A Northern Journal

On the Saturday of the hot weekend of the Wimbledon finals, hubby mentioned that he was going to the Ness Battery as there was a guided tour. I decided I would like to go and see this war time relic which is usually kept locked behind a tall fence, more recent archaeology which isn’t really given the time the Neolithic stuff is. If it isn’t properly documented or if not preserved then we will lose this heritage.

The Ness Battery defended Hoy Sound from circa 1938, altho’ there was an earlier World War I defence along side. It is an amazing place, last used in the 90’s before the MOD sold it to the council (I think!). A few of the barracks were still in place, and we were shown the mess hall where there is an amazing mural painted by one of the soldiers who were stationed there. It depicts idyllic rural ‘English’ scenes.

Once we were shown the mess hall and one of the 6” gun emplacements we were given the chance to have a look around (at our own risk) so we had a look at another barrack and the look out tower thingy. The underground magazines were inaccessible, having been blocked off, yet the broken concrete caps to access shafts hinted at attempts by ‘youths’ or others to gain access to the underground tunnel and magazine.

It is amazing how the wild has taken over this place, long grass, wild flowers and evidence of the Orkney vole – their ‘tunnels’ through the grass. There is even a raven’s nest in one of the gun emplacements. The metal work is rusted into amazing colours and shapes, yet the concrete is little affected by the passage of time.

One can but hope this relic of a war that cannot be forgotten is preserved and made use of, unlike the Black Building in Kirkwall which has now been condemned to oblivion!