Hackness Martello Tower
Hackness Martello Tower
5
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
97 reviews
Excellent
80
Very good
11
Average
5
Poor
1
Terrible
0
meg m
Eyemouth, UK17 contributions
Aug 2024 • Solo
Fascinating visit. Engrossed in interesting tales, beautifully delivered by knowledgeable and passionate Tour Guide Glen. Definitely prime material for a gripping book and movie. And the views from the top of the tower are beautiful. Thank you for a great visit!
Recommended.
Recommended.
Written September 29, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mary KB
5 contributions
Jun 2022
What a fascinating place - we ahd a great tour from a very knowledgeable guide. The highlight was climbing up the Rapunzel tower and seeing the canon at the top. It really helps put the Orkney archipelago in a historical context that I wasn't aware of. Fascinating, top marks to guide Glen Moon
Written June 8, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vanessa C
Birmingham, UK47 contributions
Jul 2017 • Couples
Our guide, Glen, was a pleasure to chat with as he had a wealth of information and knowledge which he clearly enjoyed sharing. I had no idea prior to our visit how vital Hoy and Longhope Bay had been in both the first and second world wars. I absolutely loved this visit and would strongly recommend it.
Written July 26, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Peter-T-Summer2013
Stirling, UK29 contributions
Aug 2013 • Family
This was the second time we have visited this excellent Historic Scotland site. This time round, with our 8 year old daughter, we were pleasantly surprised to find the same humorous and informative custodian as our previous visit 10 years ago! Both the Martello Tower and the Barracks, still in original layout, have a really interesting history and our daughter loved trying on the replica uniforms and hats covering all eras of the site's history. This place is well worth visiting.
Written August 22, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Graham2124
Glasgow, UK33 contributions
Sep 2019
We are members of Historic Scotland and a trip here had been recommended by local friends. We arrived expecting to wander around reading boards and were taken aback when we were given a guided tour on our own!
We tend not to follow tours generally as they can be information overload and you are dragged round in a group, but Andy, the guide, was a really nice bloke, very informative and we got so much more out of it than we would have done as we were able to chat and ask questions.
Very interesting history in any event, but made so much better with the tour - no booking necessary!
We tend not to follow tours generally as they can be information overload and you are dragged round in a group, but Andy, the guide, was a really nice bloke, very informative and we got so much more out of it than we would have done as we were able to chat and ask questions.
Very interesting history in any event, but made so much better with the tour - no booking necessary!
Written September 11, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
118lindsaya
Dundee, UK6 contributions
Jul 2019 • Friends
I thought this would be a boring, quick visit to another tower. Quite the opposite! Andy, from Historic Scotland, gave us a very informative tour of the barracks, the gun battery and the tower. It’s amazing how much thought and engineering was put into the building of the Hackness site which Andy explained really well. Only £6 per adult and free with the Historic Scotland card. Very good value for money and definitely worth a visit. For info, to get into the tower there is a metal stair case about 3 metres high.
Written July 4, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
glen1goodboy
Cupar, UK94 contributions
Jun 2019 • Couples
The Hackness Tower was built around 1813 as a defence against American privateers, America then being at War with Great Britain. It is a stocky, solid building which can house eight men (one NCO and seven privates) and boats a large cannon on the top. The views from it over the west entry to Scapa Flow are spectacular and the informative guide can tell you a lot about how it was used - not only in the war of 1812-13 but in the First World War. It is a most unusual thing, a relic of a time when war was a good deal more 'primitive' than now ; the whole idea of American sailng ships crossing the Atlantic and entering the Flow to prey on British vessels only to be met by the fire power of this huge gun, is mind-boggling!
Written July 3, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
peediequine
Orkney Islands, UK84 contributions
Sep 2013 • Friends
This is one of the few Martello towers still in good condition in Britain built against invasion in the eighteenth century. It is on the island of Hoy which is a 40 minute ferry ride from mainland Orkney and in the care of Historic Scotland. If you take your car you need to book. You do need transport to get to it - energetic types could cycle. The tower still has the soldiers' quarters and Historic Scotland have turned it into a vivid display. Need to be able to climb up a ladder to get into the tower but the view from the gun turret at the top is worth it. Guide on site is full of information and stories.
Written November 26, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
James H
11 contributions
Jun 2023
I had thought it would be a cursory and slightly disappointing 30 minutes but it turned out to be an utterly fascinating two hours. You can walk around bits by yourself but don't. Glen is one of those people who is utterly obsessed with his subject and researches and researches, but like the one excellent teacher we all remember from school, he is able to effortlessly communicate his interest and excitement and to bring it to life.
The barracks, the gentleman who owned the place (and that is a fantastic story in itself), living in the barracks, the international political setting, ballistics and defensive architecture, human nature/frailty etc, etc were all raised and explored where relevant. Glen clearly was a master of a range of subjects. I couldn't fault him even on the areas I know quite a lot about. The depth and breadth of his knowledge made his presentation real and gripping.
I ticked 1-2 hours but that is for people with no previous knowledge or interest. If you are into history and know a bit, then add an hour. It is worth making the time for this even on just a day trip to Hoy.
We did The Dwarfie Stane, Rackwick beach (assiduously), had lunch, then the Martello Tower and finally the Scapa Flow Museum. I'm sure The Old Man of Hoy is worth seeing but even if I was rather younger, it would have taken too much time for a day trip if I wanted to do anything else.
How can you store gunpowder in a damp place without causing it to go bang? Glen will show you!
The Martello Tower and Barracks. If you go to Hoy then make the time to do it properly and you won't be disappointed.
The barracks, the gentleman who owned the place (and that is a fantastic story in itself), living in the barracks, the international political setting, ballistics and defensive architecture, human nature/frailty etc, etc were all raised and explored where relevant. Glen clearly was a master of a range of subjects. I couldn't fault him even on the areas I know quite a lot about. The depth and breadth of his knowledge made his presentation real and gripping.
I ticked 1-2 hours but that is for people with no previous knowledge or interest. If you are into history and know a bit, then add an hour. It is worth making the time for this even on just a day trip to Hoy.
We did The Dwarfie Stane, Rackwick beach (assiduously), had lunch, then the Martello Tower and finally the Scapa Flow Museum. I'm sure The Old Man of Hoy is worth seeing but even if I was rather younger, it would have taken too much time for a day trip if I wanted to do anything else.
How can you store gunpowder in a damp place without causing it to go bang? Glen will show you!
The Martello Tower and Barracks. If you go to Hoy then make the time to do it properly and you won't be disappointed.
Written June 3, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Erica-Hume-Niven
Selkirk, Scotland, United Kingdom36 contributions
Dec 2018
I spotted this on my OS map as i was driving round South Walls (attached to Hoy by a causeway); I thought, mmm, I wonder what Martello tower means, having never heard of one before. The site has Napoleonic barracks, battery and the Martello Tower. The site managers, who take you round, are very interested in the history which makes the whole site come alive. The view from the top of the Tower is beautiful. When I visited the charming David Mager was the site manager. (I was actually there in July 2017 but I cannot select that below)
Written November 18, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
correction: google maps says you can but it will take 4hrs5mins from Kirk wall by ferry & bus.
Written February 15, 2017
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