More to Scapa than just the diving...

[Twinsetmad]

Hi... I fully intend to do Scapa again as soon as I can....

I was wondering what else people were doing between diving. Its a great place with so much more to see than you'd expect...

Who has found the Navy graveyard with the 13 German sailors that lost their lives during the scuttling...?



Or found the bell of the Royal Oak....



We didn't get time to see the museum.... but we saw the Churchill Barriers and the Italian Chapel... that was stunning.

What else have I missed....?

[DanE]

Skara Brae and two sets of standing stones. Various barrows.

dan

[Twinsetmad]

Originally Posted by DanE

Skara Brae and two sets of standing stones. Various barrows.

dan

Yep did that..... strange how people would choose to live in such an exposed place....

[DanE]

The Kitchener monument overlooking the HMS Hampshire wrecksite?

dan

[frosty the snowman]

Old man of Hoy
Ring of Brodgar
Tomb of the eagles
Maes Howe
Highland Park Distillery
Stromness museum.

[DanE]

I had the nicest piece of beef that I have *ever* eaten somewhere near Stromness, and I've lived in Nebraska for a while. Shame I can't remember the restaurant...

dan

[jorawley]

i know most have been listed but definate favourites of mine are the italian chapel, lyness museum (been to at least 8 times) and kirkwall cathedral.

also went to several memorials and the most north western point of the mainland and crossed the causeway.

[Helen F H]

This place:


Happy Valley was planted by a local man who lived in a tiny cottage with no running water other than the stream and no electricity other than what his hydro genny would provide. Its all still there just as he left it Beautiful place and well hidden





Standing Stones of Stenness and Ring of Brodgar. Both rings are fantastic places, especially in the late evening when the light is that clean yellow we get up here. Billy Connolly danced bare arsed nekkid around Brodgar as "it seemed like the best thing to do there".



Highland Park distillery - they do a very good tour right round the whole place going through the distilling process. You get a nip at the end of it too



Twatt, yes there really are a couple of road signs pointing to Twatt.



Markwick bay on a rough day. Stunning place, makes you feel small.



The wreck of the Irene, tragic story about the loss of the Longhope lifeboat attempting to assist her.

Other places:

Stromness Battery - the gun emplacements protecting Hoy Mouth are a 30 minute walk from the harbour.
Yesnaby - spectacular cliffs, stacks, caves and natural arches. 10 minute drive from Stromness
Twatt Airfield - go and look around the WWII airfield buildings (take a torch) - 20 minutes from Stromness
Brough of Birsay and the Palace - the old capital of Orkney, a tidal causeway to a small island with viking house remains. 30 minute drive from Stromness
Kirkwall - various museums, the bell from the Royal Oak in the cathedral.
Scapa - the Royal Oak memorials and on the road south towards St Marys you can see the buoy with its trail of oil on the sea.
The Churchill Barriers - worth a shore dive if you fancy it - 5 wrecks in one dive. The mast of the Emerald Wings still standing (classic photo).
Skara Brae - Ancient village covered in sand and preserved.
The Italian Chapel - two nissen huts put end to end and painted to a mindblowing standard inside. Everything was handmade by the prisoners of war.
The Hoxa Battery - the gun emplacements overlooking the James Barrie. First world war and second world war, take a torch and look for WWI grafitti inside.
The Gloup - In Deerness there is a collapsed sea cave with a walk way over it - breathtaking drop into the sea below you.
Wideford Hill - Hill overlooking Kirkwall has a road right to the top - a short drive and you can see all of the Northern Isles.
Maeshowe - Burial mound with viking grafitti. Translates as "Thorfinn shagged Helgi"
Hazels Farm - ask her nicely and she might take you down her bunker (oooo errr) - seriously though, she has two WWII radar bunkers on her land.
Dwarfie Stane - on Hoy if you do an overnighter in Longhope hire a minibus to take you to the Dwarfie Stane - a neolithic tomb carved into a giant boulder.
Rackwick - Very remote beach in Hoy - do at the same time as the Dwarfie Stane.
Tomb of the Eagles - on South Ronaldsay - you get into it by sliding on a giant skateboard (not for the claustrophobics!)
Stromness museum - now has an exhibition on Sule Stack and the wreck of the Manina
Hard Hat diving - contact the Dive Cellar for details.
Hire a bike - The taxi place next to the Ferry Inn hire bikes, as does a guy near Scapa Scuba
Paintballing - if you do an overnighter to Burray this can be organised with a local place
Whisky Tasting evening - we do this in Kirkwall - can lead to sore heads!
Pier arts Centre - New art gallery in Stromness - free to get in

[Dave Abraham]

Great idea for a thread, I am going to Scapa again this October and would welcome ideas for stuff to do after the diving apart from the pie shop and the pub.

Not that there's anything wrong with pie shops or pubs but doing the same thing every day for a week gets a bit monotonous.

[DanE]

The eat in Chip Shop in Kirkwall.

dan