For a small group of islands, the Orkneys has a rich military and aviation history all of its own.
And now, a “dowser” has added to the story by uncovering a World War II era communications bunker through the use of divination.
Alan Brownie from the BA Dowsing Team, from Lyne of Skene in Aberdeenshire, was looking for artefacts on the islands lost since the war.
But he was shocked to make a discovery of such size and significance at Swartland Farm on West Mainland of Orkney saying “it is ace.”
The farm has been in Steven Whylie’s family for generations and even he described talk of what was there as just a “rumour since I was a wee boy.”
He said: “I am very surprised, the rumours were that it was maybe an ammunition chamber for a gun placement in the next field.
“But now that we found the main battlefield headquarters it is quite a find, they are rare to find and rare to find intact so it is really good.”
Research suggested it had been an underground RAF communications bunker.
Mr Downie described his excitement as the find was being uncovered with Mr Whylie on an earth mover as they got closer and closer.
He said: “I must admit it was brilliant when Steven was on the digger and he took a couple of scoops and was into sand which was behind one of the walls and then there is a hole that I put my hand through thinking it might be an empty building but it was full of rubble.
“This whole room was full of rubble – I think they must have exploded the roof so we spent a couple of days just cleaning it out and this is what we have ended up with, so it is fascinating.”
About the unusual methods used to make the find Mr Downie said he simply seeks out “energy” to indicate if something beneath the earth – he also uses modern technology like a scanner.
Just how important the find is in historical terms remains to be seen but it does underline Orkney’s important role in fighting the Nazis.
Mr Downie said: “We are here to help Orkney and the history of Orkney because it is very important that the younger generation does not forget we would not be standing here today if it were not for the girls and guys that were in here.
“Orkney is fantastic one of the amazing, amazing places, very beautiful but it is so rich in this sort of thing.”