20 Attractions to Explore Near Lamb Holm

The Italian Chapel is one of Orkney's more unusual attractions but is certainly one of its most visited. It was built during World War II by Italian prisoners of war, who were housed on the previously uninhabited island while they constructed the Churchill Barriers to the east of Scapa Flow. The chapel was not completed until after the end of the war, and was restored in the 1960s and again in the 1990s. It is a popular tourist attraction, and a category A listed building.

The Churchill Barriers are a series of four causeways linking the Orkney Mainland to the islands of Lamb Holm, Glimps Holm, Burray and South Ronaldsay with a total length of 1.5 miles. The barriers were built between May 1940 and September 1944, primarily as naval defences to protect the anchorage at Scapa Flow, but since 12 May 1945, serve as road links between the islands.

Glimps Holm in Orkney is a long, lazy beach with beautiful blue water, golden sand and a nearby Churchill Barrier. Scapa Flow had many entrances, making it difficult to protect the anchorages in this natural harbour. Blockships had been sunk to close the narrow passages, but these proved inadequate. Glimps Holm is connected to Lamb Holm, to the northeast, by Barrier number 2, and to Burray by Barrier number 3.

Orkney Fossil & Heritage Centre was housed in converted farm buildings on the island of Burray, the Centre has an intriguing collection of fossils from Orkney and around the world, including some rare and beautifully preserved specimens. The exhibitions downstairs showcase the extensive fossil and rock collection, with detailed information and illustrations of 380 million year old fish! Ernest Firth was also a collector of heritage objects

Burray is a small island between South Ronaldsay and the Orkney Mainland. Attractions in Burray include the Fossil and Heritage Centre at Viewforth. The island has a reasonable amount of birdlife, with Eurasian curlew, herring and lesser black-backed gulls breeding here.

A beautiful uninhabited island in the Orkney archipelago in Scotland. It is 100 hectares in extent and rises to 42 metres above sea level. It is situated in the Scapa Flow and connected to the nearby island of Burray by a causeway built in 1941 to stop passage of small surface craft as part of the boom defences, and thence to the Orkney Mainland via the Churchill Barriers.

Scapa bay is found on the southern coastline of Mainland Orkney. This pretty south-facing sandy beach is framed by cliffs with Scapa Distillery and Scapa Flow Control Centre being prominent features in the landscape. Scapa is just a mile or so from Kirkwall and is popular with walkers and visitors all year round.

Scapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray,[2] South Ronaldsay and Hoy. Its sheltered waters have played an important role in travel, trade and conflict throughout the centuries. Vikings anchored their longships in Scapa Flow more than a thousand years ago. It was the United Kingdom's chief naval base during the First and Second World Wars, but the facility was closed in 1956.

Deerness is a peninsula located to the east end of Mainland, Orkney. It forms a part of the civil parish of St. Andrews and Deerness. Deerness is connected to the rest of the Orkney Mainland by a narrow isthmus, known as Dingieshowe. Deerness parish consists chiefly of the peninsula, but also takes in its surrounding islets of Copinsay, the Horse of Copinsay and Corn Holm.

The Bishop’s and Earl’s Palaces are located in Kirkwall. It is essentially a simple, two-storey hall house and, although little of the first-floor hall remains, the ground level is largely intact. You can also climb to the top of the tower, known locally as the 'Moosie Toor', for views over Kirkwall. Earl's Palace, which was constructed around 1606 by Patrick, Earl of Orkney - one of Orkney's most notorious rulers.

St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall dominates the skyline of Kirkwall, the main town of Orkney, a group of islands off the north coast of mainland Scotland. It is the most northerly cathedral in the United Kingdom, a fine example of Romanesque architecture built for the bishops of Orkney when the islands were ruled by the Norse Earls of Orkney. It has its own dungeon.

A historical museum in Kirkwall, which tells the story of Orkney, from the Stone Age, to the Picts and Vikings, right through to the present day. The archaeology collection, which includes artefacts and environmental material from all periods of Orkney's prehistoric and early medieval past, is recognised as being nationally significant.

Hoxa is a small settlement on the island of South Ronaldsay in the Orkney Islands north of mainland Scotland. Hoxa is located 1+1⁄4 miles west of St Margaret's Hope at the end of the B9043 road. Thorfinn Turf-Einarsson the 10th century Norse Earl of Orkney may be buried at the site of The Howe broch just north of Hoxa.

This museum comprises of the history of early domestic radio and wartime communications in Orkney with maps, charts, valves, transistors, rare exhibits, wartime memorabilia and photo archive. It was founded in 1983 by the late Jim MacDonald after a lifetime passion working with, investigating and collecting, all things electrical. The displays and photographic archive bear testament to the strategic and military importance of Orkney during World War II.

The Kirkwall pool is 25 m long and has a diving board and spectator area. The Stromness pool building underwent extensive refurbishment in 2000 and includes a steam room, sauna and spa.

Grain Earth House is an exceptionally well-built and well-preserved example of an earth house. Its original entrance survives today, leading to a 5m-long passage winding its way to an oval chamber. It’s part of a larger settlement of stone roundhouses, though we don’t know the settlement’s full extent.

The Gloup is part of the Mull Head Nature Reserve, a beautiful part of Orkney's coastline. It was once a long sea cave, but during storms, the waves that entered the cave couldn’t surge any further and crashed upwards. This caused the roof to collapse into the water below. Now the Gloup is an open chasm 70m long, 40m wide, 30m deep and filled with seawater.

Mull Head is a nature reserve extending to over 200 acres, taking in coastal grassland, heather moorland, spectacular cliffs and coastal scenery. Paths through the reserve provide for circular walks ranging from 3-5 miles. The highlights of this area are the Gloup, a collapsed cave, Deerness Brough and the headland. In addition, the area sees abundant birdlife in season.

A beautiful bay where seal pups thrive and spectacular seas can crash ashore during the autumn and winter. A coastal path around the cliff tops of the Ward Hill and adjoining farm land gives a great vantage point for views over the North Sea and the uninhabited island of Copinsay, which lies on the horizon.”

The Brough of Deerness is one of the best places to spend a sunny day in Orkney. The gentle walking route in the East Mainland begins at The Gloup and winds its way along the craggy coastline, offering beautiful views out over the North Sea, the island of Copinsay and the chance to spot passing cetaceans.