Orkney - The Rough Guide to Scottish Highlands and Islands - page 342

SCAPA FLOW
Apart from a few oil tankers, there's very little activity in the great natural harbour of Scapa
Flow , yet for the first half of the twentieth century, it served as the main base of the Royal
Navy, with over a hundred warships anchored here at any one time. The coastal defences
required to safeguard Scapa Flow as the country's chief naval headquarters were considerable
and many are still visible all over Orkney, ranging from half-sunk blockships to the Churchill
Barriers (see p.347) and the gun batteries that pepper the coastline. Unfortunately, these
defences weren't su cient to save HMS Royal Oak from being torpedoed by a German
U-boat in October 1939 (see p.347), but they withstood several heavy German air raids during
the course of 1940. Ironically, the worst disaster the Flow ever witnessed was self-inflicted,
when HMS Vanguard sank on July 9, 1917, after suffering an internal explosion, killing 843
crew and leaving only two survivors.
Scapa Flow's most celebrated moment in naval history, however, was when the entire German
High Seas Fleet was interned here immediately after World War I. A total of 74 ships, manned by
several thousand German sailors, was anchored off the isle of Cava awaiting the outcome of the
Versailles Peace Conference. At around noon on Midsummer's Day 1919, believing either that
the majority of the German fleet was to be handed over, or that hostilities were about to resume,
the commanding o cer, Admiral von Reuter, ordered the fleet to be scuttled. By 5pm, every ship
was beached or had sunk and nine German sailors had lost their lives, shot by outraged British
servicemen. The British government was publicly indignant, but privately relieved since the
scuttling avoided the diplomatic nightmare of dividing the fleet among the Allies.
Between the wars, the largest salvage operation in history took place in Scapa Flow, with
the firm of Cox & Danks alone raising 26 destroyers, one light cruiser, four battlecruisers and two
battleships. Despite this, seven large German ships - three battleships and four light cruisers
- remain on the sea bed of Scapa Flow, along with four destroyers and a U-boat. For more on
Scapa Flow's wartime role, visit the museum on Hoy (see p.352). Scapa Flow is also considered
one of the world's greatest dive sites and Scapa Scuba ( T 01856 851218, W scapascuba.co.uk),
based in Stromness, offer one-to-one scuba-diving tuition from £70 for half a day. If you don't
want to get your feet wet, Dawn Star II ( T 01856 876743, W orkneyboattrips.co.uk; May-Sept)
will take you close to the Admiralty buoys and give you a history tour of the harbour; tours
begin at St Mary's, by the Churchill Barriers, take three hours and cost £90 for two.

7

Destinations within Orkney Eday (2-3 daily; 1hr 15min-
2hr 25min); North Ronaldsay (Tues & Fri; 2hr 40min); Papa
Westray (Tues & Fri; 2hr 15min); Sanday (2 daily; 1hr
25min); Shapinsay (4-5 daily; 45min); Stronsay (2 daily;
1hr 40min-2hr); Westray (2-3 daily; 1hr 25min).
By bus T 01856 870555, W stagecoachbus.com. The
bus station is behind the Kirkwall Travel Centre on West
Castle St.

Destinations Birsay (Mon-Sat 2-3 daily; 45min); Burwick
(2-3 daily; 40min); Deerness (Mon-Sat 3-4 daily; 30min);
Evie (Mon-Sat 4-5 daily; 30min); Houton (Mon-Fri 7 daily,
3 on Sat; 35-40min); Kirkwall Airport (Mon-Sat every
30min-hourly, 9 on Sun; 15min); Skara Brae (June-Aug
Mon, Thurs & Sat 1 daily; 50min); St Margaret's Hope (Mon-
Sat hourly; 30min); Stromness (Mon-Sat hourly, Sun every
2hr; 30min); Tingwall (Mon-Sat 4-5 daily; 25min).

INFORMATION
Tourist o ce The helpful tourist o ce is in Kirkwall
Travel Centre, by the bus station: April-Sept Mon-Sat

9am-6pm, Sun 10am-2pm; Oct-March Mon-Sat only
( T 01856 872856, W visitorkney.com).

ACCOMMODATION
HOTELS AND B&BS
2 Dundas Crescent T 01856 874805, W twodundas
.co.uk. Run by an Orcadian couple and situated just behind
the cathedral, this former manse is a grand, and tastefully
decorated, Victorian hous e, with four spacious rooms and
period fittings intact. £75
Albert Hotel Mounthoolie Lane T 01856 876000,
W alberthotel.webeden.co.uk. Great central location,

lively Bothy Bar (with disco attached) and contemporary
furnis hings : this is Kirkwall's hippest hotel. Wi-fi in public
areas. £100
Avalon House Carness Rd T 01856 876665, W avalon
-house.co.uk. Don't judge a B&B by its drab, modern
exterior; this is a comfortable, purpose-built guesthouse
run e ciently by a very welcoming couple, and sit uate d a
pleasant 20min coastal walk from the town centre. £72