Lyness is probably the most well-known place in Orkney, not necessarily by the Orcadians, but by thousands of people who, throughout the years, served at the British Naval Base. Two World Wars saw Lyness being the nerve centre and home to the British fleet. In fact, the panoramic picture of Mill Bay, in Lyness, (below), was taken from the old radio station which, legend has it, was the same command centre that transmitted the radio signal to sink the German "pocket"-battleship Admiral Graf Spee, in the river Plate,  Uruguay, during the 2nd World War.

During these times, Lyness was home to over 20,000 armed forces, which incorporated several cinemas, clubs, pubs and post offices - a hive of activity. Nowadays, of course, among the only sounds to be heard are bird song, the screech of birds of prey, the breeze, the sea, and the occasional throb of the ferry engines, as it runs back and forth to the mainland island.

Lyness is home to the extremely well-kept Commonwealth War Graves, and, right next to the ferry terminal, also accommodates the Scapa Flow Interpretation Centre, which, really, is a war museum. There is much more to Lyness than meets the eye.