Orkney Image Library

This is now the site of the Council's Harbour buildings

One of the first seaplane stations created was in Cromarty on the Black Isle in 1913. A picture of it can be seen on the Cromarty Image Library.

It was in the early days of the First World War that seaplanes and equipment were unloaded at Scapa Pier and uncerimoniously dumped on a field of oats on the small farm of Nether Scapa, owned by my grandfather, Thomas J Scott. An excellent photo by Tom Kent is reproduced on page 55 of David Tinch's "Shoal and Sheaf" showing my grandfather and members of his family harvesting oats on the same field at the turn of the century.
Another photo of Tom Kents can be found on page 156 of "Shoal and Sheaf" showing one of the old seaplane base buildings, I believe the officers' mess, after conversion to a sanatorium.

Early in the Second World War two Supermarine Walrus amphibian flying boats landed in Scapa Bay and came ashore rear where the landing slip for the Seaplane Base used to be. Although well lashed down under the sea wall, a gale blew up that night and both aircraft were totally wrecked.

There is an excellent reproduction of Tom Kent's photo of the Scapa Tuberculoses Pavilion on page 156 of "Shoal & Sheaf". I understood this was originally the Officers' Mess of the Seaplane Station, I knew it well having been born and brought up in Nether Scapa, a field's length from the Pavilion. The building in the backbround was the laundry
Another of Tom Kent's photos in Shoal & Sheaf page 54 shows the field on which the navy "unceremoniously" dumped their seaplanes and equipment. My grandfather is weilding a scyth in the froeground.
I will add these two photos to my collection for the benefit of anyone who does not possess the excellent Shoal & Sheaf.

After the 1st World War the Seaplane Station was converted into a tuberculosis sanatorium, which was opened in 1924. Further details of the Scapa Sanitorium can be found on the library page of Orkney Heritage Society's website.