Bore of Vigga

Hurtiso

On the B9052.

East Mainland Church

Road to Muir of Meil

There is an area of moss land beyond the fertile foreground.

Hurtiso farm

Robert Eva

Barley field near Greenwall

Looking out towards Rose Ness.

New house at Greenwall

The area looks quite populated here.

Barley field near Greenwall

In the background are Burray, Glimps Holm and Lamb Holm.

Mother with two calves above St Nicholas Kirk

Howes Wick

Sandy bay with that scent of rotting seaweed in the air. Any excitement generated by seeing the words 'Castle Howe' on the map was soon dispelled by the sight of a green mound with a few stones sticking out of the top. [visible centre picture]

Gordon Hatton

Wester Sand

Not too much evidence of sun kissed sandy beaches here, but plenty of pebbles and slowly rotting seaweed.

Gordon Hatton

Farm track off the B9052

Heading north west across pastureland towards Lyking.

Gordon Hatton

The Italian Chapel, Orkney

The Italian prisoners constructed the chapel from limited materials in the form of a tin tabernacle. It comprises two Nissen huts joined end-to-end. They created a façade out of concrete to conceal the shape of the hut and make the building look more like a church.

The Italian Chapel (interior)

The Italian prisoners constructed the chapel from limited materials in the form of a tin tabernacle. It comprises two Nissen huts joined end-to-end. The corrugated interior was then covered with plasterboard and the altar and altar rail were constructed from concrete left over from work on the barriers. Most of the interior decoration was done by Domenico Chiocchetti, a prisoner from Moena.

The Italian Chapel, Sanctuary and Altar

Most of the interior decoration was done by Domenico Chiocchetti, a prisoner from Moena. He painted the sanctuary end of the chapel and his fellow prisoners decorated the entire interior. Like other Italian soldiers, Chiocchetti carried a small prayer card given to him by his mother before he left home to fight in the war. Chiocchetti’s painting above the altar was based on the image of the Madonna and Child by Nicolo Barabino on that card.

Madonna and Child above the Altar at the Italian Chapel

Painted Glass Window at the Italian Chapel

The remarkable and beautiful little chapel on Lamb Holm was built by Italian prisoners of war who had been captured during the North African campaign. There were a total of 550 Italian POWs of whom 200 were billeted on the tiny islet of Lamb Holm. They had been moved to Orkney in 1942 to build the "Churchill Barriers" which link several islands and islets to Mainland, Orkney and make the naval base of Scapa Flow far more secure. While on Orkney the prisoners of Camp 60 on Lamb Holm were given permission to build a place of worship. Under the brilliant leadership of Domenico Chiocchetti they transformed two old Nissen huts into a beautiful chapel, particularly remarkable considering the limited materials at their disposal. The huts were placed end-to-end making a double-length hut which was then remarkably embellished. It was completed in 1945, shortly before the end of hostilities, with Chiocchetti remaining behind after he was released in order to finish the decoration. In 1958, the Chapel Preservation Committee was set up by a group of Orcadians and Chiocchetti returned to the chapel he had masterminded in 1960 to assist with restoration work. When he died in 1999 a memorial requiem mass was held at the Chapel in his honour, attended by his wife and daughter.