The barriers were built between May 1940 and September 1944, primarily as naval defences to protect the anchorage at Scapa Flow, but since 12 May 1945 they serve as road links between the islands.

To prevent further attacks, First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill ordered the construction of permanent barriers.

Preparatory work on the site began in May 1940, while experiments on models for the design were undertaken at Whitworth Engineering Laboratories at the University of Manchester.

[9] Research by the University of York published in 2012 showed significant changes to the ecology of the area, and that behind the barriers an eutrophic environment dominated due to the loss of the natural throughflow of water.

[6] Since then, with increasingly erratic weather events and rising sea levels as a result of global climate change, the barriers have begun to deteriorate.