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Italian Chapel

Two Nissen huts on Lamb Holm turned into a painted chapel by Italian prisoners of war in the 1940s.

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The Italian Chapel stands on the small island of Lamb Holm, beside the first Churchill Barrier, and is one of Orkney's most loved attractions.

It began as two Nissen huts. In the Second World War, 550 Italian prisoners, captured in North Africa, were held in Camp 60 on Lamb Holm to build the barriers, and at the request of their camp priest, Father Giacobazzi, the huts were joined together to make a chapel.

Among the prisoners was an artist, Domenico Chiocchetti. With the blacksmith Giuseppe Palumbi and the cement worker Domenico Buttapasta, he turned the huts into a church, giving them a concrete front that hides their shape. The Madonna and Child above the altar is based on a small prayer card his mother gave him before he left home. The camp commander, Major Buckland, seeing his talent, let him keep painting. Orkney has a strong friendship with Moena, Chiocchetti's home town, and a restoration artist from Rome who had worked in the Sistine Chapel has refreshed areas of his painting. Admission is £4, and children 12 and under go free.

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A short drive awayThe Murray ArmsA family-owned seafood restaurant with rooms in St Margaret's Hope, on South Ronaldsay, serving fish and shellfish from its own boats.11 min by roadSee itPicnic tables and parasols in the stone courtyard beside the Murray Arms in St Margaret's Hope.
Before you go

Open every day of the year except Christmas Day and New Year's Day, with shorter hours from November to March.

Where
Lamb Holm, Orkney KW17 2SF, on the island at the end of the first Churchill Barrier.
Open
Every day except Christmas Day and New Year's Day. November to March 10am to 1pm; April and October 10am to 4pm; May and September 9am to 5pm; June, July and August 9am to 5.30pm.
Price
£4 a person. Children 12 and under, tour guides and drivers go free. A small booklet telling the story, in English, Italian and German, is available for a donation of £1. Prices read 21 October 2026.
Booking
Advance booking is essential for larger groups. The information desk is on 01856 781580.
Getting there
The X1 bus between Kirkwall and St Margaret's Hope runs through Burray and passes the Churchill Barriers and the Italian Chapel; Orkney's local buses run on a hail and ride basis. To reach Orkney, Loganair flies to Kirkwall from Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness. NorthLink Ferries sail from Aberdeen to Kirkwall and from Scrabster to Stromness, and Pentland Ferries from Gills Bay to St Margaret's Hope.

Opening hours

Monday
10am–1pm
Tuesday
10am–1pm
Wednesday
10am–1pm
Thursday
10am–1pm
Friday
10am–1pm
Saturday
10am–1pm
Sunday
10am–1pm

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Where it is

On Lamb Holm, the island at the end of the first Churchill Barrier, Orkney KW17 2SF.

Close byClose by.
  1. Churchill BarriersChurchill BarriersFour wartime causeways linking the Orkney Mainland to Lamb Holm, Glimps Holm, Burray and South Ronaldsay, with blockships beside them.Under a mile 2 min by road
  2. Wooden steps down through the dunes to the beach at Glimps Holm, the barrier and the sea beyond.Glimps Holm BeachA long, sheltered beach beside the third Churchill Barrier, with the wreck of the blockship Reginald offshore.2 miles 3 min by road
  3. A cappuccino and a slice of iced cake on white plates at Polly Kettle.Polly KettleA family tearoom on Burray, cooking from scratch with Orkney produce and selling local pottery and crafts.4 miles 7 min by road
  4. Highland Park Distillery's stone buildings and cobbled yard lit by lamps at dusk.Highland Park DistilleryA whisky distillery on Holm Road in Kirkwall, making whisky since 1798, with tours from £18 and tastings you need not book.7 miles 10 min by road
  5. The front of Robertsons in St Margaret's Hope, its old General Merchants sign over the door.Robertsons Coffeehoose BarA family-run coffee house and bar in an old general store in St Margaret's Hope, with food all day and music.7 miles 12 min by road
Directions
Picnic tables and parasols in the stone courtyard beside the Murray Arms in St Margaret's Hope.RestaurantsThe Murray Arms6.4 miles
A chocolate and redcurrant dessert with honeycomb, drawn in chocolate on a white plate, the Lynnfield.RestaurantsLynnfield Hotel7.1 miles
AttractionsSt Magnus Cathedral7.9 miles
The children's corner of the Orcadian Bookshop, shelves of picture books above small chairs and a table.ShoppingThe Orcadian Bookshop7.9 miles
The former parish church at Tankerness, now the Sheila Fleet Kirk Gallery & Café, with its glazed café extension and a stone wall of flowers.ShoppingSheila Fleet Kirk Gallery8.0 miles
The Orkney Wireless Museum at Kiln Corner, Kirkwall: a stone building with a sign over its door and radios on show in the windows.AttractionsOrkney Wireless Museum8.2 miles
A plate of seared scallops with asparagus and potato at Helgi's.RestaurantsHelgi’s8.3 miles
The dark-fronted Orkney Distillery building on the Ayre Road in Kirkwall, with an open sign outside.AttractionsThe Orkney Distillery8.5 miles
The Foveran's dining room, tartan chairs at laid tables and big windows onto the fields and Scapa Flow.RestaurantsThe Foveran9.9 miles

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