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Quoy is an anti-aircraft battery and radar station built during the Second World War on the Orkney mainland. The site occupies ground underlain by Middle Old Red Sandstone of Devonian age, a bedrock comprising conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone that provides a firm foundation across much of Orkney's agricultural landscape. The battery was one of several air defence installations constructed throughout the islands during the war years, positioned to protect against enemy aircraft approaching this strategically important naval base at Scapa Flow.
The station combined two functions essential to modern air defence: radar detection equipment and anti-aircraft gun positions. The radar installation would have provided early warning of approaching aircraft, whilst the gun crews stood ready to engage targets visually or on radar direction. Such integrated defences became standard practice as radar technology matured during the conflict, replacing the reliance on observer corps spotting alone.
The site is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland (SM13560), recognising its significance as evidence of wartime defence infrastructure. Anti-aircraft batteries across Orkney represent a crucial phase in the islands' military history, when civilian and military populations faced the tangible threat of air attack during the Second World War.
Quoy, anti-aircraft battery (WW2) and radar 220m WSW of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM13560. View the official record →
Quoy is an anti-aircraft battery and radar station built during the Second World War on the Orkney mainland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM13560.
Quoy, anti-aircraft battery (WW2) and radar 220m WSW of is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic Environment Scotland — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Scotland. The official designation reference is SM13560.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Stromabank Hotel, anti-aircraft battery, radar site and camp 150m NW of (0.7 km), Greenhill Broch, South Walls, Orkney (1.1 km), Green Hill of Hestiegeo,broch (1.9 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Quoy, anti-aircraft battery (WW2) and radar 220m WSW of's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Quoy, anti-aircraft battery (WW2) and radar 220m WSW of stands on Middle Old Red Sandstone (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.