Work to restore a wartime museum in Orkney is gathering pace ahead of its reopening later this year.
The Scapa Flow Museum is undergoing a £4.4million refurbishment, with the existing exhibition space being expanded outwith the former oil pumphouse.
The museum charts Orkney’s history during the two world wars and has an array of wartime artefacts on show.
Sited at the former Royal Naval Base HMS Proserpine, on the island of Hoy, the museum tells the story of Scapa Flow as the UK’s most important naval anchorage at the time.
And with just a few months until the doors reopen, object and artefact display mount maker Colin Lindley has been brought in to help curators show off the museum’s prized objects in the best light.
Mr Lindley is expected to visit the museum next month to survey items in the collection before returning in the summer to help curators bring the exhibition space to life.
Nick Hewitt, team leader (culture) for the council, oversees the council’s museum service, and said he is delighted to have the maker onboard to help represent the historic heritage of the island.
“Colin is very experienced in this field, having worked for several prestigious national museums in the past, dealing with artefacts of the nature we have here at Scapa Flow Museum,” he said.
“We’re delighted to have his expertise and creativity on board to help us present our items, many of which are of international significance, in the best possible way, so they best tell their individual stories and that of Scapa Flow.”
Bringing Scapa Flow Museum to life
The multi-million-pound refurbishment includes an extension to complement the refurbishment of the existing museum space.
Two armoured weapons are also undergoing extensive conservation works as part of the upgrade.
The guns, which are displayed on plinths near the Scapa Flow Museum, will be dismantled and hoisted over to the museum workshop as curators work to preserve the weapons.
Both artefacts were used in WWI aboard the SMS Bremse and SMS Karlsruhe as part of the German High Seas Fleet.
About 14,000 visitors flock to the Scapa Flow Museum each year.
The project has been supported by Orkney Islands Council, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic Environment Scotland, the Orkney Leader 2014-2020 programme, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, NatureScot and Museums Galleries Scotland.
