Other Wrecks

The German High Seas Fleet, the blockships, and the war graves that are HMS Vanguard and HMS Royal Oak, are often the focus of discussion when it comes to Orkney's shipwrecks.

In reality, more than 150 further wrecks are scattered across the seabed of Scapa Flow alone, ranging from 18th century sailing ships to fishing vessels lost much more recently.

These wrecks are listed to the right, grouped according to where the ship was lost and displayed in date order.

The heart of Scapa Flow accounts for 24 of these wrecks, the area of Hoxa Sound accounts for a further 28. A total of 39 wrecks are documented for the waters around Switha, Flotta and Longhope.

However, the greatest number are in the especially dangerous waters of Hoy Sound, including Graemsay and Stromness, where 67 wrecks are listed.

Of these wrecks, 21 have been highlighted because of the particular interest that their loss holds, be it the scale of the tragedy, the heroism of rescue or the interest of the wreck as it lies on the bottom today.

Most of these featured wrecks were lost relatively recently, appearing towards the bottom of each area's list. However, details are also given for a number of 19th Century wrecks of which the earliest is the Duke of Sussex in 1840.

Many of these vessels are civilian ships, transporting goods locally, part of the merchant fleet or fishing boats.

However, a number of vessels with military connections also feature amongst these 21 wreck accounts, including the tanker Prudentia lost in World War I; the UB-116, which embarked upon what proved to be a suicide mission to attack the Grand Fleet anchorage in 1918; and the F2 escort vessel, which sank in a storm just after World War II.