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Hoy, Lyness, Rinnigill Gas Plant, Gunnery Training Room
Military Training Site (20th Century)
Site Name Hoy, Lyness, Rinnigill Gas Plant, Gunnery Training Room
Classification Military Training Site (20th Century)
Alternative Name(s) Scapa Flow
Canmore ID 9486
Site Number ND39SW 18.01
NGR ND 31746 93478
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/9486
- Council Orkney Islands
- Parish Walls And Flotta
- Former Region Orkney Islands Area
- Former District Orkney
- Former County Orkney
ND39SW 18.01 31746 93478
A large brick built domed turret trainer is situated on the W side of the main roadway running N to S through the Gas Production complex.
The building measures about 16m x 15m overall and the roof is of corrugated asbestos sheets supported by steel 'A' frames. The interior wall has been rendered and painted white.
The entrance is from the E through a porch which leads to the large room with the domed trainer immediately inside. The dome is supported on a timber framework, with large timbers supporting the upper-works. The central area has a circular recess to allow for the tubular ring for the effects lanterns. The timber has been supplied from Aberdeen.
The building has the appearance of being a Torpedo Attack Trainer (TAT), to provide instruction in the use of torpedo attacks, but later versions were also used to train gunners. The complete structure involved a circular (in plan) cyclorama, usually about 13-14m in diameter and 7.5m high being curved at the top and bottom. The lower area would be painted to simulate the sea and the upper part painted off-white to provide painted sky-effects. The trainer may have similarities to others found in Scotland.
Visited by RCAHMS (DE, GS, SW), August 1997
The surviving elements of the domed trainer interior have been reduced over the last eleven years, so that only the lower portion (to about shoulder height) of the plaster wall survives. Much of the roof has now collapsed and the framework and roof timbers have fallen into the central pit along with much debris. Other timbers have been found to be marked with 'T.A.T/S.C. C/O. O/C. R.M.E. Lyness. Orkney C/O Naval S.O.'
Visited by RCAHMS (DE), 13 September 2008
Field Visit (May 1987)
Gunners’ Training Room, Lyness ND 317 934
Second World War Installation.
RCAHMS 1989, visited May 1987.
