Work set to begin at Scapa Flow Museum

Work to restore and improve the Scapa Flow Museum is set to begin next month, Orkney Islands Council has said.

This follows a recent decision by the local authority to take forward a revised project at Lyness.

The council has said the aim is to concentrate efforts on renovating the historic pump house and on building an extension to the museum, with an Orkney-based company recently appointed to carry out the work. A refurbished and extended museum is expected to re-open during the summer of 2021.

Council leader James Stockan said: “This is a project of tremendous significance for Hoy and for Orkney as a whole.

“It has taken longer than we first hoped to get to this stage and it will be excellent for all involved to see work getting underway soon.

“I am delighted that, like the council, the project’s external funders remain fully committed to the scheme.

“When complete, the restored and extended museum will for the first time in many years open all year round, encouraging more people to visit Hoy and boosting tourism throughout the island.”

The museum’s role is to chart Orkney’s military involvement in the First and Second World Wars and provide a safe home for a major collection of wartime artefacts, many of national and international importance.

After a competitive tendering exercise, the contract for the work has been awarded to Orkney Builders (Contractors) Ltd.

A temporary exhibition on the wartime history of Scapa Flow is on show at the Hoy Hotel while the museum is closed. This has been part-funded through the Island of Hoy Development Trust.

Repairs to the Romney Hut at Lyness and options for the Oil Tank will be considered at a later date.