HMS Tern

08/10/2026

Thanks to The Orkney News for the wonderful article to round off the 2026 season at HMS Tern.

By Bernie Bell. We’ve been meaning to visit HMS Tern,  but other things  kept turning up.  I was talking with someone who was puzzled that it’s called HMS when it’s not a ship, and e…

04/10/2026

04/10/2026

A look back at a wonderful 2026 season at HMS Tern! ⚓ From 56 tours and almost 1,500 visitors to community events and special moments, there’s plenty to celebrate.

Thank you to our brilliant volunteers, visitors and supporters for making it all possible. Enjoy these highlights—we’re already looking forward to next year! 💙

30/09/2026

✈️ That’s a wrap on our 2026 public season at HMS Tern!
Today saw our final public tour of the year, led by Nick. The Orkney weather might not have been entirely on our side, but that certainly didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits!
As we close the doors on another season, we’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has helped make this year such a success.
To all of our wonderful volunteers who have given their time, energy, knowledge and enthusiasm throughout the season — we simply couldn’t do it without you. Whether you’ve welcomed visitors, helped with tours and events, worked behind the scenes or helped look after this very special place, your contribution has been enormously appreciated.
And, of course, a massive thank you to everyone who visited HMS Tern this year. Thank you for coming along, asking questions, sharing stories, making donations and supporting our efforts to preserve and tell the story of RNAS Twatt.
We’ve met so many lovely people from Orkney and much further afield, and it has been wonderful seeing the site busy and hearing people sharing their own connections and memories.
Finally, thank you to everyone who has supported HMS Tern from afar — following and sharing our posts, spreading the word and encouraging what we are trying to achieve.
The public season may be over, but the work certainly isn’t! We’ll be busy behind the scenes over the winter, looking after the site and preparing for what comes next.
From all of us at HMS Tern — thank you for a fantastic 2026 season. ❤️
We look forward to welcoming you back in 2027!

20/09/2026

📣📣📣Due to strong winds this afternoons tour of the site has been cancelled. We are sorry for any inconvenience. 🌬

15/09/2026

⚓ THANK YOU FOR JOINING THE ROYAL NAVY! ⚓

What a fantastic day we had at HMS Tern as part of the Orkney Archaeology Festival!

For a few hours, visitors young and old were transported back to the 1940s and put through their very own Royal Navy training at the former wartime air station.

🔥 Recruits learned how to tackle an incendiary fire bomb.
📸 They entered the darkroom to develop top-secret photographs.
And they took a peak inside the Control Tower to discover how this busy Royal Naval Air Station operated during the Second World War.

A huge thank you to everyone who came along and joined in. It was wonderful seeing children and grown-ups getting involved, asking questions and discovering HMS Tern's history in such a hands-on way.

An especially big thank you must go to our brilliant volunteers, who gave their time, dressed in 1940s clothing and helped make the whole experience come alive. Events like this simply wouldn't be possible without them.

Days like this are exactly what we want HMS Tern to be about — not just preserving the buildings, but bringing the stories of the people who lived, worked and trained here back to life.

Thank you to everyone who helped make it such a memorable day. ⚓

We hope to see some of our new recruits back at HMS Tern again soon!

12/09/2026

Just a quick reminder that there won't be a tour tomorrow as we are having an event on site and the control tower will be open to the public! Pop along and join us as we train with the royal navy....1940s style 😁

11/09/2026

In a remarkable milestone for HMS Tern, a photograph has been successfully developed in the new darkroom at the Orkney airfield for the first time in 80 years. This significant event marks the revival of photographic practices that had not been utilised on-site for nearly a century.

Read more in our blog.............

In a remarkable milestone for HMS Tern, a photograph has been successfully developed in the new darkroom at the Orkney airfield for the first time in 80 years. This significant event marks the revival of photographic practices that had not been utilised on-site for nearly a century. We are excited t...

05/09/2026

WANT TO BE PART OF THE HMS TERN TEAM? WE NEED YOU!

Do you love Orkney’s history? WWII? Meeting people? Or maybe you’ve always wanted to learn more about the fascinating wartime story on our doorstep?

HMS Tern is looking for new volunteers! ❤️
We’re looking for friendly, reliable people to help us welcome visitors and share the story of this unique WWII air station at RNAS Twatt.

👋 WHAT WILL YOU DO?

⭐ Welcome visitors and help make their visit special
🛍️ Help out in our gift shop
📖 Chat with visitors about HMS Tern and Orkney’s wartime history
🚶‍♀️ Lead guided tours of the site after training
⚓ Help us preserve and share the history of HMS Tern for future generations

A general interest in Orkney’s wartime history is a great start, and we’ll help you learn more while you’re with us. Training will be provided, including everything you need to know to confidently lead our site tours.

🚗 OWN TRANSPORT IS ESSENTIAL, as HMS Tern is a rural site and isn't easily accessible by public transport.

📩 Interested in volunteering?
Send us a message here on Facebook and we’ll tell you more!

⚓ HMS TERN — PRESERVING THE PAST, SHARING THE STORY. ⚓

03/09/2026

New event at HMS Tern........... Join the volunteers at HMS Tern for interactive games and hands-on activities for all ages.

- Sunday 13th September starting at 11.00am

Step back in time and experience life on a Royal Navy Air Station during the Second World War. Discover the fascinating world of wartime photography in our newly built darkroom, test your skills with authentic aircraft recognition training, and learn what everyday life was like on the Home Front.

Whether you’re a history enthusiast or simply looking for a fun family activity, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. There is a £2 charge for the dark room event; all other activities will be free, and donations towards the upkeep of the site are welcome. There is no age limit for visitors; dogs are also welcome. Plenty of parking and toilets are available, and hot and cold drinks and traybakes are also available on the day.

HMS Tern is based in the West Mainland of Orkney, signposted off the A967. The What3Words location is ///measuring.photos.swan. Most of the site is accessible, but there are some parts of the site which visitors with mobility problems may find difficult to access