Big Guns.

There is an anchorage on Bressay, the island opposite Lerwick which protects it from the east, which is almost landlocked by an islet in the narrow entrance to the bay.  Aith voe is its name and it lies on the north east side of the island.  Why this place in particular, well apart from being a nice sheltered spot for the night, it also has, close by, a WWI gun on the top of a hill.  Score hill overlooks the north-eastern  approaches to the safe anchorage of Lerwick, but quite how they managed to get this gun up here I don't know.

The climb to the top, according to the OS map, was 65 metres.  The only thing is I forgot to take the map with me and I climbed the wrong hill first off, having to traverse a geo between the two hills, bugger.  You can see the gun centre top of the mound.



And here it is, breech missing, but still on its mount and surrounded by a low concrete parapet.



I measured the bore, just under six inches.  With the rust it may have been a six inch gun I don't know.  It appeared to have two large (recoil) springs mounted underneath.

 These two alcoves were either side of the access from the path to the magazine.

 

 The entrance to the magazine, a winding path and lower than the gun platform.

 

 On the way down I stopped off at a quarry that was used, amongst other things, to supply the flag stones for the streets of Lerwick.

 Tutak, anchored in the distance over the spoil heaps.

Maybe this ewe is pondering the choice between the abattoir or an earlier demise at her own hoof.

The last section was a bit boggy being the run off from the lake above.  In the more sedentary streams the dreaded midges were congregating so I made a hasty retreat to the safety of the boat.