A highly-detailed replica of the doomed HMS Hampshire has been created by an Orkney model-maker to coincide with the centenary of its sinking.
Paul Tyer used cutting edge 3D printing technology and invested more than five months and 500 hours of work into the intricately crafted model.
The model is now on show at Birsay Community Centre, near Marwick Head – the closest land to where the original HMS Hampshire sank on June 5, 1916.
The ship was carrying Britain’s Secretary of State for War Lord Kitchener who was lost with 737 men when the warship struck a German mine laid by a submarine two miles off the Orkney coast.
The tragedy will be remembered in a service on Sunday evening with Mr Tyer’s model playing its part in the memorial event.
Mr Tyer, of Peedie Models, worked from the original drawings of Hampshire’s sister ship HMS Antrim which were supplied by the Admiralty and the Royal Naval Museum.
The model features hundreds of tiny components carefully pieced together, while the main hull of the ship, funnels and other major parts was designed using computer technology before being carved out using 3D printing.
It is the largest commission that the experienced model maker has ever taken on.
He said: “It’s been a massive learning curve.
“I don’t normally do ships, I’m more aircraft, railways and racing cars so this is so different.
“It’s still similar techniques that you use.”
He admitted that he did know much about the Hampshire before embarking on his scale model.
“I’ve learnt so much about it, the vessel itself and its construction,” he added.
HMS Hampshire sailed from Scapa Flow on its final voyage carrying Lord Kitchener on a diplomatic mission to Russia.
The Kitchener Memorial was erected above the cliffs of Marwick Head in 1926 and has been undergoing a restoration ahead of the centenary with a new memorial wall bearing the names of all the men lost.
On Sunday around 100 descendants of the crew of HMS Hampshire will take part in the event.
This will involve present day ship HMS Duncan laying a wreath above the wreck site before firing a single gun salute at 8.45pm to mark the time the ship was hit.