About
Stromness Museum is the principal museum of Orkney's second town, occupying a handsome Victorian building on the waterfront of one of Britain's most remarkable small towns. Run by the Orkney Natural History Society — founded in 1837, one of the oldest such organisations in Scotland — the museum brings together the interlocking stories of Orkney's maritime world, its extraordinary position in global exploration and trade, and its rich natural history, in a collection that punches far above its modest scale.
The museum's most dramatic chapter belongs to Scapa Flow — the great natural harbour enclosed by the islands of the Orkney Mainland, Hoy, and the eastern isles. In June 1919, Scapa Flow was the site of the largest deliberate scuttling of ships in history, when Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter ordered the entire interned German High Seas Fleet — 74 warships — to be sunk to prevent their seizure by the Allies. The decision came during the delicate peace negotiations at Versailles; the scuttling was both a final act of defiance and a practical calculation about German naval honour. The museum documents this extraordinary event through photographs, artefacts recovered from the sunken ships, and the broader story of the Grand Fleet's wartime occupation of Scapa Flow. Today, the wrecks of the scuttled fleet are among the finest and most unusual dive sites in the world.
Equally remarkable is the museum's documentation of Orkney's unique relationship with the Hudson's Bay Company. From the early 18th century until the 20th, Orcadians formed the majority of the Company's workforce in North America — recruited from Stromness itself, which was the Company's final provisioning port before the Atlantic crossing. The relationship between this remote archipelago and the vast territories of northern Canada is one of the most surprising threads in Orkney's history, and the museum holds material on the Orcadian voyagers who spent years or decades in the Canadian wilderness trading with First Nations peoples.
Arctic and Antarctic exploration also runs through the museum's collections. Stromness was a key provisioning stop for polar expeditions, and many of the great explorers — James Cook, the Franklin Expedition's ships, and others — anchored in the harbour before heading into the ice. The museum holds material on these connections and on Orkney's role in the history of polar exploration.
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Plan Your Visit
⏱️ Recommended Visit Duration
📅 Best Times to Visit
Quietest: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday
Busiest: Friday, Saturday
💡 Weekday morning in May or September — Orkney is quieter outside peak season and the museum is unhurried
💡 Visitor Tips
- Stromness Museum is the ideal starting point for exploring the town — the museum sets the context for the remarkable flagstone town and harbour, whose piers and closes you can then explore on foot.
- The NorthLink ferry from Scrabster (near Thurso) arrives at Stromness — the museum is a 4-minute walk from the ferry terminal, making it an easy first stop after crossing the Pentland Firth.
- Allow extra time for the Scapa Flow gallery if you are interested in First World War naval history — the collection is substantial and the story of the scuttling is one of the great untold episodes of the war.
- The museum is a natural complement to Scapa Flow diving — if you are visiting Orkney to dive the German wrecks, the museum provides essential historical context for what you will see underwater.
- The building is on multiple floors with no lift — if accessibility is a concern, phone ahead to discuss what can be seen on the ground floor.
- Stromness town itself deserves at least an hour's exploration after the museum — walk the flagstone main street with its piers stepping down to the harbour, and visit the Pier Arts Centre (free, excellent) 200 metres away.
- Orkney's UNESCO World Heritage Sites (Skara Brae, Ring of Brodgar, Maeshowe) are all within 20 minutes' drive of Stromness — the museum and the prehistoric sites together make an outstanding full-day experience.
- The museum shop stocks excellent specialist books on Orkney history, archaeology, and natural history — often titles not available elsewhere.
Highlights
The Scapa Flow Scuttling: June 1919
The museum's most dramatic chapter covers the extraordinary events of 21 June 1919, when Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter ordered the simultaneous scuttling of the entire interned German High Seas Fleet — 74 warships — anchored in Scapa Flow under the supervision of the Royal Navy.
The scuttling was the largest deliberate sinking of ships in history. Today, the wrecks on the floor of Scapa Flow are among the world's most celebrated dive sites.
The museum holds artefacts recovered from the wrecks, photographs, documents, and a compelling account of the political circumstances that led to this unique event.
The Hudson's Bay Company and Orkney
From the early 18th century until well into the 20th, Orcadians formed the majority of the Hudson's Bay Company's workforce in North America. The Company's ships stopped at Stromness — their final provisioning port before the Atlantic — and recruited men who would spend years or decades in the Canadian wilderness.
The relationship between Orkney and the vast territories of northern Canada is one of the most surprising stories in Scottish history, and the museum documents it through voyage records, personal letters, company documents, and objects brought home by the Orcadian employees.
Orkney Natural History Collections
The museum was founded by the Orkney Natural History Society in 1837, and the natural history collections remain central to its identity.
Orkney lies at the intersection of Atlantic and North Sea ecosystems and on major migration routes, making it exceptionally rich in bird life — the museum holds specimens of species recorded on the islands, including rare migrants. Marine fauna, geological specimens from the Orkney Mainland and outer islands, and botanical collections build a comprehensive picture of the natural history of one of Britain's most ecologically significant archipelagos.
Arctic Exploration: Stromness as a Polar Port
Stromness was the last provisioning port for many of the great Arctic and sub-Antarctic expeditions of the 18th and 19th centuries. James Cook stopped here before his third voyage; John Franklin's fatal expedition to find the Northwest Passage (1845) was among those that took on supplies in the Orkney harbour before heading north.
The museum holds material connecting Orkney to polar exploration history, including objects, documents, and interpretation of the expeditions that used Stromness as their last landfall before the ice.
Collections
Stromness Museum holds collections covering maritime history, natural history, Orkney archaeology, and the distinctive history of Stromness as a global trade port. The core holdings include: Scapa Flow and the German Fleet — photographs, artefacts from the scuttled warships, documents relating to the 1919 scuttling and the two World Wars' use of Scapa Flow; Hudson's Bay Company collections — employment records, voyage logs, personal letters, and objects relating to Orcadian HBC workers in North America; natural history specimens covering Orkney birds, marine fauna, geology, and botany; and local history collections covering Stromness town, fishing, boat-building, and maritime trades.
The museum also holds archaeological material relating to Orkney's Neolithic and Bronze Age heritage.
Run by the Orkney Natural History Society (founded 1837), the collections reflect nearly two centuries of local collecting and scholarship.
Scapa Flow: Anchorage of the World
Permanent gallery covering the two World Wars and the German Fleet scuttling of 1919
📍 Scapa Flow Gallery
Hudson's Bay Company: Orkney and the New World
Exhibition on Orcadian HBC employees and the centuries-long connection between Stromness and North America
📍 Hudson's Bay Gallery
Orkney Natural History
Collections of birds, marine fauna, geology, and botany from the Orkney archipelago
📍 Natural History Galleries
Stromness and the Sea
Maritime and local history galleries covering Stromness's role as a provisioning port, fishing harbour, and seafaring community
📍 Maritime Gallery and Local History Gallery
Themes
Time Periods
Current Exhibitions
No current exhibitions. Please check the museum website for updates.