Description

The monument comprises a large Second World War balloon barrage site situated on the Golta Peninsula, Flotta, a heather-covered headland on which many First and Second World War military remains survive.

The central mooring bolt and four concentric mooring rings can be traced on the ground (c. 60m maximum diameter). From each opposed quarter an open-ended rectangular structure (now surviving as turf-covered collapsed walls) opens from the outer ring towards the centre; these would have housed the winches for the balloon. Little of this is immediately obvious on the ground: the mooring rings are first noticed as slightly lighter patches in the vegetation.

The area to be scheduled is a circle of diameter 100m centred on the mooring bolt, to include all elements of the balloon barrage site and an area around in which evidence relating to its construction and use may survive, as marked in red on the accompanying map extract.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance because it is the best preserved balloon barrage site in the Orkney Islands, one of the few places in the British Isles where such sites have survived at all, because of their vulnerability elsewhere to damage from, for instance, ploughing. The network of First and Second War military remains in Orkney (primarily protecting the main fleet anchorage for the Royal Navy at Scapa Flow) is of national, indeed international significance, because of its importance in both World Wars and this site is an important component .

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

The monument is recorded by RCAHMS as ND39NE 4.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland