3
Legal protection has been announced to preserve what remains of World War One warships in Scapa Flow off Orkney.
The 52-strong German High Seas fleet was scuttled – deliberately sunk – by its crews in 1919 when the commander, Admiral Ludwig von Reuter, mistakenly thought peace talks had failed.
Some of the vessels have been salvaged over the years along with many artefacts including ships’ bells, navigational equipment and even musical instruments.
The historic Marine Protected Area (MPA) designation, announced by the Scottish government, will now make it a criminal offence to remove items from the sites.
