Battery

Determined to get out* despite the mingin' weather, and because Toots was swimming at RGU to make up for the missed sessions on Thursday and Friday, we decided to walk round Girdleness Lighthouse and visit Torry Battery - a place I don't think I've been since the Don and I were dating.

Of course it was actually mingin' weather and literally blowing a gale, so we didn't do much walking, but we did venture out for 10 minutes, and in the process almost lost a car door, before heading to Grandma's for a warm up and dry out.

For over 150 years this battery has looked out to sea from this natural vantage point on the south side of the harbour, and up until 1953 it was the main coastal defense for Aberdeen.

Built in 1860, along with another battery on the Links (the north side of the harbour where the beach is), it was to defend the port, harbour, trade and city of Aberdeen.  At first the battery was manned by volunteers supplemented by permanent staff instructors and armed with six 68lb guns, three ten inch shell guns and the 'heavies', 200lb Armstrong guns - which were apparently capable of dropping a ball from Torry as far as Newburgh 15 miles to the north.

I wish I could post the iPhone 'live' camera option on the blog
so you could see how windy it was - it's hilarious!
Though maybe not for Tiger...

In 1895 the battery was partly dismantled and the guns and mountings sent to ordnance stores in Leith, however in WWI it was manned once again on a permanent basis which continued during the inter-war years.  During WWII, staffed by City of Liverpool Battalion of the Royal Artillery, concrete covers were put over the guns to protect dive bombers, and anti-aircraft guns and searchlights were installed.  In 1941 the battery suffered two direct hits from 500lb bombs which killed two soldiers, and the battery's guns engaged a German fighter plane which came down in flames 30 miles south in St Cyrus.

After the war the Battery and surrounding nissen huts were used as emergency accommodation for a number of homeless families who created a real community spirit  - the last family didn't leave until 1953.  After this the battery was abandoned and in 1970 was given a much needed facelift.  In 2000 it was scheduled as an Ancient Monument by Scottish Ministers, giving it a measure of protection under law and recognising its importance in the history of coastal defence in Scotland.  To be honest, it could still do with a bit of money and care thrown at it, but from what I remember on a sunny day the views are fairly cracking and apparently, though not once in my 15 years in Aberdeen have I, you can often see dolphins swimming from here.

What you could see on a clear day...

* yesterday, when it was glorious, consisted of being inside comforting one son who fell off his bike, cracked his head and acted like he had slight concussion, followed shortly thereafter by the other son falling and ending up with two bloody knees, while trying to prepare for an afternoon spent at the newly filled pool watching fifteen new kids trial for GASC and telling fifteen new sets of parents all about the club