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Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, Day 33 June 23rd
The inter island ferry was only lightly buffeted by the northerly wind and the waves blowing across this huge natural harbour. Twice today we have sailed across Scapa Flow, travelling between the 'ports' of Houton, which in reality is a landing stage between Kirkwall and Stromness and Lyness, a small landing stage on the island of Hoy In so doing we passed over the sunken remains of the German High Seas Fleet that was scuttled here on June 21st 1919.
We determined that we should use public transport today. So, we were up early, a gentle walk across the park to the bus station in time for the 0925 bus to the ferry. It was old. The ticket machine was not working. We got the journey for nothing. Good start to the day!
The ferry was on time so we headed off, but with a tiny lounge, poor windows and little to look at we talked…all the way: to a couple from Somerset. Oddly they plan there long trips (2 months +) up to and including all campsites! I was impressed but at the same time unsure how one could respond flexibly to life, and a trips little issues on the way.
Lyness is a huge site, much of which is now waste land. Only the plans and the memories remain, much like Gretna. What we saw were some buildings that essentially provided the relief from both the tedium of life in a windswept island, as well as some protection form the cold. A NAAFI building, now, a dull red corrugated iron 'shed' that must have been uncomfortable. Yet here they had a cinema for 1500 by 1940. ENSA artists were regulars, and photographs by the local paper proof that 'stars' like Gracie Fields and George Formby made the long journey north. When we visited St Magnus Cathedral we found a memorial tablet to Eric Linklater. It appears that he was sent to Lyness and he ran the base newspaper for awhile.
One interesting element of the sport provided was the contrast between the football fields and the golf course. I have not found any mention of how the football fields came into existence but bearing in mind the oft repeated description of football as a game for gentlemen played by thugs, one might assume it was built by or for the army/navy. The golf course, however, appears to have been for 'officers' but was built and maintained by 'ratings'. Each boat, it seems took responsibility for one or two holes!
When we had completed our tour we visited the bookshop and then came a surprise. A lady was talking to the shop supervisor and explaining that her father had been at Lyness in the 1940's. She then produced some photographs and other documents. One photograph showed a group formally posed in front of some tall trees. 'Well, that's not here,' he said,' we don't have trees!'. Which is very true! Too far north for that.
As part of our visits to more modern historical sites we also drove down to the so-called Churchill Barricades. These were structures built between 1940-43 to block entrances to the Flow. They had already had old ships sunk in the entrances but these did not prove successful. The barricades of concrete and steel worked. Now they are roadways that enable relatively easy communication between several islands including South Ronaldsay. However, today they are quite narrow and large vehicles that wish to pass mid barricade must do so with great caution!
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