On the Isle of Lewis, Stornoway is formed within a natural harbour flanked by rocky headlands – the Minch channel to the mainland beyond. These headlands are witness to much colourful history from a chequered past. To the north, Holm Point played centre stage in the Iolaire tragedy, Britain’s worst peacetime maritime disaster, where 205 servicemen returning from war lost their lives within miles of home. To the south, Arnish Point farmhouse ‘Kildun’ was host to Bonnie Prince Charlie – the fugitive looking for safe passage. Neither did he find a ship, nor were the authorities alerted despite the bounty his head carried.
Arnish also plays host to a more recent remnant of the isle’s history. Strategically perched atop the tough conglomerate rock (‘the Stornoway beds’), gun emplacements look sturdily to sea, where once our Axis enemies roamed.
The structures are unique in Scotland for their formation. What remains of the defensive camp are two semi-circular, semi-underground gun enclosures, housing a 6” Mark 7 coast gun, guarded by an imposing watch and control tower, with two smaller enclosures, each housing searchlights sit on nearby rocky headlands.
Scott K Marshall Photography (@skm1963) 
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