Shetland Day 10 - WWI Guns and Ander Hill Tower, Bressay

A day of exploring ruins on Bressay. Forming the natural harbour of Lerwick, the island of Bressay was of strategic importance, and there are remains here from both World Wars.

At the north of the island, a walk out to the headland of Aith Ness eventually bring you to a 6-inch naval gun from the First World War at Score Hill. Its intention was to guard the northerly approaches to Bressay Sound, and another gun of the same type was installed at Bard Head, south Bressay to guard the south waters. At both sites, the guns are complete with their underground magazine, as well as the gantries used during installation. Thos gun-type is an imposing size - it is said that 116 marines were required to hoist the Bard Gun into place from a barge below the cliffs. Work was complete in April 1918, therefore neither gun was ever fired in conflict [1].

The magazine entrance at Score Hill. The gantry used to hoist up the gun can be seen on the right.

The site gives impressive views towards the north of Shetland. Here you can also see concrete ready-use ammuntion lockers [2].

Graffiti apparently from between the wars on the magazine walls.

Inside the magazine - dark shadowy subterranean corridors with patina covered walls.

In the inner space in the magazine - a dim ethereal light weekly shines down from a circular vent in the roof.

The decaying gantry creates a strange archway in the landscape.

The next site-visit was to Ander Hill Tower, an Admiralty lookout station built in 1912 [1].

The building is of harled concrete block construction, with additional smooth-finished blockwork. There are 2 floors with a flat roof with a parapet, which Canmore describes as being used as an observation platform [3].

The building was in use as a coastguard lookout until it was abandoned in 1969 [1].