PLEASE NOTE: The main museum site is CLOSED for a major redevelopment. During this period a comprehensive temporary exhibition is open in premises at the Hoy Hotel, Lyness.
Scapa Flow Museum, Lyness
Telephone: 01856791300
Email: museum@orkney.gov.uk
The main site is closed for major renovations until 2021, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, Orkney Islands Council, Historic Environment Scotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Museums Galleries Scotland and LEADER.
During this period, there is a comprehensive Scapa Flow exhibition in the Hoy Hotel, Lyness, half a mile from the ferry terminal and adjacent to the Lyness Royal Naval Cemetery. The exhibition is a great first stop for visitors to the island and has lots of information on all the other activities and attractions available on Hoy.
Visitors can virtually explore the main site via a 360-degree touch screen photo presentation, as well as finding out all about the history of Scapa Flow during two world wars. During the closure period, The Orkney Museum in Kirkwall will be displaying a changing selection of objects from the wartime collection.
Lyness exhibition Opening Times:
1 Mar - 30 Apr: Monday to Saturday: 10:00 - 1630.
1 May - 30 Sep: Monday to Sunday: 10:00 - 16:00.
1 Oct to 31 Oct: Monday to Saturday: 10:00 - 16:00.
1 Nov - 28 Feb: Limited opening hours. Please get in touch ahead of your visit to check times as these will vary depending on staff availability.
Please note:
There are no public toilets available at the exhibition premises - facilities are available in the Lyness Ferry Waiting Room. The Hoy Hotel is only open on Sunday afternoons.
Getting to the Exhibition:
Bus: A community bus service meets some ferries and can stop at the Hoy Hotel - please visit https://hoyorkney.com/travel/community-bus/ for the current timetable. Please note that a day’s notice is required for the carriage of non-collapsible wheelchairs.
Car: Follow the B9048 to the T-junction; the Hoy Hotel is opposite, on the right. To access the car park, turn right and then first left. The exhibition entrance is at the rear of the building.
On foot / by bike: The Hoy Hotel is c.1/2 mile from the ferry terminal. Follow the B9048 to the T-junction; the Hoy Hotel is opposite, on the right. The exhibition entrance is at the rear of the building. Collect a copy of the Lyness Wartime Trail leaflet from the ferry waiting room to see what this area looked like during WW2.
Guided Walks around the Lyness Wartime Trail:
11.00 Tuesdays and Thursdays, April to October.
Meet at the Lyness ferry waiting room. The walk takes c. 90 minutes and finishes at the exhibition. Booking is advised, and there is a charge of £5.50 per adult.
