B R I A N ’ S G R E A T PLANE JOURNEY

ORKNEY - April 2019

I have never visited Orkney.   Setting aside reports of occasional strong winds and heavy rain, everyone I consulted reported positively - although someone suggested the temperature was just like North Berwick !!  I have been friendly for years with a former Chairman of Loganair.   He strongly recommended flying - no doubt he was still a shareholder !!    He explained that, if the weather was reasonable, the small aircraft fly at such a height as to allow passengers to view almost the whole of Scotland on the journey. He also recommended a hotel at the front in Kirkwall from which one could view the constant activity in the harbour and the islands beyond.  I took his advice and booked accordingly.

I have to confess that on this occasion I was accompanied - a lady who for a long time had Orkney on her “to visit” list and was keen to go.    You will understand that, as they say in the press, “for legal reasons” she cannot be identified. It will be sufficient if I refer to her as”C” - that will allow her to remain anonymous !!

DAY 1 The journey started at Glasgow Airport, where the Loganair 30 seater took off on time.   The weather very fortunately did allow the passengers to see the countryside below.   What a wonderful journey !!   It is not necessary for me to detail all the landmarks, but you can imagine the scene as the aircraft made its way north.   It was not possible to take photos from the plane, but I took a p h o t o o f t h e a i r c r a f t o n disembarkation at Orkney (1).  I had arranged to hire a small car at the airport - very necessary for seeing the island.    

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When the hire company’s representative learned I was over 75 - difficult to believe I hear you say - he explained that I could only be insured to drive the vehicle if I paid an additional premium, which I considered to be exorbitant.  I wondered if “C”was under 75, and would mind driving.   She certainly looked under 75, but you never know !!  This would have the advantage of allowing me to partake of a glass of excisable liquor at lunchtime !!  With some hesitation I asked her (1) are you under 75? - this brought a rather rude retort which I would rather not record !! (2) would you mind driving?   Bless her - she agreed !!

The hotel - imaginatively called the “Kirkwall Hotel” - dated back to 1852 !!  They were in the course of renovating the lounge bar, which was just to the left of the entrance hall.     As a result the place looked and sounded like a building site.  A joiner, who was sawing a piece of wood at a table in the Hall, had to stop operations to allow me to pass.   After being allocated a room and given the key, I made my way to the lift.   It was of aged design - the more senior among you will recall the type - where you have to open a gate to get access to the lift.   I pulled the handle gently and nothing happened.  I pulled the handle firmly and nothing happened.   I then “yanked” the handle, making so much noise as to bring the joiner who had been sawing wood to my rescue.  “ I think you slide the handle sideways, mate “ !!    He then demonstrated and the gate opened with ease.   A good start !!   However, the room was clean and comfortable and the view from the window (2) just as my friend had said.   Kirkwall is situated on an island known as “mainland Orkney’.    The mainland is surrounded by a substantial number of islands, thirteen of which are served by public ferries.

ST MAGNUS CATHEDRAL - Having settled in, it was time to explore the small town of Kirkwall on foot.  Photo (3) shows an example of the narrow streets in the town centre, where one has to press against shop fronts to avoid passing motor vehicles.    

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I soon came to St M a g n u s Cathedral (4) - a m a g n i fi c e n t building dating

back to 1137.   The now ruined Bishop’s House

stands nearby (5).    The Cathedral took 300 years to build.  The original building was closely modelled on Durham Cathedral.   The building has had a varied history, details of which can be read on line.   Suffice to say that by the 1960s it was evident that the building was in serious danger of subsiding.  An appeal raised £300,000 and, by 1974, steel support girders were in place.  A Service of Thanksgiving was held in 1974 in the presence of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother to mark the saving of the Cathedral. The guide book informed me “Thanks to the work of skilled masons, who ensure that, wherever possible, the original stonework is maintained, and the skill and devotion of countless others who look after this magnificent building on a day to day basis, St Magnus Cathedral remains a lasting testament to the glory of God” - very fine and moving words.

I attach for your interest photos I took inside of the the Communion t a b l e ( 6 ) a n d t h e Chancel(7).   I returned t o t h e h o t e l w e l l satisfied with my day’s activities.   “C” and I enjoyed an excellent meal of local fish and mutton !!

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DAY 2 SKARA BRAE - The morning dawned dry and fine. “Breakfast was not for the faint hearted.   I selected “The Great Orkney Breakfast”, which consisted of 9 items, including sausages, haggis, black pudding and a potato scone.   Our waiter, a genial youth, remarked “This will set you up for the day, sir !!” as he placed my plate in front of me !!   “C”, on the other hand, chose “The Healthy Option”, which from what I could see consisted mainly of spinach.  The same waiter appeared a bit sceptical of this plateful !!”

With “C” driving and myself as navigator, we safely arrived at what is perhaps one of Orkneys best known historical sites.  Skara Brae is said to be the best preserved prehistoric village in Europe.  Adjacent is the house of William Watt who discovered the ruins in 1850 following a great storm and consequent flooding.   His dwelling, Skaill House, is considered to be Orkney’s finest mansion.

The core of the last village on the site, which has been excavated, dates back to the end of its occupation, thought to be around 2600 to 2500 BC.    The village had become semi-subterranean, helping to shield the occupants from the elements.   The Guide Book told me that what makes this Neolithic settlement excavation so special is that the houses still contain the main items of furniture.     You can get a clear idea of what the interior of houses occupied by an early farming community some 4,500 years ago actually looked like.   I could myself see quite clearly the remains of individual houses which, linked by passages and clustered together, would form a tight knit community sheltered from the elements.

The village site was some distance from the carpark and office, so I was very relieved when I was offered the use of a buggy(8) - see typical Orcadian countryside in the background.   The buggy allowed me to drive along the narrow paths scattering pedestrians in my path - very similar to what happened at Culloden Battlefield.   Just beside the office, an underground house has been constructed so that visitors can see exactly what a prehistoric dwelling would have looked like. 

Photo (9) shows the entrance and (10) and (11) show the interior.

I then made speed to the actual site of the excavation.   Photos (12) and (13)

show examples of the excavated remains.   The passages and interiors of the small dwelling houses are very clear. 

This exhibition, which I much enjoyed, was some distance from Skaill House, so I was grateful for the use of my buggy.   I could readily understand why this building is considered to be Orkney’s finest mansion.    Photos speak better than words.   Please see the outside of Skaill House (14), lounge (15), and dining room (16).  

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I reflected how similar the interior was to the house I had recently visited at Royal Crescent, Bath.   The only difference was that this time the fair “C” was not disposed to give me the same assistance I had received from my two delightful volunteer guides in Bath !!

Being, as our waiter put it, “set up for the day”, lunch consisted of one cup of coffee.

RING Of BRODGAR This monument, said to be “a prehistoric site of ritual and ceremony”, comprises a massive enclosure.  A large ditch, known as a “ henge”, encircles a grass platform with an impressive stone circle set round it’s circumference.   It also is thought to date back to between 2600 and 2500BC.    It is, like Skara Brae, part of the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site.    The circle is thought originally to have been made up of 60 stones, but only 27 remain today.   It is very impressive.   Standing beside the Ring, there is a panoramic view of Loch Harray, famous for the quality of it’s brown trout. I attach photos of part of the Ring (17), and a close up of one stone(18), showing a view of Loch Harray in the background.  

Enough sightseeing for one day - I returned to base to enjoy further Orkney’s culinery delights.   I was distressed to read in the press that the Ring of Brodgar was the subject of mindless vandalism only two days after my visit.

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DAY 3 THE ITALIAN CHAPEL The weather forecast was good.  This little church on southern Orkney, known as “the Italian Chapel”, is the only relic of Camp 60, which housed in the later years of the Second World War several hundred Italian prisoners.   These men, captured during the North African campaign, were sent to Orkney to work on the Churchill Barriers, a massive series of concrete causeways that were used to seal the eastern approaches to Scapa Flow, the base of the Home Fleet.  This followed a German U Boat gaining access to Scapa Flow through a narrow channel between the islands of Lambholm and Burray on 12 October 1939 to torpedo HMS Royal Oak with the loss of over 834 lives.

The Camp contained accommodation in some thirteen Nissan huts with appropriate amenities, but one thing the Camp lacked was a Chapel.   An Italian Padre and a gifted artist , by name  Domenico Choicchetti, were given permission by the Camp Commander to design and build a small Chapel using two Nissan huts placed end to end and joined together.    Materials were made available to them.  Tradesmen of all descriptions were found among the internees.    When the prisoners left on 9 September 1944, only the font remained to be finished.    The artist remained to complete this work.   A promise that the Orcadians would cherish the Chapel was given by the then Lord Lieutenant, who was the owner of the island and who had taken much interest in the prisoners’ welfare.

The Chapel was thus only in use for a very short time.     However, before the prisoners left, a special service was held, incorporating (with gramophone records in the vestry) the bells and choir of St Peters in Rome.     After the war, the whole camp, apart from paths and hut foundations, disappeared, but the Chapel remained.    Gradually it became a place of pilgrimage for anyone holidaying in Orkney and thousands went to see it each year.    The problem of upkeep and preservation arose.    In March 1960 the original artist and architect,Domenico Chiocchetti , with his expenses paid by the BBC,  visited the site for three weeks to supervise and advise on restoration and preservation.   A special communion service was held on Easter Monday 1960 which was broadcast on the BBC and the Italian National Programme.

The local priest, Father Whitaker, chose as his text “And his work shall be made manifest to all.”    In his sermon he said “Of the buildings clustering in Lambholm in wartime only two remain: this chapel and the statue of St George.    All the things which catered for material needs have disappeared, but the two things which catered for spiritual needs still stand.    In the heart of human beings the truest and most lasting hunger is for God.”

I was much moved by these words as I stood by Communion table in the Chapel.     To allow one to appreciate the spectacle with which I was faced, I take leave to show you the outside of the Chapel (19),   a view from the pews (20),  and the Communion Table(21).  

Only one word adequately describes this place - magnificent !!    After I had silently withdrawn, I turned outside the door to see one of the Churchill Barriers(22), built with the labour of those who had also constructed this simple, but beautiful building, which had been set aside for the worship of God.

It was good to learn that, fifty years after they had first arrived in Orkney, eight former prisoners, some of them accompanied by their families, returned to Orkney in June 1992.  Mass was celebrated in Italian at the Chapel during their visit.    Domenico Chiocchetti died on 7 May 1999.   A Memorial Requiem Mass in thanksgiving for his life and work, attended by his wife and children, was held in the Chapel on 9 June 1999.

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I spent the rest of the day touring round the south east corner of the mainland, which is joined by the Churchill Barriers to what were the independent islands of Burray and South Ronaldsay.    At Hoxa Head I saw the relatively narrow entrance to this great expanse of water known as Scapa Flow.   Unfortunately the photo I took of this landmark did not come out !!   I found this part of Orkney - like many other parts - to consist of relatively flat green terrain where there was much evidence of a farming, particularly sheep and arable.     There were many scattered houses and a number of small settlements containing up to twenty dwellings.   I understood many of these people worked in Kirkwall.

I returned to base slightly subdued by what I had seen at the Italian Chapel that day.   Talk about the futility of war !!   Still, on a brighter note, I understood that the hotel was not sold out of scallops and North Ronaldsay lamb !!

DAY 4 SCAPA FLOW Weather continued fair.  This was “Scapa Flow” day.     In the two World Wars of the 20th century the natural harbour of Scapa Flow served as Britain’s main naval base, and consequently, it was a place of immense strategic importance.   It was from here that the Royal Navy sailed to do battle with the German fleet at the Battle of Jutland in November 1916.   As part of the Armistace at the end of WW1, Germany had to surrender most of it’s fleet which was interned in Scapa Flow from 23 November 1918.    The terms of the Armistace were so severe that, to prevent the ships remaining in enemy hands, Admiral Von Reuter on 21 June 2019 ordered the scuttling of the fleet.     As a result, despite frantic British efforts to save the ships, 52 of the 74 enemy warships were sunk.

The history of Scapa Flow is very interesting and I commend to you the various articles on the Internet.   Rather than give you a history lesson, it is perhaps sufficient if I confine my remarks to my own observations.

Scapa Flow is a very large natural anchorage bounded on the north by mainland Orkney, on the east by mainland Orkney, and the islands of Lambholm, Burray and South Ronaldsay joined by the Churchill Barriers, and on the west by the islands of Graemsay, Hoy and Flotta.     At the south

end there is a relatively narrow entrance to this area thus enclosed between Hoxa Head on South Ronaldsay and Stanger Head on Flotta.   You can see the layout on any road map.

The principal navel base was at Lyness on the south east corner of the island of Hoy which now houses the Scapa Flow War Museum.     We decided to take the ferry from Houton on mainland Orkney (23).   As you can see, it was a beautiful morning.  “C” and I were enjoying the lovely view.     I said to myself “ Let’s forget about preserving the identity of my companion - the scene is

j u s t r i g h t f o r a photograph !!”    For those of you who thought you had already guessed her identity, photo (24) will provide confirmation !!    Photos do not lie.    As you will see my wife, to whom I calculated I had at that moment been married for 51 years, 5 months, 22 days and 21 hours, was indeed my mystery companion !!

The scene at Lyness was desolate.  Some 12,000 military, naval and civilian personnel were stationed there during WW2.      The many buildings have all been destroyed and all that is left is some debris.   A photo showing one of the slipways and a pier illustrates the situation(25).  

The base had contained, in addition to living quarters, a naval headquarters, communications centres, a major fuel depot, a boom defence workshop, repair workshops, stores and recreational facilities.     At the Ferry Terminal is a building which normally houses the Museum.     It was closed. It was in a state of substantial disrepair.   

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All that could be inspected there were an a n t i a i rc ra f t gun (26) and a War Memorial (27).    

The Museum is temporarily housed in the local hotel.   This ungainly building was closed, but I found the small Museum occupying one room, which was accessed from the rear of the hotel.  The Museum contained many photos and display boards which described and illustrated in great detail the substantial significance of Scapa Flow during both World Wars.  I attach photos I took there of photos on display of Lyness Naval Base during WW2(28),HMS Hampshire in 2017(29) and naval vessels at anchor(30).  Clearly this base would be the subject of air raids.    

It was chilling to note the steps down to an underground shelter from what had been, and still is, one of the few private houses in the area (31).  An area, which had played such a prominent part as Britain’s main naval base in both World Wars, was now rather sad and silent.

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Another lovely crossing back to the mainland.  “C” had noticed there was an advertised bird sanctuary, which she expressed a desire to visit.  This clearly involved a substantial route march,  so I decided to see if one of the nine ferries which are advertised as sailing to the thirteen islands of Orkney was available - I was informed there were no trains !!   I was dropped off at Kirkwall pier beside our hotel.    I consulted the notice board and found that a ferry left for the island of Shapinsay in twelve minutes time.    I made haste  - it was some distance from the notice board to where this ferry was berthed.   I had just time to take a photo of the vessel (32) before jumping aboard and the ramp went up.    On deck it was pure magic !!  I could not have had a better day.    I took a photo of the village as we approached the pier(33).  

The Main Street was very like Coll (34) - s m a l l c o t t a g e s joined together.     I had been informed there was a coffee m a c h i n e a t t h e village shop - and

so there was !!    The sun came out and I enjoyed my coffee sitting in this beautiful township.    It was all too soon time to catch the return ferry to Kirkwall.     I mused that one could have a lovely holiday in Orkney just jumping on and off the nine ferries which served thirteen islands. There is always the possibility of return !!

Our final dish at dinner was the hotel’s special - “fresh locally caught haddock with Orkney chips, salad and tartare sauce”.   I can honestly say I have never tasted better ‘fish and chips’. With the haddock extending beyond both sides of our plates, we did not go hungry.     

DAY 5 As they say in the tour brochures, this day was spent “at leisure”.    Our plane did not depart till 3.30 pm, so our time in Kirkwall passed pleasantly

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and without incident.      The  manager of our hotel was pleased to tell me that the renovated lounge bar was opening that night - would I like to see it ?   A bit late in the day, you might think.   However, we were well looked after and the locally sourced food was first class.   We were exceptionally lucky with the weather.   There was no rain and very little wind, both of which can be plentiful in Orkney.  The air was slightly cold - we had to wear coats - but the sun was out for most of the time.   It was ideal sightseeing weather.    The countryside is beautiful.

“What about the Old Man of Hoy?” I hear you cry.    The fact is the only road on the Island of Hoy is on the east side.   It passes through Lyness.  “ The Old Man” is on the west side and only accessible by a lengthy rough walking track.    It was out of my range.   It was too early in the season for boat trips from Stromness.   You will have to be content with admiring it on the Orkney website !!”

The return flight was on time.    It was again fascinating identifying places I knew on the ground.     Only one problem - I had missed the A M Chorus on Wednesday !!

I hope you enjoy these reflections.

Brian