Steamship · 1890–1914 · Orkney, United Kingdom
Lapland
When the Scapa Flow 2013 Marine Archaeology Survey, funded by Historic Scotland, ran side scan sonar over her expected resting place, it found no trace of the Lapland. Historical charts of the blockships put her remains under the third of the Churchill Barriers, and the 1972 Undermarine Operations surveys and later records noted wreckage sticking out of that barrier, but the recent work could not confirm it.
She was a British steel steamship of 1,234 tons, built at Dundee in 1890 by W. B. Thompson & Co. Ltd. as the Ptarmigan for the Cork Steamship Co. Sold to Liverpool owners in 1903 and renamed Dauntless, she took the name Lapland in 1907 under the Liverpool & Hamburg SS. Co. The Admiralty requisitioned her in 1914, and she was later sunk deliberately to block East Weddell Sound.
- Type
- SteamshipBritish
- Year built
- 1890W. B. Thompson & Co. Ltd., Dundee
- Lost
- 1914
- Tonnage
- 1,234 GRTsteam
- Length
- 78 m9.8 m beam
- Location
- Orkney, United KingdomScapa Flow
History and LossLost 1914 · Orkney, United Kingdom.
Taken over by the Admiralty in 1914, she was deliberately sunk to block East Weddell Sound on 16 September 1915.
Built 1890 by W. B. Thompson & Co. Ltd., Dundee; 24 years in service. Lost 1914.
Condition of the Wreck
Intactness
Historical maps place her remains under Churchill Barrier 3. Wreckage protruding from the barrier was noted in 1972, but none was identified in the 2013 side scan surveys.
Sea-Surface Temperature by Month
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surface temp | 7.9° | 7.1° | 6.9° | 7.5° | 9° | 10.6° | 12.3° | 13.2° | 13° | 12° | 10.5° | 9.1° |
Additional Details11 further fields held for this wreck and not shown above.
- Nationality
- British
- Flag
- United Kingdom
- Builder
- W. B. Thompson & Co. Ltd., Dundee
- Propulsion
- Steam
- Loss date
- 1914
- Latitude
- 58.8710° N
- Longitude
- 2.9147° W
- Water body
- Scapa Flow
- War grave
- Not recorded
- Protected
- No
- Permit required
- No
Sources and VerificationEvery fact on this page traces to a published source.
- Historic Environment Scotland (Canmore, NRHE)inspire.hes.scot · Official record6 facts
- UK Hydrographic Officedatahub.admiralty.co.uk · Official record3 facts
- NOAA / NASA JPL MUR SST v4.1coastwatch.pfeg.noaa.gov · Institution or archive1 fact
- Scapa Flow Wrecksscapaflowwrecks.com · Secondary source11 facts
- Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Historic Environment Scotland.
- Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright and database right.
- JPL MUR MEaSUREs Project. GHRSST Level 4 MUR Global Foundation Sea Surface Temperature Analysis (v4.1). PO.DAAC. https://doi.org/10.5067/GHGMR-4FJ04
A further 5 fields were derived from the wreck’s recorded position rather than taken from a source.
Licences and credits for the open data used on this site are on the Attribution page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Lapland?
Lapland is the wreck of a steamship, off Orkney, United Kingdom. Lapland was lost in 1914.
How did the Lapland sink?
The cause of the loss of Lapland is not recorded in the sources held; the loss is dated 1914.