THI funding restores Stromness barometer
A 19th century barometer in the centre of Stromness has been given a new lease of life, thanks to funding from the Townscape Heritage Initiative.
The barometer, attached to the wall of the Church of Scotland kirk, was installed in the 1850s and, being a Fitzroy fisheries barometer, is one of less than 100 in the UK.
They were designed in 1857 by Vice-Admiral Robert Fitzroy and laid the foundations of modern weather forecasting. The network of barometers were used to communicate weather observations to the local community and to Fitzroy’s London office by telegraph.
Fitzroy’s aim was to make weather information more widely available for ships and fishermen and therefore charts which forecasted the weather were located next to the barometers for crews to consult before going to sea.
A spokeswoman for the Stromness THI said: “The barometer was integral to the sea going lives of generations of mariners in the town and we are delighted to be able to support its restoration.”
The Stromness THI has been under way in the Stromness Conservation Area since July 2009, and will finish in June.
The original £3.56 million of THI funding has secured a total project investment value of £6.25 million of public and private funding for Stromness.