Hackness Battery and Martello Tower

About the museum

Hackness Battery and Martello Tower were built in 1813 and 1814, at the height of the Napoleonic Wars. French and American warships were attacking British and Scandinavian merchant ships that sailed north about, through the Pentland Firth or round Orkney, and Longhope Sound offered a safe anchorage. The battery was built first, followed by two sister Martello towers: Hackness, about 200 metres from the battery, and Crockness on the north side of the sound.

Martello towers take their name from Mortella Point in Corsica, where a small circular tower held off two British warships in 1794. More than a hundred similar towers were then built along the south coast of England, but Hackness and Crockness are the only ones in Scotland apart from one guarding the port of Leith. Hackness tower had three floors: a powder magazine and stores at the bottom, a barracks for 14 men on the first floor, and the gun on the roof. The battery first held eight 24-pounder cannon.

No enemy action is recorded here. The defences were upgraded in 1866 because of a feared threat from the Fenian Brotherhood, with four 68-pounder guns, improved barracks and new buildings, but by 1883 only two artillerymen were on duty. The guns are known to have been fired only in 1892, during drill by the Orkney Volunteer Artillery. The site is cared for by Historic Environment Scotland.

Highlights

• Battery of 1813 to 1814 above Longhope Sound
• Martello tower with barracks and gun platform
• Armstrong 64-pounder gun on display
• One of only a few Martello towers in Scotland

Founded

1815

Operated by

Historic Environment Scotland

Admission & discounts

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Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Visitors can walk to the tower through the pedestrian access gate; there is no vehicle access to the site.

Kids & families

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Getting there & parking

There is no vehicle access to the site itself, and visitors enter on foot through the pedestrian gate. National Cycle Network routes can be searched with the Walk Wheel Cycle Trust.

Amenities & dining

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Events & venue rental

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