Scapa Flow centre in £1m Heritage Lottery Fund boost

An extension is part of the project

Plans for a major renovation of the Scapa Flow Visitor Centre and Museum have taken a step forward after the Heritage Lottery Fund approved a grant of up to £1.155m.

The project will include the restoration of historic buildings, the creation of a new building to house an exhibition space, and a cafe.

Work on the centre, in Lyness, is now set to start next year.

The museum is centred around the former fuel oil pumping station.

The German High Seas Fleet was scuttled in Scapa Flow in 1919, following the end of World War One.

Lucy Casot, head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Scotland, said: "Scapa Flow has an internationally-important story to tell and we're delighted to support a project which will do just that.

"Rare military equipment from both world wars, along with stories from some of the 12,000 people once stationed there, will help bring the sheltered harbour's incredible history back to life, exploring how it shaped the history of travel, trade and maritime warfare."