There is a photograph held by the Imperial War Museum in London that shows a boxing match taking place on Flotta in front of a wartime audience of 10,000 people.

The dreadnought HMS Vanguard sank nearby in 1917, reputedly the worst maritime disaster in UK waters.

After the Second World War the island had good piers and facilities, but a slowly declining population.

The Flotta oil terminal was opened by the energy minister, Tony Benn MP, on 11 January 1977.

In addition, it provides a safe facility for the receipt and transshipment of oil produced from the UK Atlantic margins.

The highest point on Flotta is West Hill at 58 m (190 ft), adjacent to the wind turbine.

[7] The Royal Navy planted 1000 spruce trees during the Second World War, which are situated between Sutherland Pier and the oil terminal, in the vicinity of the Naval Cinema.

The community primary school is mothballed due to there being no children of that age left on the island.

[8] Healthcare services are provided by the Stromness Surgery, with a nurse practitioner based on Flotta.

Supplied by German manufacturer Enercon, the 2.3MW Flotta wind turbine was brought online in June 2010[14] at a cost of £3 million.

[13] The island is served by one shop, which operates as a general store, a post office and a petrol station.

[15] The nearest supermarkets are situated in Kirkwall, on the Orkney Mainland, which has branches of Tesco and Lidl.

[21] Flotta is situated a few miles from St Margaret's Hope on South Ronaldsay, which has a direct ferry service to mainland Scotland.

For a transport connection to the Scottish mainland, one must instead travel by ferry to Houton, and then by road to either Stromness or to St. Margaret's Hope, via a much more circuitous route.

Flotta has no causeways similar to the Churchill Barriers, which could allow vehicles to be driven to the nearby islands.