Crockness: A Singular Connection on Hoy
Crockness, located on the island of Hoy in Orkney, Scotland, is home to a single submarine cable landing point. While modest in comparison to other UK landing points such as Bude (8 cables) or Lowestoft (6 cables), Crockness plays a distinct role in the connectivity landscape of the United Kingdom. Its solitary cable, the
R100 North, stitches together remote communities across northern Scotland, providing essential digital links to areas that might otherwise remain isolated.
The R100 North Cable: Connecting the Highlands and Islands
The R100 North cable, operational since 2023, spans 224 km and connects Crockness to 30 other landing points across Scotland, including Baile Mòr, Burravoe, and Fair Isle. This cable is entirely domestic, serving as a regional trunk that links scattered communities in the Highlands and Islands to larger national hubs. Unlike major international cables that land at sites like Porthcurno or Southport, the R100 North focuses on bridging gaps within the United Kingdom itself.
For Hoy and its surrounding islands, this connection is indispensable. The cable ensures that residents and businesses in these remote areas have access to reliable internet and communication services. From small-scale industries to local government operations, the cable facilitates modern connectivity in places where geographic isolation might otherwise pose significant challenges.
Latency: A Reliable Path to the Mainland
GeoCables’ own latency measurements reveal that Crockness offers solid performance despite its remote location. With an average round-trip latency of 82 ms and a best observed latency of 41 ms, the cable provides dependable connectivity for users on Hoy. These figures demonstrate that even in the far reaches of northern Scotland, digital infrastructure can deliver competitive speeds.
A Historic Setting for Modern Technology
Crockness is not only a landing point for submarine cables but also a site of historical significance. The Crockness Martello Tower, built during the Napoleonic Wars, stands nearby as a reminder of the island’s strategic importance in earlier times. Positioned on the north side of Longhope Sound, the tower once guarded the waters that now host the R100 North cable. While the Martello Tower is not currently open to the public, its presence underscores the blend of history and technology that defines this location.
Positioning Crockness in the UK Cable Network
The United Kingdom hosts 66 submarine cables across 125 landing points, with an average cable length of 1615 km. Crockness, with its single cable, ranks in the top 88% of landing points by cable count. Though it may not rival the scale of hubs like Blackpool or Broadstairs, its role in the R100 North chain highlights its importance to regional connectivity.
Crockness exemplifies how submarine cables can transform remote locations into connected communities. For Hoy, this single cable is a lifeline to the outside world, ensuring that even the most isolated corners of the UK remain part of the digital age.