavation in the central area continued in earnest with the hope of locating any central burials. The loose backfill was removed revealing that the large central slabs that had been assumed to form part of a large central cist were set onto a lower layer of fill. A large broken back slab was also found. This suggests that all the cist slabs visible in the top of the mound are later additions to a more ancient mound. It seems that the burial mound was constructed in the Neolithic and dramatically rebuilt and reused throughout the Bronze Age. The fill of the central area contained the odd unburnt adult human bone suggesting that inhumation burials may have been disturbed in this area. Undisturbed deposits were encountered in the base of the central area, but these will have to be returned to next year.

The burial mound at Cantick certainly has a complex history of use that spans several hundred or even thousand years. It seems that a small Neolithic tomb was extensively refurbished during the Bronze Age with the insertion of several box cists. The construction of the square outer mound probably occurred at this time, perhaps corresponding with a change in burial rite. It is still possible, however, that this occurred during the Iron Age or Pictish periods. Perhaps the perinatal burials were inserted into the mound at this time by the community living at Hesti Geo broch when the mound was starting to weather. Whatever the date of the square wall it is certainly unique to Cantick within Orkney. The true sequence may only be established by radiocarbon dating the burials. The secrets of the primary Neolithic tomb await excavation next year.

We would like to acknowledge our thanks to Eddie Doherty the landowner.

Dan Lee
Archaeological Project Officer, ORCA
  

Swona

On Tuesday (22 June) several of us were lucky enough to visit the island of Swona. This uninhabited island lies off South Ronaldsay and is only a mile and a long by a mile wide. Having watched the DVD about Swona I was desperate to go and see the place for myself. It looked idyllic and peaceful with interesting archaeology, wildlife and social history. We stayed a few hours and had a really wonderful time.

We were dropped off at The Tarf, at the south end of the island. Here are the graves of four shipwrecked sailors. These are marked by upright slabs at the head and foot. We would like to know which shipwreck these sailors might have been from and would welcome any information on this.

(c) Caroline Wickham-Jones

There is evidence of Neolithic, Pictish and Norse occupation although little can be seen above ground. The image below is taken by Caroline Wickham-Jones and shows all that is left of a possible stalled cairn.

Also at this end of the island is the lighthouse. The original lighthouse was built in 1906 with the modern one replacing it in 1983. Tysties (black guillemots) were nesting in the jumble of rocks near the lighthouse.

As we made our way towards the north end where the houses are, we passed many different types of birds and saw hundreds of seals lying up on the rocks. We got good views of puffins along the cliff tops on the east of the island. We were fortunate to be able to get pictures of a gull and oystercatcher chicks.

There are around half a dozen houses on the island and I was really keen to see them. I was really impressed by how well constructed these were. The amount of work and effort that had gone into building these two storey cottages was impressive. How many trips did it take to collect the stone needed? Where did the stone come from? Did the local men build the houses themselves?

Looking across to some of the farm buildings. The people made their living through farming, fishing, working the slate quarry and manning the lighthouse.  (c) Alistair Holmes

The interiors were lovely too and the wood-lined walls and doors were wonderful. These houses would have been really fine in their day. We felt so privileged to be able to see them and imagine how life must have been like for those living here.

There were two grain-drying kilns which were in a good state of preservation. These are typical of those built in the mid 18th century. Like many others of their type, they are standing the test of time well.

One of the kilns. The picture on the right shows the interior. The recess on the right was probably used to hold the peat.

The remains of the Hood, named after the battleship. It was built by the men of Swona and took part in the regattas in Longhope. Sadly the feral cattle have made it their scratching post and it is in poor condition now.

Winch and the Hood which was built by the men of Swona.

Looking down to The Haven, one of the two landing places on the island. There are two settlements on the island and both are near the sites where a boat can be hauled up.

Three fulmars have made their homes in the ruins of this house.

We were just walking along towards the houses when Alistair said to "come and look at this". In a hollow was an oystercatcher chick. We quickly took a photo and moved on.

A little later we saw this gull chick.

Swona is wonderful for its wildlife but also for the wild flowers. Above is a picture of a northern marsh-orchid.

Joyce Gray

Knitting skills are passed on to a new generation

During the month of June pupils at the Stromness, Saint Margaret’s Hope and Stenness primary schools are learning a new skill – how to knit! The Scapa Flow Landscape Partnership Scheme has provided a simple pattern to follow along with wool and needles.

The Learn to Knit classes are being taught by volunteers who are providing their time, patience and encouragement. On Tuesday 8 June I went down to Stromness Primary School to see how the first lesson was going.

I arrived to a hive of very quiet activity! The children were concentrating so hard on the work in hand that the only words were “I need help”, “I’ve dropped a stitch”, “What do I do now” and “I’m in a twist”. The ladies who were helping had cast on the stitches and were patiently guiding the children in the art of knitting. It turned out to be much more difficult than it first appeared. The stitches had a habit of falling off and getting dropped, wool got tangled up and the needles appeared to have a mind of their own. But, with patient encouragement the children were soon under way and were clearly enjoying learning something new.

Asked to comment their teacher, Mrs Leitch said “The knitting workshop was a real success. The pupils all enjoyed taking part in a practical activity that was quite different from any other activities we have been doing in the classroom. There was a calm, settled atmosphere in the room as the boys and girls worked industriously at their knitting.”

The children experienced a sense of achievement, because for all but one of them it was an entirely new skill, and the child who had already started learning to knit seemed proud to be able to share this skill in the classroom. They were keen to tell me how many rows and stitches they had managed this afternoon. The knitting kits, in individual bags, with brightly-coloured balls of wool and their own sets of needles, added a further incentive and element of excitement to the project. The patient and helpful ladies who came to share their skills with us had a super attitude with the children, and we are looking forward to seeing them again over the next two weeks.

I had hoped to get some quotes from the children but we were all so busy on the knitting that before we knew it the lesson was over but Mrs Leitch kindly spoke to the children afterwards and this is what they said:

"It was fun but I kept on losing stitches and got a little bit stuck."

"It was really fun because some people had never done it before."

"It was fun but a little bit hard."

"I felt happy because it was peaceful."

"It was quite easy and quite hard at the same time. When I was getting the hang of it, it was easy, but when I had to start all over again I got muddled up."

"It was exciting and a bit tricky. The ladies were kind and helpful."

"It was fun and fiddly and the ladies were kind and funny."

"It was interesting and fun because it was something new.”

“It was peaceful and we needed to concentrate."

I spent some time with this young lad as he worked his way through the stitches. When he completed his first row I asked if I could take a photograph and he was very happy for me to record the event. I asked him if he enjoyed learning to knit and he nodded enthusiastically so I asked if I could put in an order for a jersey, and, bless him - he asked what colour I wanted!

Joyce Gray

Launch of the flattie

Yesterday (Wednesday 9 June) was an exciting day for Stromness Academy pupils, Morna Brown, Thisbe Sinclair, Nicky Moar and Alexander Sinclair, as their months of hard work came to an end. This was the official launch of Mantis, the flattie the pupils have been working on with local boatbuilder Ian Richardson.

The launch of Mantis was well attended. Ian arrived with the flattie on the back of his trailer. It looked very impressive while Ian and the pupils carried the boat down the slipway to the water, to the sound of piper Marcus Craigie.

From the left is Jimmy Clouson, the Deputy Head of Stromness Academy, Hilda Learmonth, Head teacher of Stromness Academy, James Green and his brother Sam, Julian Branscombe and I an Richardson.  It was lovely to see James there as he is up here on holiday for a few days.  He was  the Development Officer for the Scapa Flow Landscape Partnership Scheme and was  instrumental in getting the project off the ground, so it was wonderful that he was there to see one the projects move from the paper to the water!

Stromness Academy Head Teacher, Hilda Learmonth, performed the naming ceremony and although she did not have a bottle of champagne, she did an admirable job by pouring a bottle of juice over the bows of the boat, blessing her and all who will row in her.

The flattie was then handed over to Willie Tulloch, who was very pleased to receive it on behalf of the Orkney Yole Association. The Association will use the boat as a tender.
 

 Result!

PRESS RELEASE

Stromness Flattie Launch

 The Mantis, the name is made up of the initials of the pupil's names.

A Stromness Flattie, built by pupils of Stromness Academy through support from the Scapa Flow Landscape Partnership Scheme, will be officially launched at 2pm, Wednesday, June 9th at the public pier at the north end of Stromness Harbour. The launch will be attended by the pupils - Nicky Moar, Thisbe Sinclair, Morna Brown, and Alexander Sinclair - along with school representatives, Ian Richardson (local boatbuilder and tutor) and Julian Branscombe (SFLPS Manager). The Orkney Yole Association will also be in attendance to accept the donation of the flattie.

With the help of local boat builder Ian Richardson, students at the Stromness Academy have spent the last academic year building the Stromness Flattie, a small traditional dinghy unique to the area. The boat is clinker-built. It gets its name from being flat-bottomed, but it can be distinguished from other flatties by having a shallow curve to its bottom. Knowledge of how to build one would have died out altogether if Ian, the last full-time boatbuilder in the islands, had not decided to measure up an old Flattie which he discovered on the shore at Point of Ness. Now, the boat made by the pupils at Stromness Academy has been built from Ian’s measured drawings, rekindling the traditional methods, designs and techniques used in local boatbuilding.

Julian Branscombe says “This boatbuilding project has attracted great interest from as far afield as Argyll and North Wales. Here in Orkney, many people have been fascinated – and even jealous – by the opportunity the Stromness Academy students have had in building this boat. It is fantastic to see the boat going into the water, proving the worth of their hard work over the last ten months.”

The Scapa Flow LPS is funded by Heritage Lottery Fund with the boat-building project also receiving financial support from Orkney Islands Council and the Scottish Government and the European Community Orkney LEADER 2007-2013 Programme.

Mini-subs to make appearance in Scapa Flow waters

The Scapa Flow Landscape Partnership Scheme is supporting members of ARGOS to go on an advanced training course on operating and repairing a Remote Operating Vehicle (ROV). ARGOS uses one of these mini-submarines for their research into plane crashes. An ROV can take live underwater footage of any wildlife and archaeological site, and our Scheme now intends to provide the public with a chance to see this 'ROV' in action.

The Aviation Research Group Orkney & Shetland (ARGOS) is one of the partners of the Scapa Flow Landscape Partnership Scheme. This organisation was formed by Kevin Heath & David Earl in April 2009. Their website is at http://www.crashsiteorkney.com/index.htm.

Kevin Heath, Chairman of ARGOS, is a trained diver and boatman. He owns an ROV made by an American ROV company, SeaBotix. Kevin, and fellow ARGOS committee member Dan Wise, have paid for themselves to fly out to the USA for this ROV training, as the training is much cheaper when held at the headquarters of SeaBotix. Our Scheme is covering the cost of the training course itself.

The full five day SeaBotix training will allow the ROV to be used much more effectively. The course covers advanced operation and use, maintenance and disassembly & assembly of the equipment. Kevin and Dan will then volunteer to provide boat trips and school demonstrations through the Scheme, in order to demonstrate underwater archaeological sites and marine wildlife in Scapa Flow.
 

Kevin (standing) and Dan (seated and partially hidden) felt the course went very well. They now have their advanced certificates. As part of their training they did some ROV flying under the ship Surprise (shown here). This boat was used in the movie Master and Commander starring Russell Crowe. We are not jealous at all. 
 
 

A tour around the Flow on the MV Graemsay

Last Thursday (20th May) sixty-three P7 children from Papdale Primary School enjoyed a two hour tour of Scapa Flow’s wartime history and wildlife. The weather was kind and the seas were dead calm as the Graemsay Ferry cruised around the Flow – reaching parts that the normal ferry route does not reach!

Anne pointed out the sites of boom defence nets, coastal batteries and the resting places of the scuttled German Fleet, as well as other landmarks such as search lights and interesting buildings. The pupils were then asked to fill in the locations of coastal defences, and identify features such as submarine nets and boom defences, on copies of a genuine 1943 map of Scapa Flow.

Tim Dean, a bird expert, told the children about the different birds we could see. Did you know that some birds can live up to thirty years? Me neither. He told us that scarfies (this relative of the cormorant is better known outside Orkney as the European shag) were sent from Orkney to London restaurants, to be sold as chicken.

"Can you all point to Graemsay?"

Fulmars were abundant around the Flow on our cruise. Tim explained that fulmars would have been rare in Orkney at the time of World War I. The reason fulmars have become so common in our waters is because fishing offal has given them an increased food supply.

Donald, the deck hand, allowed the children to don lifejackets. This caused great hilarity as the kids attempted to assist each other, thank goodness it was not a real emergency!

The trip went very well indeed and it’s hoped this can become an annual event.

Joyce Gray
 

Drystone Dyking at Longhope

Last weekend (22 & 23 May) the SFLPS held a free Drystane Dyking course. The course tutor, Brian Omand, showed six people the skills needed in making and mending Orkney’s traditional style of dyke.

Those taking part spent Saturday and Sunday mending gaps along a stretch of boundary dyke. Brian showed the group how to strip the dyke down, sort the stone by size and shape, and then rebuild the dyke re using the old stones.

 Landowner Grace Robertson was happy to have the old dykes mended. Although there is pressure to use fencing as an alternative she felt that the dykes were worth saving as they provide shelter for the animals and provide additional feed for the new lambs.

Cathy, our project officer took part and she marvelled at how much skill and work was involved. The gathering and transportation of the stone to the site is only the start of it.  The building of the foundation, its core and capping stones is almost a lost art.  Brian said “some of the dykes here have been standing for over 150 years, let’s hope our work stays standing for as long!”

The next Drystone Dyking event will be held on Graemsay on the 5th and 6th of June. If you would like to know more or want to book a place please ring Orkney Business Ring on 87 9080.

The Orphir Junior Youth Club

Fourteen members of Orphir Junior youth club enjoyed an evening nature walk from Breck to the beach below the Earl’s Bu. The walk, with a promise of toasted marshmallows and hot chocolate at the end, was to celebrate the end of their Youth Club year. The weather was lovely and as soon as we got off the bus at the car park at Breck the children spotted a frog in the wet ditch. As everyone tried to claim they were the first one to see it another frog appeared! Keeping up with two frogs was not easy as they leapt around all over the place but it kept the children amused for some time.

Looking a bit like a crocodile, I was really delighted to get this photo. I'd like to have gotten a photo of both the frogs together but they would not oblige!

Further along the trail, great northern divers, fulmars and dunters (eider ducks) were spotted. There were a variety of plants including a couple you could eat – scurvy-grass (not a grass at all, but a relative of cabbage) and sorrel. The children were told that the scurvy-grass used to be eaten by sailors to prevent them getting scurvy.  Some of the children tried the plant but were not impressed - the marshmallows and cocoa proved to be a much more popular snack!
 

Enjoying toasted marshmallows and hot chocolate. The children also treated us to a few songs around the fire.

Joyce

The Naming Stone

 

 

 

OUR TRIP TO CAVA

Last week, a series of planned trips to Cava has been organised by Anne, our Ranger. The trips are part of the Scapa Flow's Smaller Islands - The Story of Depopulation project where school pupils will visit the island and learn about what life was like on them and why they became depopulated. We were fortunate with the weather and pupils from Stromness and Orphir Primary Schools were able to visit the island.

Landing on Cava

With lifejackets donned and the children all ready, they climbed on board The Radiant Queen skippered by Emily Turton. The boat came as close to Cava as was possible but as there is no pier there we then needed a smaller boat to ferry the children to the island.  Bobby Forbes, Kevin Heath and Dan Wise from SULA Diving kindly agreed to the use of the Sula rib and the kids had a brilliant time on both boats. After navigating the small step from the big boat to the rib, it was just a quick three minute run and we were on the shore of Cava.

Who lives in a house like this?

After all the necessary safety briefings we all set off to look at the different things on the island. Some used a map to find different locations. We visited the only house which still has a roof. This one was vacated in the 1980s and the pupils were asked to have a look through the windows and around the buildings next door to see what they could find. They were amazed to see an old piano, chest of drawers, a golf bag and an old hoover amongst other things. The old hoover was an electric one which sparked off the conversation about whether or not the folk that lived in the old croft house had a generator. Did it? We don't know!

We visited the strange looking structure that you can see here. The boys seemed to 'get it' much quicker than the girls. It is of course a urinal - all that is left from the buildings that were erected here during the Second World War. The children were asked to think about the things you would need to suvive on the island. Fresh water, food, shelter and transport were the most important things but they also had to think about what they would do to occupy their leisure hours - no iPod or television in those days!

All the groups were keen to see the whale's skull. The sperm whale was washed up on the shore of Cava several months ago and all that is left is the skull and some blubber. The children were amazed at the size of it and many thought we should bring it back. Sadly there was no room for it and the pupils on the rib, so we had to leave it for another day!

Everyone liked the whale skull!

After visiting Cava on Friday (our last day) and being transported back to Emily's boat via the rib we asked the children if they would like to go to Houton as planned or to spend longer on the Radiant Queen and go straight back to Stromness instead. Surprisingly no one seemed that keen to get back to school early and as Emily is involved in the Orkney Song Project she brought out her bohdrin and we made up a sea shanty over our hot chocolate and biscuits.

This is how it goes:

Cava

We’ve been on a boat in Scapa Flow to visit Cava
We saw a pregnant sheep
And we had lots of fun
While dancing in the sun Oh Yea!
And the whalebone weighed a ton

The Radiant Queen is awesome
And the rib was very fast
The toilets were good and flush was long
And the hot chocolate was  great, Oh yea
And the hot chocolate was great

We saw geese and shags and bonxies
And we hope to see a puffin
There were ruined houses full of stuff
Like shoes and a hoover and piano

Repeat first verse

The children seemed fascinated by the toilet on the boat and the derelict one on Cava! If given free reign toilets would have featured in every line of the song. On the way back to Stromness each of the children had a chance to pilot the boat - what fun that was! 

Emily explained to her crew how the instruments worked, the tides, how to line up to the landmarks, the obstacles to look out for, port and starboard and how to give your passengers a comfortable trip. This young lady was asked if she would like to make The Radiant Queen go round in a Figure of Eight - you can tell by her expression she was rather pleased to give it a go!

I asked the children what they had enjoyed on their trips and was pleased that each group had something different that they had liked. Some liked the wildlife, the sheep on the island, the houses, the freedom and the urinal! All the children loved the boat and the rib with many just wishing they could stay on the rib and not return to school!

We had a wonderful week and really hope the children, teachers and accompanying parents learned a lot and enjoyed their trips out. Our heartfelt thanks must go to Emily, Dan, Kevin and Bobby who were simply wonderful with the children and who made us all feel safe and secure in their capable hands.

For more information on SULA Diving go to http://suladiving.com/.  If you would like to know more about the Radiant Queen go to http://www.rqcharters.co.uk/ and finally if you would like to find out more about the Orkney Song Project then go to http://www.orkneycommunities.co.uk/ORKNEYSINGERS/

Joyce Gray

Since our trip we have been told that the organ in the house is one that used to be in the church at Fara. We would love to know if this is the case and to hear any stories of people who have lived there or can give us some history of the island. Please get in touch with me if you can expand our knowledge of Cava. Email joyce.gray@orkney.gov.uk or ring me on 873535 ext 2883.

Simmans and Sookans at Corrigall Farm Museum

Last weekend (17 and 18 April) the art of simmans making was rekindled at Corrigall Farm Museum when well known local craftsman Peter Leith provided demonstrations and tuition on how to make simmans. The use of simmans to thatch the roofs of crofts and outbuildings was a unique feature of Orkney's past.

Peter is very happy to pass on this skill to ensure that the tradition stays alive. If you would like to learn this skill Peter will be at Corrigall again this coming weekend and will be happy to share with you his knowledge and expertise. On Saturday 24 May please come along between 10.30am and 1pm, and the event on Sunday 25 May runs between 2 and 5 pm.

Peter Leith demonstrating the art of making simmans

Neil Leask, custodian at Corrigall will use the finished simmans in a needle thatch demonstration which will be held at the museum on Saturday 1 May beginning at 11am. The demonstration will form part of a programme of events being run to celebrate the Farm Museum's 30th anniversary over the Bank Holiday weekend.

The simmans and sookans events are funded by our scheme, with the aim of promoting the traditional methods of simmans and sookans making. Please look out for a feature on this which will appear in the local press this week.

Making a start!

In the year 995 Earl Sigurd the Stout was waiting for a favourable wind to take him and his men across the Pentland Firth, with his three longships lying at anchor at Osmundwall in Hoy. They were surprised by five longships which were owned by Olaf Tryggvarson who was on his way to Norway to claim the throne.

A convert to Christianity, Olaf gave Sigurd a choice – either accept Christianity for all of Orkney or die and have the islands ransacked. It was not a difficult choice to make and Sigurd chose Christianity. Olaf took one of Sigurd’s sons as hostage but when the son died soon after, Sigurd refused to pay homage to Olaf any more, and there is speculation that he may have renounced the new religion and put his faith in Odin and the old gods once more.

One of our projects is to produce a carved stone bench which will illustrate this story of Sigurd and his conversion. Our Ranger, Anne Bignall, is also an excellent artist, and she has spent many weeks designing the bench, creating a wonderful sketch of how it will look. Watching her work was entertaining. After some friendly and helpful banter “That ear looks like a donkey’s”, “Is that a tusk or a banana in its mouth” the designs went to Colin Watson, the cathedral mason who has kindly agreed to do the carving.

With the stone sourced I went along to see Colin this week to see how he was getting on and to take some photos of the work in progress. First, the picture is drawn on to the stone and then Colin begins to carve out the design. Watching him work is mesmerizing, he makes it look so easy! I was surprised too at how quickly the design took shape, just a few knocks with the right tools and there you had it.

Once happy that the design was ‘in place’ Colin took it outside his workshop to trim off the excess stone. Again, this happened very quickly, and using some serious pieces of equipment the excess was gathered up and stored.

Colin begins to chisel out some features and the excess stone is removed.

 It was interesting to see how the design changed as the light fell on different parts of it. This bench is going to look amazing, and from time to time I will nip in to see how Colin is getting on and to take more photos. The pictures will be posted here so ‘pop back’ again to see how he is getting on.

Above left is the side of the bench with the excess stone removed. Next, Colin begins to shape the head. Watching him was like looking at a woman sitting filing her nails as the hard edges soon became rounded.

Colin was working on the stone at the Orkney Archaeology Society Ancient Technology Event at Harray Hall on Friday 30 April and Saturday 1 May. He is making excellent progress.

Joyce Gray
 

Lead Mine at Warebeth, Stromness

A few weeks ago Kevin Heath came in to see Julian with a lump of rock which he said came from a lead mine which was once worked on the shore at Warebeth. We had never heard of it but thought it was interesting so I have done a little bit of research to find out a bit more.

The mine is close to the burn as you walk towards Breckness and was established around a fault line which runs across the flagstones. The lead ore obtained is galena, and this was extracted from the fissures and fractures within the rock.

View of the shaft taken from the beach

The entrance to the mine was dug horizontally into the base of the cliff and it's thought this was used for access, exploration and to assist with the drainage. Records state that the shaft turned north west within the entrance but that this has been filled in for safety. Near to this site is another shaft which has also been blocked.

The whole are was around thirty metres wide and it looks as if some exploration has taken place along the coastal path. There used to be two buildings associated with the site but these are no longer visible. Operations began in 1762 but the work did not continue for long as extracting the ore was not profitable.

On the left is a large lump of rock found on the shore just below the mine. On the right are two pieces of rock containing lead ore. These are quite easy to find - provided you can find the mine in the first place!

If anyone knows anything more about this site I'd really like to hear from you. You can give me a ring on 87 3535 ext 2883 or drop an email to joyce.gray@orkney.gov.uk

 Update:

Yesterday (29th April) Sigurd at The Orcadian emailed me to say there was an article on this mine appearing in the paper this week. He kindly forwarded the piece to me and has allowed us to include it here. It makes for interesting reading.

“Baltifore was the name of “that part at the Miners’ Hole, and ‘Stennigar’ lies between that and Breckness” (1935).

It is mentioned in a bill of sale dated 1762, from which it emerges that the Miners’ Hole was dug in 1760: “Bill of Sale by Henry Willcock of Bonshall in County of Derby, mine adventurer, to James Morton of the Strand, County Middlesex, wine merchant (to whom he is indebted for £600), 100 tons or thereabouts of lead ore, washed and dressed lying at the mine called ‘Baltifore Lead Mine’, near Stromness, dated London, April 8, first year of reign of George III.”

At one time, then, lead mining at the West Shore was seen as commercially viable, but, like other enterprises, its impact seems to have been short-lived.

 You can find out a little more about this site by logging on to:

http://www.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk/search_item/index.php?service=RCAHMS&id=1571

Maintaining the Barriers

When the British Naval war ship The Royal Oak was sunk by a German U-boat during the Second World War, Winston Churchill decided the entrances to the Flow should be permanently sealed. Over seventy thousand concrete blocks were cast and laid down.

The immense task was completed in a relatively short time. All four entrances were declared 'sealed' by mid 1943, only three years after it was begun. The work was completed in 1945.
It was an incredible piece of engineering and I’m afraid we rather take them for granted today. We get annoyed when they are closed due to bad weather but how much more annoyed we would be if we had to wait for a ferry to take us to Burray or the Hope!

Today, the council has the responsibility of maintaining the barriers. Every year around 130 five ton blocks are cast at Cursiter quarry just outside Finstown in preparation for the annual 'drop'. The tides are so fierce that blocks can be carried up to 30 metres from where they were first placed so it is essential that these are replaced annually to break up the waves and to keep the barriers from being undercut by the waves.

On Tuesday I was fortunate to be able to watch some of the work being carried out. Several lorries are loaded with blocks and make their way to the barriers. Once the last one can be seen coming through Holm with its load, the road is closed and the crane is put into position, ready for the convoy.

I asked why the blocks were not just 'dumped’ over the side, but it was explained that this would break the stones and they all had to be placed individually to block up any gaps which were appearing. The wave wall also prevents any tipper being able to gain the height it would need to get close to the area where the blocks are needed.

With the crane in place the first of the lorries came alongside.  Each block was quickly secured to a quick release coupling and then lifted up and over the wave wall where one of the workers guided the block to exactly the correct spot. When placed, the hook was removed and the process repeated. When one section had been done the crane then moved to the next section needing attention. I was amazed at how quickly the work was completed (although I am sure the folk waiting in the traffic queue would not agree with me). 
 
 

The barriers are incredible and vital to our lives, so the next time we are stuck at one side or the other we should spare a thought for the work carried out by the Italian prisoners of war and the ongoing work that is carried out today. Life would be so much harder without the Churchill Barriers.

Joyce Gray

Our brilliant afternoon

On Friday 12 March, Anne and I went across to the Holms to see what treasures the rock pools over there had to offer. It was a lovely day and the sun was out so we went on a recce to have a look and see what types of wildlife there was before Anne went across with members of the public this Sunday.

From our office on the hill we look directly over to the Holms so it was great for us to be on the holms looking across to the office for a change! We were rewarded by finding some wonderful things. Anne got excited over different types of fish (and fish eggs) while I was pleased to find tiny starfish, no bigger than the nail on your wee finger.

A couple of brittlestars

Five bearded rockling and sea spider

 Eggs of an animal of some kind and a tiny starfish.

There are four starfish on this rock!

Under one rock we found a big eel which tried for some time to avoid our camera but with a bit of patience and perseverence we managed to get a photo of it. Our child like enthusiasm saw us lift stone and stone after stone and we were not disappointed!

On the way back we were invited in to Nan's house for a bowl of soup and some lovely bread she got from Argo's shop. Well fed, we then got a tour of the house. 

We had a brilliant time - how different the holms look now that we have visited them!

Our trip was a recce for the Rockpooling event that Anne held on Sunday 14 March. I understand that was also a great success.

Joyce Gray

Archaeological and building survey at Ness Battery

The planned restoration of Ness Battery is the single biggest undertaking out of all 48 projects in the Scapa Flow Landscape Partnership Scheme. Over the last three weeks a team of archaeologists from the Orkney Research Centre for Archaeology (ORCA) have been carrying out an archaeological building recording survey on the remaining huts as well as doing a walk-over survey of the whole site to find evidence of its former use. A measured survey of all the buildings and earthworks was also completed.

The work started in the snow and bitter conditions at end of January, with the main part of the work being the building recording of the wooden buildings. As well as recording the outside of the huts they surveyed 71 rooms where many of the original internal features have survived. To this end they took detailed descriptions of the structure, fabric and fittings of each room.

Dan and Gavin use various equipment to take readings and recordings of the buildings and hidden structures on site.

An interesting ‘find’ was the discovery in one of the huts of a Shove Ha’penny board which was carved into the top of a slate counter in a former kitchen larder. Archaeologist Dan Lee said “The board is just out of sight and the cooks may have sneaked a game or two between meals!”

 Dan added “The weather conditions have not been on our side. The ORCA team can fully appreciate how cold the soldiers would have been at this exposed site on a winter watch during the war. It has been interesting to spend such a lengthy time at this important and evocative WWII site and hopefully the results of the survey will help to bring alive this important period in the history of Orkney.”

The building survey will provide a foundation for planning the restoration work. The SFLPS is about to start the procurement process to get the right project team of specialists in place to manage the work. The restoration programme will principally involve repairs and stabilisation of the site's four surviving timber huts, and a more comprehensive restoration of the timberwork of the Mess Hall & Kitchen block, with its wartime mural.

Andy and Gavin get little comfort being inside.  It was freezing both inside and out!

The project will also oversee the propping of the gun emplacements – there is serious corrosion to the steelwork frames supporting the roofs of the two emplacements, and urgent work is required to make sure that they do not collapse. Furthermore, the stability of the Battery Observation Post needs considered.

There is a huge amount to do, but the work of ORCA means that our understanding of the site is now sufficient for us to proceed. It is hoped that work on restoring the huts will begin later on this year.

The discovery of the Shove Ha Penny board is wonderful. You placed the ha'penny at the front of the board with the edge of the coin just sticking over the front edge of the board. You then shove the coin up using any part of the hand. The aim of the game was to shove ha'pennies and have them land between the lines on the board. If you manage to get one of the ha'pennies in this presice place then you get one point. In a full game you need to get three points in each line of the board.

Once you have some hapennies in play if they are not in the right place you aim at them with your next ha'penny in the hope that you will push them gently into a scoring position.

We must thank Dan, Gavin and Andy of ORCA for working in such difficult conditions and providing us with these images.

(c) Rebecca Marr

A visit to the Italian Chapel

I have been doing a bit of research on the Italian Chapel so I can write about it for our big web site. On Saturday I went a run out to take some photos and was rewarded with a lovely day with the sun shining in the windows.

Whenever I take someone out there for the first time I always let them go in first. The outside is interesting, but the inside is stunning and is guaranteed to make the visitor feel humble. For the prisoners to create such a wonderful building with basic materials such as concrete, plasterboard, scrap materials and paint is truely awe inspiring.

I thought I would include some of the photos here and say a little bit about them.

George and the Dragon
This was created by Domenico Chiocchetti who carried out the majority of the paintwork within the chapel.  He was given permission to erect a statue of George and the Dragon in the main square of the camp. This he made using a base of barbed wire which was then covered over with cement. It depicts triumph over evil and was one of the first items produced on the site.
 

The Italian Chapel was not the only one built by the prisoners. There was also a chapel at the camp in Burray which made use of one end of a Nissen hut. The interior of that one was designed by Sgt Giovanni Pennisi.

He he was invited to come across to assist Chiocchetti in designing the facade to hid the outline of the huts on Lamb Holm.

Bruttapasta was responsible for the facade which features gothic pinnacles which were cast in clay and then finished in cement. Pinnisi crafted the head of Christ which was made from red clay.

The White Dove

Chiocchetti painted the White Dove, the symbol of the Holy Spirit on the ceiling. It is featured at the centre of the vault and also includes the symbols of the four Evangelists around it which featured on the prayer card Chiocchetti carried with him.
 

Two Nissen huts were joined together with the intention of one end being used as a school while the other would become a chapel.  As the chapel took shape ithe other end looked rather bleak and it soon became apparant that the whole interior should be given over to the chapel and decorated. The corrugated iron of the Nissen hut was lined with plasterboard and was painted over with images and imitation brick work.  An altar with altar-rail was cast in concrete as was the water font.
 

The prisoners made use of all kinds of scrap material.  The lantern on the left was made from Bully Beef tins. Candlesticks were made from reinforcing metal rods used in the concrete blocks used at the barriers.

Palumbo, a metalworker, made candelabra and the rood-screen and gates.

We are so fortunate to have this wonderful building which has been left to the people of Orkney.  Next time you are wondering how to pass the time or you have visitors, take a trip across the barriers and visit the chapel built by the Italian Prisoners of War during the second World War.

The period of Duck and Cover is almost over!

At last, I finally feel it is safe to come out from under my desk. Last week we had the difficult task of choosing the companies we are going to ask to provide a full quote for the job of setting up and running our main website, which will host all the information about Scapa Flow’s varied heritage.

There were over fifty applications from interested companies who submitted a Pre-qualifying Questionnaire. It was our job to whittle this down to no more than six or eight who would then be invited to submit a costed proposal for the job. With so many very good companies applying, it was an extremely difficult decision for us to make. It took a lot of discussion and head scratching to reach a decision, but we were lucky to have lots of submissions from companies who had lots of relevant experience and who clearly understood our needs. It was such a difficult decision that it took us much longer than we had hope but we will be issuing the revised website brief and this week.

St Lawrence Kirk, Burray

Whether you are a believer or not, there is something very special about a church.  To take the time, trouble and effort to erect a building that is not a necessity is quite a testament to human nature.  After reading about St Lawrence Kirk I was keen to get down to see it and  finally managed to get down there yesterday (20th January 2010).  The kirk, which was built in 1621, lies close to the shore at the Bu Sands in Burray.   It lies on a much earlier site and this is very obvious when you walk up to it as you can see it lies on a definite rise. 

In a report dated the 17th June 1627 we are told that there were around one hundred people who attended this kirk.  This is quite remarkable as it is quite out of the way so the worshippers would have had to travel quite a distance to say their prayers! 

Records show that on the 3rd of March 1661 there was no service as the minister had contracted sciatica after a trip to Swona the previous week and how he preached to just a couple of people on the 6th of December 1668 when wild weather kept them from `a diet of worship’. 

The first recorded marriage took place on the 26th November 1657 between Robert Scottry and Marrione Aschen.  I found this interesting as these are not typical Orcadian surnames. The gravestones showed names such as Thomson, Park, Laird, Budge and Annal - typical names for this area.

On the 26th of December 1658 twins, Margaret and Annas, children of John Maile were baptised here.  As was so often the case in those days a woman give birth to a child almost every year during her fertile years.  James Stewart, the Laird of Burray saw his first son Archibald baptised on the 14th of October 1663.    In October 1664 William was baptised followed by James in February 1665.  In 1667 a fourth child died and the following October Anna was born.

You can find out such a lot from gravestones and I spent a while reading them.  How sad to see the many children who died in infancy and those lost to accidents at sea.

Having spent some time admiring this old building I then followed the path along the shore and admired the wildlife for a time.   There were many different types of birds on the sea and I was annoyed with myself for having left my binoculars in the car.   There was no sign of seals however and I  think was because the sea was too rough.  I'm fascinated by the power of the sea (unless I'm on a boat and its rough). and after the stormy conditions of  Saturday the sea was wicked and the waves came crashing into the beach stones making a very impressive noise.  How different to the times I have watched the annual beach race when the Orkney Motocross Club have come thundering along the beach during their annual race here.

Along the path you can see this piece of machinery.   I believe it is for helping to winch boats to shore.  You often see them close to the shore - there is one down at Hoxa and another one at the third barrier.  These don't appear to be used any more.  A sign of the times.

It was a lovely way to spend a Sunday morning and I will have to come back again but this time I will remember to take the binoculars out of the car!

A walk through Olav's Wood

 Olav's Wood

On the road to Windwick, South Ronaldsay is Olav's Wood, a 4.5 acres site of woodland that runs alongside the Oback Burn.  A few weeks ago (before we all became snowed in) my son Dean and I went a walk through it. 

The first planning of trees took place i n the late 1970's with the majority of the planting taking place in the late 1980s.  There is a small passing place on the road in which we parked and then walked a short distance to climb over the gate.  Here open grassland greets you with a number of paths leading off in different directions.  Feeling a little like Dorothy on the Yellow Brick Road I followed one path, while Dean took another.  We met up just at the mouth of the woodland.

Following the path we made our way into the heart of the woodland.  Here it was dense and rather dark with the canopy of trees above  but it was well worth the visit.  When inside the wood you can hear the call of several different species of bird which are perched in the branches above.  There is a great variety of trees and shrubs as well as flowers and plants that only grow near burns.  I'm afraid I know nothing about plants so can't give the names of any of them but for the enthusiast I suggest you look up the lovely website for Olav's Wood which you can find at http://www.cs.manchester.ac.uk/~david/orkney/olavswood.html

We spent quite a while here just exploring the different winding paths and when we thought we might not find out way out again simply made out way to the outside of the wood which took us out next to open farmland.  Getting our bearings again we dived back in!  There are lots of different types of trees and shrubs and we had a lovely time exploring.

The earth was very wet (being November) so if you decide to visit take a pair of wellies or walking boots with you and a good pair of bincoulars for bird watching. 

Gavin's Discoveries at Kew

As mentioned earlier World War 2 expert, Gavin Lindsay, was spending time in London, researching the history of Ness Battery at the National Archive, Kew. He has been studying the Fortress Book, which is held in the Archive, along with maps and regimental records. The Fortress Book was the Commanding Officer’s main record book, and it will provide day to day details of the operations, down to inventories of the stores, at Ness Battery throughout the period when it was active.

 Gavin is now writing up his findings, which we shall make available through this website. We are very excited by what will come from this. Many insights into Ness Battery will come from this important piece of research. This will add to the body of knowledge about Orkney’s importance in WW2, and provide the crucial context for the renovation work which our Scheme will be undertaking at Ness Battery over the next two and a half years.

Gavin has been working for the Orkney Research Centre for Archaeology (ORCA) throughout 2009, closing the year with researching the wartime heritage at over 20 sites of interest where the Scapa Flow Landscape Partnership Scheme want to provide interpretation. His work on behalf of the Scheme at the National Archive is additional to this, however it will link very well with a contract for archaeological building survey and recording at the Ness Battery, which has just been won by ORCA.

Concert Party held at Ness Battery, Stromness

 Copryight: SCRAN

Duck and Cover in the Scapa Flow Landscape Office

This cartoon expresses totally the way I am feeling at the moment!

In addition to the site you are reading now we are going to have a much bigger website which will look at our projects in more detail and will include a compendium of heritage information about the Scapa Flow area as well as historical information, maps and news pages. Although the content is being put together by the team here the consultant will be responsible for creating the site.

We had asked for costed submissions to come to us by the 15th of January 2010 but we have had such an enormous number of companies interested in the project that we have had to change our plans. Instead of inviting them to send in their full proposals, we are asking that they fill in a PQQ from instead. This is a Pre Qualification Questionnaire which will enable us to select companies and individuals who we think qualify and meet our needs. We will then select just six or eight to quote for the job.

We don’t want to mess people around but since the advert was posted on the Procurement Website we have had almost 200 expressions of interest and my phone has been red hot at times with people wanting the brief sent to them or just asking questions. At times I have felt the need to ‘Duck and Cover’ as emails have come in at such a rate I have wanted to hide under my desk! As so many are interested we needed a way of reducing the applications to a manageable level.

The closing date for companies and individuals to submit their Pre Qualification Questionnaires (PQQ) is the 15th of this month (January). We will then sit down and begin the process of appointing a web consultant.
 

Making a Splash in Scapa Flow

Julian was speaking with Kevin Heath of A.R.G.O.S. (Aviation Research Group for Orkney and Shetland) and they were discussing the work done by the ARGOS group in Orkney.  Kevin told how they had found a 1000lb German magnetic mine on the sea bed on Scapa Flow in 1999 or 2000.  It was subsequently blown up by  the Bomb disposal unit.  The picture below shows the splash created by the disposal.

This clearly shows that Scapa Flow still has many war time reminders lying on the sea bed. 

If you want to read more about the work being undertaken by the A.R.G.O.S. team they have a very good website.  You can find out more by logging on to http://crashsiteorkney.com/

Just before we broke up for the festive season Julian and I went to Ness to pick up some lanterns which had been used the previous Saturday during the guided tour.  We took the opportunity to have a look through the hatch in the Mess Room.

For many years there have been rumours that the mural carries on beyond the false ceiling in this room.  There was also rumours that there was a curtain up `in the loft'  that was once used when the staff here held concerts.

With torch in hand Julian entered the hatch and found ....... Nothing, nothing at all.  I was sorely dissapointed as I had hoped the mural would continue the full height of the wall and it would give us an indication of the colours in the mural before cigarette smoke and light had done its damage.  Again there was no curtain and the are above the ceiling is clean with nothing of interest.

However, now we know so we can dispell the rumours. 

At the moment we have Gavin Lindsay doing some research for us.  He is visiting the National Archive at Kew in London and will be looking up the Fortress Book to see what information he can get for us on Ness Battery.  I am hoping he will find information on the A R Woods who painted the mural at the Battery and might find out more about the personnel who served there.

A trip to the island of Cava

Last Friday (11th December 09) Anne and Julian visited the island of Cava. In the past this island was heavily populated but today it is uninhabited and the only people able to visit the island are ones fortunate enough to have access to a boat which can land on this isle's beaches.

One of the projects in the Scapa Flow Landscape Partnership Scheme is to enable children to find out about what life was like on the islands which are now uninhabitated, and let them learn about the story of depopulation. In April 2010, the Scheme is intending to run a number of trips to Cava with school children from three primary schools in the area.

If you have any knowledge, pictures or stories from Cava - or indeed any of the other uninhabited islands around the Scapa Flow area, such as Swona, Switha, Fara or Rysa Little, we would love to hear from you.

Above left: arriving on Cava, and right: the remains of a sperm whale's skull on Cava

Below left: the only house left with the roof intact, and right: the organ which has been left behind

Our thanks go to Philip Weiss, South Isles Ranger, for the use of these photos.

Boat building at Stromness Academy

Last Friday (4th December) Julian and Cathy visited Stromness Academy to see the work being carried out by four S4 pupils who are building a Stromness 'flattie' under the guidance of local boat builder, Ian Richardson.

 Ian's notebook full of measurements, sketches and instructions!

 Thisbe and Morna inspect their work.

A trip around the Flow 

Sometimes this job is so rewarding!  We've been looking into boat-trips, because we want more people to have the chance to get to know the heritage of Scapa Flow from the sea. This led to the chance to go out with Magnus Spence of Northfield, Burray, on his scallop boat the Sheila C, yesterday (11/11/09).

Julian and I found outselves on Burray Pier at 8.30am. Being November we had arrived clad in thermals, several layers of clothes, wooly socks, hats, waterpoofs and wellies.  Being thus wrapped up off we went.  The weather in fact was especially kind and we had the most wonderful time. We went past Hoxa and got a very good view of the battery there.  It was interesting to view this site and that at Stanger Head from the sea. They looked very dramatic siloutted against the landscape.

 The boom defence nets from the second world war

We got close to the boom defence nets which lie on the surface of the sea between Flotta and the Calf of Flotta. These were abandoned here after the second world war and I have to say it was a bit eerie going past them. We also got very close to the Vanguard bouy on which there was a wreath of poppies. It seemed very appropriate that we arrived at this site around the time of the two minutes silence. 

On a lighter note  Julian is keen on his birds so got very excited at the constant stream of different feathered creatures that passed within view, especially the little auks and black-throated divers. Magnus went diving for clams, leaving us with Magnus Woolham at the helm, and when he came back on board and emptied the bag it was my turn to be excited as there were starfish and sea anenomes among the clams. He also took up some old bottles from the sea bed. Julian was delighted to be able to take a glass brylcream bottle home with him! Inside one of these bottles was the smallest lobster I have ever seen. I have included a picture of it to show you.  After being photographed and cooed over (yes we did), the anenomes, starfish and lobster were returned to the sea.

Squat lobster                                       Clams

On coming back to the pier there was a complete rainbow over  Burray village. It was a perfect ending to a wonderful trip.

If you would like to take this trip you can find details on http://orkanadventures.com/

We are keen to promote any organisation or business offering opportunities for enjoyment and appreciation of our area's heritage. Please contact us if you are offering an opportunity you would like us to mention.

 Community film project

An event held in the Hoy Kirk kick started a new project to create a series of films about Hoy and its community.

This meeting was set up to find out what the islanders, and people with connections to Hoy, wanted to see included in the films. The open evening was well attended and many thoughts and ideas were shared. The team leading the project have already invested in the technology needed to make the films available to anyone visiting the kirk, which now serves as a visitor centre and multi-purpose facility in the community.

Some of the islanders share their ideas with Scapa Flow Project Officer, Cathy Fisher

(C) Rebecca Marr

Mark Jenkins, a Stromness based film editor and one of the production team said "We know there are many people with anecdotes about life in the island over the year - we'd love to hear them and gather ideas on how we can best portray the cultural and natural heritage of the island". The evening got the project off to a great start and if anyone should like to become involved then please contact Mark Jenkins on 01856 850 459 or email him at mjedit@btinternet.com

 

The Upland Path Training Course

Seven people attended the Upland Path Construction Course which was held over three days in September 2009.   Kevin Fairclough from Paths for All spent two days explaining the various apsects of path construction, surveying, maintenance, risk assessment, path surfacing and restoration as well as the legal procedures that need to be followed.

One day was spent on Hoy where the group braved the wind and rain to view the new Old Man of Hoy footpath which has recently been completed.  Here they looked at path and discussed the drainage techniques, path surfacing, landscaping and the methods the contractor used and the impact the path makes within the landscape. 

 

 

 

 

Above and right: participants who took part in the Path Construction Course spent a day on Hoy looking at the newly completed Old Man Of Hoy path

 

 

 The Submerged Landscape of Scapa Flow

This active archaeological projects within the Landscape Partnership Scheme is being run by local expert Caroline Wickham-Jones and her research associate, Dr Sue Dawson.

Ten thousand years ago Orkney looked very different to how it does today. At the end of the last Ice Age the sea around Orkney is thought to have been around 45 metres lower than it is today and Orkney was one land mass. When the Mesolithic people arrived in Orkney they would have been hunter gatherers and would have spent much of their time moving along the coast gathering the rich pickings from both the shore and the sea. As the ice melted, the sea levels rose and created the islands that we are familiar with today. It is likely that the submerged landscape around the islands contain prehistoric sites.

During this period, Scapa Flow was a largely land-locked bay with only one entrance into the open sea.Elsewhere, underwater archaeologists have discovered many submerged archaeological sites which lie beneath the waves. No work of this kind had been undertaken in Orkney until 2004 when the Rising Tide Project was established under Caroline Wickham-Jones with Sue and Alastair Dawson. It was set up to research the early settlement, changing landscape and the rising sea-levels around Orkney and in particular to see what impact this had on the prehistoric population of Orkney.

The current project intends to study the submerged landscape of Longhope and Flotta. The areas studied are from Longhope Bay across to South Ronaldsay and the islands at the southern end of the Flow. The data collected will give an indication of sea-level change. 

The picture above shows Sue taking core samples from Mill Bay, Hoy while the picture below looks across from South Ronaldsay to South Walls, Hoy

 

 

Marine Litter

The aim of this project was to raise awareness of the impact of Marine Litter on Seabirds and Marine Wildlife.

Six schools which had pupil catchments which border Scapa Flow were invited to take part and the following primary schools took part: Burray, Glaitness, Orphir, Flotta, St Margaret's Hope and Stromness.

There were four phases to the Project. Phase one created an education resource pack for each school. This included books, leaflets, posters, Discs and Video material. A visit was made to each of the schools by the Cool Seas Roadshow, which was greatly enjoyed by the children and they were given six library books on Marine Conservation issues which were included in the pack. It is hoped that the packs will be used in many future school topics related to aspects of marine life/coasts/litter and reycling and this is a permanent and valuable addition to the schools resources.

In phase two a Field Teacher using a range of RSPB and other materials worked with pupils through twelve areas of study. These were:

1. Identify types and sources of marine litter through use of picture evidence, samples of typical materials and educational activity sheets and prompts
2. Estimate and check times taken to degrade
3. Identify good household practice to avoid littering via flushing waste
4. Identify good practice regarding sustainable shopping bags and minimum wrapping
5. Discuss wider good practice to minimise marine litter
6. Visit a local beach and complete a supervised and safe litter collection
7. Survey the litter collected or seen and quantify as a percentile
8. Discuss how litter items were made, could be recycled, be replaced with more sutiable equivalents, or avoided
9. Be invited to Adopt a Beach rather than do a once a year tidy, and for ways this could be done
10. Find out about Seabirds and Marine Creatures, their rich diversity, their lifestyles and interdependence on each other and their habitat.
11. Find out about a range of the creatures affected by marine litter
12. Be encouraged to share what they discover through the creation of an in school display board, posters or leaflet

Phase three involved the schools creating a short drama which was themed on some aspect of work they had done.  This would involve experts in various Art, Music and Drama who visited the schools and assisted with the workshops or helped in the creation of the dramas.  The pupils performed in front of assemblies and parents as well as the wider community.

In phase four, the final phase, the various short performances were combined to proved a longer performance which was delivered during the Science Festival 2009.  The event was held at the Picky Centre and was a great success.

 Pupils during their performance at the Picky Centre during the Science Festival 2009

Getting Your Hands Dirty - getting involved in Archaeology

Getting involved in Archaeology is one of the projects that come under the Landscapes of Peace programme. A series of training courses are being run by the Orkney Research Centre for Archaeology (ORCA) over the next three years. The first of these courses were run earlier this year and were a great success.

The aim of the courses are to train volunteers in excavation techniques, planning, recording, artefact identification and a good working knowldege of Health and Safety.  The two sites chosen for this training was at The Cairns, an Iron Age site overlooking Windwick Bay in South Ronaldsay and at Cantick in Hoy which is a Neolithic site. Both sites would involve volunteers, students and trained archaeologists. 

In June this year (09) the course kicked off in the Cromarty Hall, St Margeret's Hope where Martin Carruthers the Site Director of The Cairns talked about the previous excavations. The public were also invited to bring along any artefacts they had found on their land that they wanted identified. A similar event was held in Longhope, Hoy where Site Director Dan Lee talked about the recent excavations at the Neolithic site at Cantick.

Before training began, the volunteers were treated to a day of talks at the Orkney College and were given a guided tour around the archaeology department to explain what the unit did on a day to day basis. With all this information taken on board the volunteers were ready to `dig'. For many this was their first experience of archaeology and despite backache and pain in places they didn't know they had, the courses were very successful.
 

The Cairns

The Cairns is a complex series of buildings which have a massive broch-like roundhouse at its centre. The walls are five metres thick and the building has a diameter of around twenty two metres. This makes this broch bigger than the brochs of both Midhowe and Gurness. When this building fell out of use, a series of later buildings were inserted into and on top of the roundhouse.

This year (2009) the team uncoverd the remains of an inter-mural staircase - a common feature in brochs, as well as the blocked up doorway to the roundhouse.

There is evidence of metal working on the site and large quantities of deer antler have been found which suggests that the people living here were culling the animals on site for food and harvesting the antlers for domestic use.

Pottery remains were dated to around 500 BC and further dates will be obtained from a sample taken from a fireplace which was also uncovered this year.

One particularly lovely `find' from the excavations this year was a small carved head which has caused a great deal of excitement.  We can only wonder at what might be discovered in future years.
 

 The wonderful carved face