Cromarty Archive

WW1 Searchlight Positions

WW1 Searchlight Positions

Date Added: 12 July 2015 Contributor: Unknown Year: 2015 Picture No: 3537

WW1 Searchlight Positions, South Sutor 2015.

Albums: World War 1

13 Comments

I remember regularly climbing down the side of the cliff to get to the stacks, and to the Doocot caves round the corner. Part of the way was on path, part on steps and part by sliding down a rope. Is that how it is still done? Comment left on 21 July 2015 at 17:24 by Ruth MaGregor
Hi Ruth
Yes, that is still the way down! I would love to be have gone, in say, 1946, when all the steps and ladders were still in place.
Comment left on 28 July 2015 at 10:34 by Allan Bovill
Hi Ruth - have done that many times myself - you can't get down now - don't think many new Croms would know how .- but maybe I'm wrong - used to get gull eggs there as well. Always left one in nest - made grand pancakes lol. Comment left on 28 July 2015 at 17:36 by Sue Florence
The two searchlight building you see today are both WW2 period buildings. The stack in the picture did have a WW1 searchlight but this was rebuilt. A second searchlight building from the WW1 still stands below the north stack. Comment left on 30 July 2015 at 13:11 by Allan Kilpatrick
Hi Sue, hope you and family are well. I remember those gulls eggs too, wouldn't mind a few now.
Tony
Comment left on 03 August 2015 at 10:04 by Tony Fraser
Hi tony - family are fine - I also remember going to the shingly braes for gulls eggs - Comment left on 11 August 2015 at 21:21 by Sue Florence
HI Sue, and Mcfarquars bed Halcyon days, wish I could turn back the clock. Comment left on 12 August 2015 at 17:40 by Tony Fraser
Indeed so Tony - mind when half dozen of us tried to go from drooping cave to Macfarquhars bed - couldn't get past red nose - so we went up the side - if my grandsons told me that today I'd need to be tied down - we had no fear .oh my lord 😱😱😱 Comment left on 14 August 2015 at 17:34 by Sue Florence
Hi Sue and all you other adventurers of our youth, we did some crazy things! I'm sure I went by the rocks from the Drooping Cave to the foot of Charlie's Seat in the 1960s. However, I tried again in the late 80s, this time with my son, and the route seemed impossible. I went near hysterical when he tried to cross one sheer slope. Either my memory of that first trip is a false one, or I was completely bonkers to do something so insane. Did any of you do it? Comment left on 18 August 2015 at 09:21 by Ruth MaGregor
Yes a scree slope was traversed with a stick in one hand and a sheath knife in the other! An offence to carry one today. What everyone is forgetting is that all the WW2 paths around the coast were still accessible in the 50's/60/s. There would have been a Submarine watch undertaken along those paths. I believe John Grey's father was a Customs Officer and regularly walked the coastal path to Rosemarkie as part of his duties until he retired. While making my way to Findhorn regatta in the summer of '64 I went ashore at Culbin Sands. A few steps up from the high water mark I picked up a small Russian disposable battery which must have been dropped during their observations of Kinloss. Comment left on 19 August 2015 at 23:12 by Dennis Manson
Hi Ruth,I think Sue will confirm we all did some crazy things in our youth, climbing the cliffs after gulls eggs to running along the piles under the harbour after congers,and running around on the ice when the sea froze, much to the concern of some adults on the harbour, what a good time had by all, halcyon days. Comment left on 20 August 2015 at 09:50 by Tony Fraser
I have cerebral palsy and have a great memory of Mary Munro (Campbell) pushing and pulling me over the rocks.
I could never have managed it without her. One of the great adventures of my life
Comment left on 21 August 2015 at 04:49 by Margaret Tong
Hello Dennis, does'nt surprise me about the Russian battery, their subs have been spotted in Scottish waters recently and on a regular basis over the last few years fighters have been scrambled out of Lossie to escort Russian aircraft away from our airspace, it appears Mr Putin wants to return to the cold war days, Perhaps Vlad the invader fancies Scotland as his next target?? Did'nt we all carry some form of knife in those days? half the town would have been locked up today? and if health and safety had got involved as they do now, half the amazon would be chopped down to provide for the reams of paperwork to follow,But what the hell,we had a lot of fun. Comment left on 22 August 2015 at 10:26 by Tony Fraser
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