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Flotta, Golta, Roan Head, Z Battery

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Anti Aircraft Battery (20th Century)

Site Name Flotta, Golta, Roan Head, Z Battery

Classification Anti Aircraft Battery (20th Century)

Alternative Name(s) Golta Peninsula

Canmore ID 104475

Site Number ND39NE 2

NGR ND 3688 9555

NGR Description Centred ND 3688 9555

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/104475

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
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Digital Images

Oblique aerial view of Flotta, Golta, 'Z' battery and accommodation camp, taken from the N. Also visible is a barrage balloon mooring site.
Oblique aerial view of Flotta, Golta, 'Z' battery and accommodation camp, taken from the N. Also visible is a barrage balloon mooring site.View of rocket stores from EastOblique aerial view centred on the 'Z' battery, taken from the WSW.Oblique aerial view.Oblique aerial view from NNW, showing the oil terminal in the centre right of the photograph, and Roan Head Anti-aircraft site in the top half.Oblique aerial view of Orkney, Flotta, Golta, 'Z' battery and accommodation camp, taken from the SW.Oblique aerial view of Orkney, Flotta, Golta, 'Z' battery and accommodation camp, taken from the SE.Oblique aerial view of Flotta, Golta, 'Z' battery and accommodation camp, taken from the N. Also visible is a barrage balloon mooring site.View of line of rocket stores from South EastView of line of rocket stores from North East with flare stack behindOblique aerial view centred on the 'Z' Battery and ancilliary buildings at Golta, Flotta, taken from the NE.Oblique aerial view of Orkney, Flotta, Golta, of a 'Z' battery of unrotating fixed projectile launchers with ammunition huts, the hut bases of the accommodation camp, cable trenches and several other structures. In addition, a small barrage balloon mooring site is also visible. Taken from NNE.Oblique aerial view of Orkney, Flotta, Golta, of the 'Z' battery of unrotating fixed projectile launchers with ammunition huts. The concrete hut bases of the acommodation camp and the concrete bases of several other structures are also visible. Taken from the S.View of rocket stores from North East with flare stack behindGeneral view of rocket launching site with stores and flare stack behindView of line of rocket stores from North East with flare stack behindView of specimen rocket storeView of specimen rocket storeOblique aerial view.Oblique aerial view from ENE, centred on the oil terminal, and showing Roan Head Anti-aircraft site in the foreground.Oblique aerial view of Orkney, Flotta, 'Z' anti-aircraft battery and accommodation camp, taken from the SE. Also visible is a dummy anti-aircraft battery.Oblique aerial view of Orkney, Flotta, Golta, of part of the 'Z' battery of unrotating fixed projectile launchers with ammunition huts. The hut bases of the accommodation camp and several other structures are also visible. Taken from the N.View of Z battery site from South EastView of rocket stores from North East with flare stack behindView of rocket stores from NorthView of rocket launching siteGeneral view of Z battery site from South EastView of specimen rocket storeOblique aerial view centred on the 'Z' battery, taken from the SW.Oblique aerial view of Orkney, Flotta, Golta, of the 'Z' battery of unrotating fixed projectile launchers with ammunition huts. The hut bases of part of the accommodation camp and several other structures are also visible. Taken from the WNW.Oblique aerial view of Flotta, Golta, 'Z' battery and accommodation camp, taken from the N. Also visible is a barrage balloon mooring site.Oblique aerial view of Orkney, Flotta, Golta, of part of the 'Z' battery of unrotating fixed projectile launchers with ammunition huts. The bases of several other structures are also visible. Taken from the SW.View of rocket stores from NorthView of specimen rocket storeView of line of rocket stores from South EastOblique aerial view.Oblique aerial view of Orkney, Flotta, 'Z' anti-aircraft battery and accommodation camp, taken from the N. Also visible is a barrage balloon mooring site.Oblique aerial view of Orkney, Flotta, 'Z' anti-aircraft battery and accommodation camp, taken from the NW. Also visible is a barrage balloon mooring site.Oblique aerial view of Orkney, Flotta, Golta, of a 'Z' battery of unrotating fixed projectile launchers with ammunition huts, the hut bases of the accommodation camp, cable trenches and several other structures. Taken from the N.Oblique aerial view of Orkney, Flotta, Golta, of the 'Z' battery of unrotating fixed projectile launchers with ammunition huts. The concrete hut bases of the acommodation camp and the concrete bases of several other structures are also visible. Taken from the SE.General view of rocket launching site with stores and flare stack behindView of rocket stores from SouthView of specimen rocket storeView of specimen rocket storeView of rocket stores from SouthView of control building from South EastScanned image of drawing showing plan and section of individual rocket launching platform with ammunition hut.Scanned image of drawing showing plan, elevations and reconstruction drawing of magazine hut for 'Z' battery.Scanned image of drawing showing plan, of 'Z' battery.Oblique aerial view of Orkney, Flotta, 'Z' anti-aircraft battery and accommodation camp, taken from the SSE. Also visible is a dummy anti-aircraft battery.Oblique aerial view of Orkney, Flotta, Golta, of the 'Z' battery of unrotating fixed projectile launchers with ammunition huts. The hut bases of part of the accommodation camp and several other structures are also visible. Taken from the WNW.Oblique aerial view of Orkney, Flotta, Golta, of the 'Z' battery of unrotating fixed projectile launchers with ammunition huts. The concrete hut bases of the acommodation camp and the concrete bases of several other structures are also visible. Taken from the SW.View of Z battery site from South EastView of rocket stores from EastView of control building from South EastView of rocket launching siteOblique aerial view centred on the 'Z' battery, taken from the NW.Oblique aerial view from NW, showing the Oil Terminal in the centre right of the photograph, and Roan Head Anti-aircraft site in the top half.Oblique aerial view from NW, showing the oil terminal in the centre of the photograph, and Roan Head Anti-aircraft site in the top half.Oblique aerial view of Flotta, Golta, of part of the 'Z' battery of unrotating fixed projectile launchers with ammunition huts. The hut bases of the accommodation camp and several other structures are also visible. Taken from the NW.General view of Z battery site from South EastView of control building from South WestOblique aerial view of Orkney, Flotta, 'Z' anti-aircraft battery and accommodation camp, taken from the S.Oblique aerial view of Orkney, Flotta, Golta, of a 'Z' battery of unrotating fixed projectile launchers with ammunition huts, the hut bases of the accommodation camp, cable trenches and several other structures. Taken from NNE.Oblique aerial view of Orkney, Flotta, Golta, of part of the 'Z' battery of unrotating fixed projectile launchers with ammunition huts. The hut bases of the accommodation camp and several other structures are also visible. Taken from the W. The mooring position for a barrage balloon site is also visible.View of control building from South West

Administrative Areas

  • Council Orkney Islands
  • Parish Walls And Flotta
  • Former Region Orkney Islands Area
  • Former District Orkney
  • Former County Orkney

Archaeology Notes

ND39NE 2.00 centred 3688 9555

ND39NE 2.01 centred ND 36801 95675 Military Camp

ND39NE 2.02 ND 37045 95581 Decoy site

An anti-aircraft 'rocket' and camp site has been constructed on the brow of the hill at Golta, 1km E of the Flotta oil terminal. Consisting of several rows of small scale 'Nissen' style huts with corrugated iron roofs and rubble end walls, laid out in a regular pattern to imitate a military camp. These huts were probably used to store the 'rockets'. There are some concrete hut bases on the N-facing slope. Several pits for the 'rocket' launchers were also noted.

Visible on vertical air photographs (RAF/LEU/UK 4 7056-7), which also show an anti-aircraft site immediately to the E of the camp.

Visited by RCAHMS (GS, DE) May 1996.

Scheduled as 'Roan Head, World War II Z Battery and Light AA Battery... a Second World War Z Battery (multiple rocket launcher site) and decoy light anti-aircraft battery, and core associated buildings.

Information from Historic Scotland, scheduling document dated 25 March 2004.

The 'Z' battery of ammunition huts and rocket launcher bases is situated on the highest point on the Golta Peninsula in an area which has been heavily disturbed by peat digging. The small 'huts' are set in rows with many having a curved corrugated iron shed covered with an semi-circular concrete roof. The gable ends of the huts have infilled with water dipped bags of concrete which have been allowed to dry in situ. Many of the huts have had their roofs deliberately caved in and some have collapsed completely. The control building lies at the NW corner of the launching site.

Within the rows are two main connecting trackways, one leading NW to SE from the Military camp (ND39NE 2.01), and the other NE to SW, leading to the Decoy anti-aircraft battery (ND39NE 2.02), which cross at the centre of the battery..

Within each group of huts are the centrally placed circular concrete bases for the rocket launchers.

The 'Z' battery at Golta is one of the most complete remaining of this type in Scotland and is noted in documents from November 1942 held in the Public Record Office, as having 32 Unrotating Projectile launchers, which 'were not yet in action' (WO 166/7270). No War Office number was issued to this battery. The virtually complete battery is visible on 1948 RAF vertical air photographs (LEU/UK 4 , 7056-7057, flown 17 April 1948), however by this date nearly all of the huts had been removed.

Visited by RCAHMS (DE, GS, SW), August 1997

Further Details

Activities

Field Visit (August 1997)

Coastal Assessment Survey of Burray, Flotta, Graemsay, Hoy and South Ronaldsay

This area contains extensive structural remains associated with WWI and II military operations centred on the military camp at Golta and the coastal batteries at Roan Head. The main concentrations of these remains, which include an anti-aircraft rocket and dummy camp (ND39NE 2), three light anti-aircraft batteries (ND39NE 3, ND39NE 6 and ND39NE 7), a barrage balloon mooring position (ND39NE 4) and a large shed of pre-WWI date (ND39NE 5), lie outwith the area of this survey. Within the coastal zone lie the remains of a metalled trackway lined with concrete bollards and numerous small earthworks and concrete footings. Only the most substantial remains are described here:

i) (ND 3729 9590) A concrete shed, possibly a telegraphy station, is located on the beach. It measures 3m by 3m and stands to 3m high. It has a single door and window, both of which face inland.

ii) (ND 3686 9584) A rusted metal pipe, supported on a series of concrete pillars, issues from the coastal section and extends into the sea.

iii) (ND 3645 9581) The concrete footings of a building lie 15m from the coast edge. Aligned E-W, it measures 5m by 4m and has a set of two steps to its W end.

Moore and Wilson, 1997

Coastal Zone Assessment Survey

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