Lamb Holm is a tiny, uninhabited island in Orkney, but it holds one of Scotland’s most moving places: the Italian Chapel. This small building was created by Italian prisoners of war living at Camp 60 while working on the Churchill Barriers in the Second World War. From the outside it resembles a modest chapel at the end of a windswept causeway; inside, extraordinary painting and carefully improvised craftsmanship transform the space. The most important thing to do on Lamb Holm is to give the chapel the attention its history deserves.
The island is not a holiday resort with ten ticket offices, restaurants and beaches. A useful ‘top ten’ guide must therefore be honest: these are ten experiences and questions that help visitors understand one remarkable building, the lives behind it, the surrounding waters and the two causeways that connect it to Mainland Orkney and Glimps Holm. The Chapel is the central visitor attraction. The remaining choices are ways of seeing its architecture, learning its history, appreciating the landscape and planning a responsible onward journey.
Today Lamb Holm is connected by Churchill Barrier One to Holm on the Orkney Mainland and by Barrier Two to Glimps Holm. You do not need an inter-island ferry to reach it; motorists and organised tour groups cross the public road. That convenience creates a problem of its own: some travellers turn a moving visit into a hurried photo stop. The original circumstances deserve more care. Men held as prisoners created a place of worship during a conflict; local residents have helped preserve it and sustain connections with the prisoners’ Italian families.
For October 2026 the official Italian Chapel listing gives opening hours of 10am to 4pm daily, admission of £4 for adults and free entry for children aged 12 and under, with advance booking essential for larger groups. These are the currently published arrangements, not a promise that a particular day will be unaffected by maintenance or special events. Check directly before travelling. In November through March the listing shows a shorter daytime window, with closures on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
Use the chapters below to create a visit of an hour or two, or make Lamb Holm an interpreted stop within a wider Orkney wartime journey. You do not have to agree with every romantic interpretation of the Chapel to be moved by the evidence of imagination and skill within it. The goal is to distinguish what was built, who built it, why the circumstances mattered and how the place has been cared for since the war.
Lamb Holm at a glance
Where: Lamb Holm, between the Orkney Mainland and Glimps Holm, Scotland. Main attraction: the Italian Chapel, created from Nissen huts by prisoners of war at Camp 60. Other themes: the Churchill Barriers, the sinking of HMS Royal Oak, blockships, conservation and the friendship with Moena. Access: road, via Churchill Barrier One or Two. October 2026 Chapel listing: open 10am–4pm daily, adult £4, children 12 and under free, large-group booking required. Always verify current arrangements.
Contents: ten meaningful Lamb Holm experiences
- 1. Cross Churchill Barrier One and understand why Lamb Holm is connected by road
- 2. Take in the Italian Chapel’s modest exterior and unexpected detail
- 3. Study Domenico Chiocchetti’s painting of the Madonna and Child
- 4. Find the craftsmanship of the ironwork, plaster and furnishings
- 5. Understand the prisoners of Camp 60 and the Churchill Barriers project
- 6. Notice the Stations of the Cross and learn why preservation matters
- 7. Read the Chapel’s restoration story and the friendship with Moena
- 8. See Churchill Barrier Two and appreciate the island’s place among Scapa Flow channels
- 9. Look toward the blockships and read the story of earlier naval defences
- 10. Finish with a thoughtful Scapa Flow viewpoint and a wider Orkney itinerary
1. Cross Churchill Barrier One and understand why Lamb Holm is connected by road
Arriving from the Orkney Mainland, you cross the first of the four Churchill Barriers. The concrete causeway now feels like a convenient public road, but its origins belong to a much less peaceful time. The eastern approaches to Scapa Flow were vulnerable during the Second World War, and the sinking of the battleship HMS Royal Oak in October 1939, with 834 lives lost, precipitated major changes to their defences. The barriers were conceived as a way of closing channels used by vessels entering the naval anchorage.
Stop only in legal, designated places, never on the carriageway. The purpose of this experience is not to turn an active road into a viewing platform. Use interpretation panels and a map to identify the surrounding islands and sheltered water. Try to see the engineering as a system: massive concrete structures were placed across separate gaps, working together rather than in isolation. The present road network connecting Lamb Holm, Glimps Holm, Burray and South Ronaldsay is a lasting civilian consequence of military construction.
The barriers changed movement for island residents long after the fighting ended. Where short channels once required boats, people can now drive across. The same concrete affects water movement and nearby sediment. Ask what happens when infrastructure designed for one emergency outlives its original purpose by decades. That question links Orkney’s wartime history to everyday transport, and it prepares you to appreciate the very different project undertaken by the men stationed at Camp 60.
2. Take in the Italian Chapel’s modest exterior and unexpected detail
The Italian Chapel stands on Lamb Holm, built from two Nissen huts joined together and transformed by prisoners held during the war. A Nissen hut is essentially a prefabricated, curved-roof structure designed for utility. Yet from the front, the Chapel presents an elaborate façade intended to recall a more conventional Italian church. The transformation is so striking because its starting materials were ordinary and limited, not expensive stone or marble reserved for an ambitious new cathedral.
Spend a few minutes outside before you enter. Examine the outline of the building, the decorative treatment of its front and the relationship to the exposed Orkney landscape. Do not assume that the exterior’s architectural appearance means the whole building uses the same traditional construction. The contrast between underlying hut and decorative finish is central to the story. Walk only in permitted visitor areas, avoid blocking the doorway and allow worshippers or other visitors time and privacy.
This is a good place for families to ask a simple question: how can a structure become beautiful without changing all its basic materials? The prisoners used knowledge, creativity and careful work to make a place meaningful. The answer is not that hardship was beneficial or that captivity was harmless. It is that human ingenuity can appear even under restrictive conditions. Look at the building with both facts in mind.
3. Study Domenico Chiocchetti’s painting of the Madonna and Child
Inside the Chapel, the painting above the altar is its most memorable visual centre. Domenico Chiocchetti, the Italian prisoner whose artistic skill shaped so much of the project, based the Madonna and Child image on a small prayer card his mother had given him. Orkney’s official interpretation identifies Nicolo Barabino’s depiction as the model. This detail makes the artwork personal: the chosen image had meaning for an individual separated from home and family.
Stand far enough back to take in the whole visual arrangement before focusing on particular colours and expressions. The paintings are delicate heritage material, not surfaces visitors may touch for a closer inspection. Follow photography and visitor instructions, give others room to reflect, and avoid blocking access to the altar area. If a custodian is present, listen to the way the material is interpreted. A short explanatory booklet is also listed as available for a donation.
Ask how the painting differs from a reproduction. The original model is an image, but the result belongs to this particular place, built by people under extraordinary circumstances. Its importance lies in the physical act of creating it and the memories attached to it. To understand its value you do not need to claim a miracle or invent a conversation between Chiocchetti and the camp authorities. The surviving artwork, the documented prayer card and the work of preservation already tell a compelling story.
4. Find the craftsmanship of the ironwork, plaster and furnishings
Chiocchetti was not working alone. The official history names Giuseppe Palumbi, a blacksmith, and Domenico Buttapasta, a cement worker, among the craftspeople who helped transform the huts. Such collaborators matter because the Chapel was not created through painting alone. Structural alterations, decorative metalwork, plaster and furnishings had to be made from materials and tools that could be obtained within wartime conditions. The project demanded cooperation across several practical skills.
Take time to examine the relationship between the decorative surfaces and the building beneath them, using the interpretive material rather than touching fragile details. Look for places where the illusion of elaborate stone or a traditional interior is achieved through less costly construction. The craft is not a trick played on visitors. It is the deliberate transformation of available resources into something the community could use, recognise and take pride in.
A useful exercise for young visitors is to name three different kinds of expertise needed to create the Chapel. An artist chooses imagery and colour; a metalworker understands material and tools; a builder knows how to shape and support parts of the structure. None is interchangeable. Seeing the craftsmanship as a team effort avoids reducing every detail to one famous name while still recognising Chiocchetti’s remarkable role.
5. Understand the prisoners of Camp 60 and the Churchill Barriers project
Camp 60 on Lamb Holm housed hundreds of Italian prisoners of war brought to Orkney after capture in North Africa. The Chapel’s official history describes approximately 550 men assigned to the island camp, while another camp on Burray held a similar number. These men were involved in the barrier construction programme that aimed to close the eastern approaches to Scapa Flow. Their circumstances were shaped by captivity, wartime power and the physical demands of infrastructure work.
The historical context should not disappear behind admiration for the beautiful Chapel. The prisoners had limited freedom, and the work formed part of a military project undertaken far from their homes. At the same time, the permission to create a place of worship and the skills they brought to it are well documented. Visitors can hold both truths together rather than presenting the whole experience as an uncomplicated friendship story. Read the official material and avoid attributing invented motives to people whose personal accounts you have not seen.
One of the most revealing details is that a camp priest, Father Giacobazzi, requested a suitable place for worship. Permission was granted for two huts to be joined and adapted. This makes the Chapel more than an individual art project: it answered a community need within the camp. Understanding why worship, routine and a familiar visual culture mattered helps explain why prisoners put so much effort into a small building on an exposed island.
6. Notice the Stations of the Cross and learn why preservation matters
Along the Chapel’s interior, the Stations of the Cross add another layer of visual storytelling. They form part of the religious and artistic environment visitors see alongside the central altar image. Yet the story of these objects is also about care and loss: three stations were stolen in August 2014. Replacement plaques were subsequently carved in Moena in Italy and installed at Lamb Holm. Conservation is therefore an ongoing process, not something completed when the war ended.
The theft contributed to stronger protective measures, including CCTV and custodians who help safeguard the interior and manage visitor numbers. Respect these measures, even if you arrive at a quiet moment and feel that nothing could be harmed by a closer look. The Chapel is a fragile historic building in active use as a place of remembrance and visitor interpretation. Its interiors deserve the same care as a museum collection, and the people looking after it deserve considerate cooperation.
This stop can open a thoughtful conversation about what should happen when heritage is damaged or lost. A replacement may restore the visual sequence but cannot reproduce every element of an earlier object’s physical history. A restorer must decide what to protect, how much to intervene and how to document the work. Visitors need not settle these specialist questions; recognising that such decisions exist is already a meaningful way to appreciate the Chapel.
7. Read the Chapel’s restoration story and the friendship with Moena
The relationship between Lamb Holm and Moena, a town in the Italian Dolomites associated with Chiocchetti’s home, did not end in 1945. Chiocchetti returned to Orkney in 1960 to help with restoration, and the links between his family, Italian supporters and Orcadian custodians have continued. Orkney’s official material names professional conservator Antonella Papa, who has undertaken delicate restoration of the Chapel’s painted interior in more recent years.
Restoration is easy to overlook during a first visit because visitors naturally focus on a completed artwork rather than the maintenance that keeps it visible. In fact, a painted surface in a relatively small building surrounded by a maritime climate needs careful management. Light, moisture, temperature changes and wear all affect the long-term condition of material. Never assume a faded area is ‘neglect’ or a brighter one is entirely original without reading the conservation account. Ask what techniques and limits were used before drawing conclusions.
This experience also reveals why family and community relationships matter to heritage. Descendants of former prisoners, local organisers and specialists can help carry a story beyond the memories of those who were present. The Chapel becomes a place where people from different countries continue to cooperate in maintaining something shaped by war. The most respectful interpretation preserves that complexity rather than turning reconciliation into a slogan detached from actual work.
8. See Churchill Barrier Two and appreciate the island’s place among Scapa Flow channels
Leaving Lamb Holm southwards, you cross the second Churchill Barrier to Glimps Holm. On the map the islands are small interruptions in a series of water channels, but the crossings show how a chain of engineering works transformed travel. Barrier One and Barrier Two are separate structures with separate viewpoints and conditions. Together they create a useful short journey for anyone interested in maritime geography, provided that the road is experienced safely.
Park only where parking is permitted and use established viewpoints. Never walk out into moving traffic to frame a photograph of the causeway, or wander over coastal defences without checking access. Strong wind and spray may make the exposed crossing uncomfortable even if roads are open. A small island does not make currents or wave action harmless. Anyone considering swimming or watersports in the area should seek specialist local advice rather than assuming the water is sheltered because a barrier blocks part of it.
From a safe vantage point, observe the difference between the open sea-facing side and the waters of Scapa Flow. Think about how the original gaps connected different parts of the sea before the barriers were built. The modern road is familiar to a driver, but the causeway’s position can make the broader wartime problem understandable in a way that words alone cannot. These observations are separate from the Chapel visit, yet deeply connected to why the prisoners came to Lamb Holm.
9. Look toward the blockships and read the story of earlier naval defences
Before permanent barriers closed the channels, obsolete vessels were sunk in selected approaches as blockships. Remains of these ships can still be seen in waters around the Churchill Barriers. They are some of the most tangible reminders of the attempt to restrict entry into Scapa Flow before the concrete causeways were completed. Observing them from a suitable public viewpoint helps explain why the barriers were considered necessary after the 1939 attack.
Do not climb wreckage or walk out toward rusting structures during low water. Old ships may have sharp metal, unstable components and dangerous voids, while tides and currents around causeways create additional hazards. Photographs can conceal the depth or speed of water, so a visible hull is not evidence of safe access. A visitor who enjoys marine history will learn more from interpretation and a good map than from attempting to touch a wreck.
Try comparing two engineering responses to the same challenge: sinking ships in a channel and building an entire causeway across it. What were the practical advantages and limitations of each? How did the permanent works also change civilian movement? The blockships provide a sobering reminder that large interventions in the sea have both intended and unintended effects. Treat them as historic remains within an active marine environment, not as adventure playground equipment.
10. Finish with a thoughtful Scapa Flow viewpoint and a wider Orkney itinerary
The final Lamb Holm experience is not another invented museum. It is the chance to place the Chapel and the causeways within the wider landscape of Scapa Flow. Stand at an authorised viewpoint and orient yourself towards the Orkney Mainland, Glimps Holm, Burray and the distant shores of South Ronaldsay. The relative position of each helps explain how the four Churchill Barriers form one route through several islands.
If you want more wartime history, make separate visits to relevant sites on the larger islands. Burray’s Orkney Fossil & Heritage Centre includes barrier-construction material; South Ronaldsay’s Hoxa Head is associated with wartime batteries; Flotta’s Heritage Centre explains military activity around the Flow. These are not attractions on Lamb Holm. They require their own driving time, opening checks and safety planning. A good itinerary names those boundaries honestly so travellers do not attempt an impossible walking loop.
End the stop by asking what you will remember most: the workmanship of the Chapel, the prisoners’ need for a place of worship, the long connection between Orkney and Moena or the engineering landscape that surrounds it. A small island can generate a large number of questions without offering ten unrelated businesses. That is why Lamb Holm deserves a focused, thoughtful visit rather than a hurried detour.
Lamb Holm itineraries for different visitors
The island is small, so the quality of the visit depends on attention, not distance. Choose a Chapel-focused visit or combine it with a wider wartime journey that clearly includes other islands. Opening hours, conservation activity and road conditions should determine the actual order. These are editorial suggestions, not fixed travel bookings.
A focused one-hour Chapel visit
If your main aim is the Italian Chapel, check the day and opening window, then allow roughly an hour for the outside, interior and interpretive materials. A visitor who wants to read every display may stay longer. Park responsibly and remember that the Chapel is an important place for remembrance. Do not rely on finishing within five minutes simply because the building is small.
A half-day wartime history route
Begin at Lamb Holm with the Italian Chapel and the nearby permitted barrier viewpoints. Read the Camp 60 story before exploring the blockship history from safe ground. Continue to a previously checked museum or viewpoint on Burray or South Ronaldsay if hours and transport allow. Keep stops on other islands clearly separate from Lamb Holm itself.
A family history-and-design visit
Invite children to choose one question about materials, one about people’s lives and one about island geography. At the Chapel, they might compare a Nissen hut with the decorative façade, recognise that different craftspeople contributed and look for the painting based on Chiocchetti’s prayer card. End with a barrier viewpoint and a discussion of how wartime roads changed daily life. Avoid turning the visit into a timed test.
An autumn or winter visit
In October, the operator’s listing currently gives 10am to 4pm opening. From November to March it generally gives 10am to 1pm, except Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Verify the day before setting out and allow daylight for safe driving and viewpoints. If the Chapel is unexpectedly closed, see the external building and interpret the barriers from legal stops rather than attempting to bypass a locked door.
Practical Lamb Holm planning for 2026
Opening and admission in 2026
The Italian Chapel’s published listing states April and October 10am–4pm daily, November to March 10am–1pm with Christmas Day and New Year’s Day exceptions, and longer summer hours. Adult entry is listed at £4 and children 12 and under are free; large groups need advance booking. Verify before departure because special arrangements and conservation work can change visitor access.
Getting to Lamb Holm
Drive south from the Orkney Mainland via Churchill Barrier One, or visit as part of a booked road tour. Lamb Holm is connected by public road and needs no island ferry. If relying on a bus or tour, confirm the exact stop and safe pedestrian approach; never assume a driver will stop on the barrier. There is no reason to enter private or operational land to reach the Chapel.
How much time to allow
The Chapel itself may be explored slowly within an hour or two, but reading the history and viewing the wider barrier system can justify more time. A full day spent on larger islands is not a Lamb Holm walking circuit. Choose onward stops in Burray or South Ronaldsay separately, accounting for opening hours and weather. Build travel time in both directions into the plan.
Visitor conduct and accessibility
Follow custodian instructions, respect any service or quiet period and avoid touching painted or historic surfaces. Large groups should book ahead. The Chapel’s accessibility details are published separately and should be consulted by anyone with mobility needs. Parking, thresholds and small historic interiors cannot be assumed to match a modern purpose-built attraction.
Safety at the Churchill Barriers
The causeways are active roads exposed to weather. Use car parks and authorised paths, not the carriageway, as photo locations. Do not climb blockships, enter the water near currents or assume low tide makes an exposed wreck safe. Obey road closures, storm warnings and local signage. Children need particular supervision near traffic and the shore.
Responsible storytelling
Remember that Camp 60’s prisoners were held against their will during a war. The artistry should be honoured without romanticising imprisonment or erasing the conflict. Separate documented facts from later legends, give credit to Chiocchetti and his collaborators, and recognise the ongoing work of conservation and the Orkney–Moena relationship. A good guide explains meaning without inventing quotations or personal memories.
A better way to read the history
The most important part of understanding Lamb Holm is recognising the relationship between constraints and choices. The Churchill Barriers were imposed on the landscape as an answer to a strategic threat. The prisoners did not choose their captivity, but within it they helped create a place of worship. The Chapel’s beauty must be read alongside those circumstances, not as a replacement for them. Some visitors arrive primarily interested in art, others in war or religion. All can benefit from examining the evidence carefully.
Use a three-part note if travelling with a student or a history enthusiast. First record what is visible: the Nissen hut form, the decoration above the altar, the metalwork and the barrier road. Second record sourced facts: named craftspeople, dates and the role of Camp 60. Third separate interpretations: what the work may have meant to a particular prisoner is not fully established by a decorative object alone. This distinction helps you enjoy the place deeply without turning plausible feeling into invented testimony.
Consider the ethical question of preservation. The Chapel has been restored and guarded because it holds meaning for descendants, local residents and visitors. Restoration protects, but it also intervenes in the material and must document its decisions. The Stations of the Cross show how loss can require replacement. When you pay admission, respect visitor rules and read a well-produced booklet, you become part of a chain of people helping the story remain available to others.
Finally, keep the story geographical. Without the vulnerability of the eastern entrances to Scapa Flow, the Churchill Barriers would not have taken the form they did. Without the wartime project and Camp 60, the Italian Chapel would not have emerged here. Without decades of care, it might not look as it does today. Lamb Holm is therefore not just an isolated pretty building. It is an unusually clear example of how international conflict, engineering, personal skill and community preservation became connected in one small island.
Frequently asked questions
What is there to do on Lamb Holm?
The Italian Chapel is the main visitor attraction. Other meaningful experiences include studying its artwork and craftsmanship, learning about Camp 60, reading the restoration story, and viewing the Churchill Barriers and historic blockships from safe locations.
Is Lamb Holm inhabited?
Lamb Holm is generally described in official Orkney sources as uninhabited. It is nonetheless used by visitors and connected by road to other islands, so respect all restrictions and managed heritage areas.
Do I need a ferry to reach Lamb Holm?
No. Churchill Barrier One connects it by road to the Orkney Mainland, and Barrier Two continues towards Glimps Holm and Burray. You need an appropriate road transport plan rather than an island ferry booking.
What are the Italian Chapel opening hours in October 2026?
The published listing currently gives 10am to 4pm daily in October. Verify the hours before your visit, particularly for special events, conservation work or a larger group booking.
How much does the Italian Chapel cost?
The official visitor listing currently states £4 per adult and free entry for children aged 12 and under. Large groups need to book ahead. Check the current rate rather than treating it as fixed for future seasons.
Who built the Italian Chapel?
Italian prisoners of war based at Camp 60 transformed two Nissen huts. Domenico Chiocchetti led the artistic decoration, with important work by colleagues including blacksmith Giuseppe Palumbi and cement worker Domenico Buttapasta.
Why are the Churchill Barriers important?
They were built to block vulnerable eastern approaches to the naval anchorage at Scapa Flow after the 1939 sinking of HMS Royal Oak. They now provide permanent road connections between several Orkney islands.
Can I enter the Chapel to take photographs?
Entry is permitted during visitor hours, subject to the custodian’s directions. Ask about current photography rules, avoid blocking worshippers or other visitors, and never touch the painted decoration.
Can I walk out to the blockships?
Do not attempt to climb or access wreckage. Rusting metal, water movement and unstable remains make this hazardous. Use designated viewpoints and official interpretation.
How long should I spend on Lamb Holm?
Many visitors will find one to two hours sufficient for a thoughtful Chapel visit and selected viewpoints. Longer multi-island wartime routes require separate planning and are not all activities physically located on Lamb Holm.
Official sources and connected eduKateSG travel guides
The source links below establish visitor hours, admission, the named craftspeople, the barrier history and the ongoing restoration story. Opening and prices can change, so use the live provider pages before departure. Related islands have separate attractions and should not be presented as walking stops within Lamb Holm.
Official Italian Chapel visitor listing, history, prices and hours
Italian Chapel place listing, Orkney tourism
Orkney tourism: Churchill Barriers
Orkney: wartime places and interpretation
Orkney: Italian Chapel restoration and conservation
Orkney: restoration work at the Chapel
Orkney official autumn and winter wartime itinerary
Related: South Ronaldsay travel guide
Related: Orkney Islands travel guide
Worldwide country travel directory
A small island with a remarkable story
The most rewarding Lamb Holm visit begins with an honest expectation: this is a small island whose great attraction is a single exceptional Chapel. Give that place enough time to speak through its materials, people and historical setting. Look carefully at the causeways, recognise the skilled prisoners behind the artwork, and respect the people keeping it safe today. Ten experiences can grow from one place when each reveals something genuine.