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The Magazine and Gun Emplacement, St Kilda

A Conservation Statement

George Geddes BSc MA AIFA LAAIS FSA Scot The National Trust for Scotland 22nd December 2008

St Kilda - The Magazine and Gun Emplacement, A Conservation Statement 2

George Geddes

1. ABSTRACT This document is intended to support and inform the future management of the Gun Emplacement and Magazine at Village Bay, St Kilda. It describes the World War 1 activity on St Kilda, and similar sites in Scotland in order to provide a background for understanding. The features are described in detail, phase by phase, using a combination of primary archival material, secondary sources and an historic building survey. An assessment of significance is presented to clarify what is important and valuable about the features, and a short section is included describing potential vulnerabilities and issues with the management of the features, followed by a summary of the vision for gun and magazine. The document was produced internally by the National Trust for Scotland, with particular recourse to guidance produced by the Heritage Lottery Fund (2004).


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2. CONTENTS 1. ABSTRACT...............................................................................................................................2 2. CONTENTS ..............................................................................................................................3 3. INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................................4 4. UNDERSTANDING THE PLACE, THE BROAD CONTEXT......................................................7 4.1. Previous discussions ......................................................................................................7 4.2. Magazines and gun emplacements.......................................................................10

Introduction ........................................................................................................10 The national context.........................................................................................10

4.3. Historical development..............................................................................................14 Military activity before 1914.............................................................................14 The Daily Mail and the first Radio Set.............................................................14 The First World War ............................................................................................14 The U-boat Attack .............................................................................................18

5. UNDERSTANDING THE PLACE, THE SPECIFIC FEATURES .................................................21 5.1. Phase 1 - 1918..............................................................................................................21 5.2. Phase 2 - 1919 to 1957................................................................................................23 5.3. Phase 3 – 1957 to 2008 ...............................................................................................24 6. ASSESSMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE........................................................................................26 6.1. Introduction .................................................................................................................26 6.2. General statement of significance..........................................................................26 6.3. Key elements of value of the gun emplacement and magazine.....................27 6.4. Detailed assessment of significance by historical phase ....................................29

Phase 1 – 1918....................................................................................................29 Phase 2 – 1919 to 1957......................................................................................30 Phase 3 – 1957 to present ................................................................................30

7. ISSUES AND VULNERABILITIES .............................................................................................32 7.1. Introduction .................................................................................................................32 7.2. Physical Issues affecting the fabric of the features ..............................................32 7.3. Broader concerns .......................................................................................................32 8. VISION...................................................................................................................................34 8.1. Introduction .................................................................................................................34 8.2. The gun emplacement and magazine ..................................................................34 8.3. Specific elements .......................................................................................................34

Gun ......................................................................................................................34 Holdfast ...............................................................................................................34 Parapet ...............................................................................................................34 Access trench and magazine trench............................................................35 Magazine............................................................................................................35

9. SUGGESTIONS FOR A WAY FORWARD ............................................................................35 9.1. Solutions to physical issues ........................................................................................35 9.2. Solutions to broader concerns .................................................................................36 10. BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES ....................................................................................39 10.1. Published references..................................................................................................39 10.2. Unpublished references.............................................................................................39 11. APPENDIX 1 ..........................................................................................................................41


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3. INTRODUCTION The magazine and gun emplacement on Hirta are situated close to the sea overlooking a glacial till cliff at the south-west extremity of Village Bay (NF 1042 9902). They were built between August and October 1918 by a combination of military staff, contractors and St Kildans, and acted as an adjunct to the existing Royal Navy W/T (wireless telegraph) and Signal Station and as a response to the German U-boat attack of 15th May 1918. The group of features is uniquely significant in St Kilda’s built heritage, as the first surviving indication of military activity and a stark example of external influence on the island group. The features consist of a concrete gun emplacement (a holdfast and parapet), with an 1896 4” Mark III QF1 naval gun on a PI2 mounting and, immediately to the north, a revetted access trench to a small sunken magazine for storing ammunition. They are recorded in the National Monuments Record of Scotland (NMRS) as NF19NW 61; a gun emplacement and magazine. The magazine is often referred to as the munitions store, but the original contractor’s descriptions are of a magazine and this is the normal parlance in the NMRS. The features lie within the Scheduled Ancient Monument of Village Bay which encompasses much of the historic landscape below the skyline from Oiseval in the north to Ruaival in the south. They are sited within a National Nature Reserve (NNR), a Site of Special Scientific Interest, a Geological Conservation Review Site, a National Scenic Area, a Special Area of Conservation and a Special Protection Area - St Kilda’s natural heritage designations applying to the whole archipelago. St Kilda was inscribed on the World Heritage List for its cultural and natural heritage in 2005, one of only 25 sites with dual status in the world. It is worth noting that this accolade was awarded with reference to the completeness of the fossilised 19th century settlement and agricultural remains, the spectacular landscape setting adapted by people through millennia, the perceived remoteness of the islands, the vivid human story, and the wealth of documentary evidence (UK 2003, 12).

The Village Bay of St Kilda looking North West with the military base in the middle ground and the crescent shaped street of the 1830s behind.

The gun and magazine are the first features by the shore. Photo © David Geddes

1 QF stands for ‘quick firing’ 2 P stands for pedestal mounted, I is a numeral denoting type


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The main scheduled area on Hirta with the position of the gun emplacement and magazine highlighted as ‘Site’

The archipelago was gifted by the Marquis of Bute to the National Trust for Scotland in 1957. Immediately thereafter a lease was agreed with the Ministry of Defence for the establishment of a military radar station on Hirta as part of the Hebrides Missile Test Range. Between 1957 and 2003 the NNR was managed by the Nature Conservancy Council and its successor body while the Trust, advised by the Ministry of Works and its successor bodies, managed the upstanding structures in Village Bay. Since 2003 the National Trust for Scotland has managed all aspects of the care of St Kilda, in partnership with the MoD, Scottish Natural Heritage, Historic Scotland and Western Isles Council. St Kilda is an inalienable property of the Trust, the largest conservation charity caring for the natural and cultural heritage in Scotland. The gun emplacement and magazine were not officially included in the 1957 lease agreement with the Ministry of Defence but they continued to be used in the later


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military occupation and restoration work was undertaken by military staff at various stages during the 1960s in particular. The features have now been drawn into the more formal programme of conservation works undertaken by the NTS each year, as agreed in the NTS/HS Management Agreement of 2007-12. The magazine is currently used as a store for extra slate left after the restoration of the nearby late 18th century Store in the 1980s. This Conservation Statement has been prepared as a response to the fact that the magazine and gun are both in need of an improved scheme of management. Scheduled Monument Consent will be required for any work on the building and this Statement will form part of the submission supporting the application. Particular problems include continuing corrosion of the gun itself, drainage problems around the magazine and path, and an awareness of the need to better assess the significance of St Kilda’s post-1930 remains. The Plan was produced by Trust staff based in Inverness – George Geddes, St Kilda Archaeologist with the advice of Jill Harden, Archaeologist (North) and Susan Bain, Western Isles Property Manager.


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4. UNDERSTANDING THE PLACE, THE BROAD CONTEXT 4.1. Previous discussions Tom Steel’s seminal book from 1965, The Life and Death of St Kilda, describes the WW1 garrison within the chapter ‘The beginning of the End’; it is interesting to note that although the WW1 garrison brought improved communications, employment opportunities and new exposure to the outside world, Steel quotes the Reverend Gillies in saying that – “this was a contributing factor for so many of the young people leaving” (Steel 1994, 168). The gun and magazine only receive a passing mention in The Buildings of St Kilda (1988, 17) which is focussed on the vernacular and traditional buildings of the island, though it does recount the story of the U-boat attack. The magazine was subject to a detailed standing building survey, including an assessment of significance and recommendations in 2003 (Bain 2003).

Drawings of the magazine produced for the 2003 Standing Building Survey


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The main focus of research into military activity has been the work of the late James Mackay, a former lieutenant of the Royal Army Educational Corps who acted as Relief OC in St Kilda during 1959-61. In addition, another serviceman, RA Spackman (formerly Range Controller and Commander) wrote an interesting account ‘Soldiers on St. Kilda’ twenty years earlier in 1982 ‘so that the history of the military ‘occupation’ of this remarkable island is not lost in the mists of time’. Both recount a number of stories of army life on the island and Mackay combines this with a comprehensive if unreferenced trawl through archive material held at the National Archive. But there is still no thorough and objective history of the military on St Kilda, as noted by MacKay in 2002: Despite the phenomenal amount of literature that exists about St Kilda, remarkably little attention has ever been paid to the neo-St Kildans of the RAF and the Army. This glaring deficiency was admirably filled by Brigadier RA Spackman…..he never had the opportunity to see St Kilda as I did, at the very beginning of the Army period, when so many vestiges of the old pre-Evacuation island life were still evident, when the military presence was still relatively embryonic and the facilities were quite rudimentary…..the history of those forty years of the British Army’s garrison deserves to be told in full (2002, ix). David Quine’s excellent collection of diaries, testaments and interviews St Kilda Portraits includes a number of references to the war and the German attack (detailed below). It gives an insight into how positive some of the effects of the war were: ‘When the war came we were never so well on St Kilda. You were even working sometimes and being paid for it, and you were getting mail every week or twice a week. You would start building the gun and get 2s 6d a day. We were never so well. There were four civilians engaged during the war itself – my brother Neil, Finlay MacDonald, John and Donald MacQueen. They were on a watch and they built a place on Mullach Mor and were round the clock on there watching the North Bay (Neil Gillies (b1896) in Quine 1988, 42). Most authors, volunteers and researchers involved with St Kilda have recognised the huge benefits military involvement has brought the island in terms of facilities but many have downplayed the significance of this period and focussed on the negative visual impact of the modern installation. The strength of feeling about this occupation, and some of the actions of the NTS, is occasionally reflected in articles such as Timothy Bagenell’s emotional polemic The Rape of St Kilda in 2003.


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The modern military base; the gun and magazine are at the far right above the Store © Alan Thomson. Licensor www.scran.ac.uk 000-000-575-257-R. This is one of very few publicly available images that show the base in its entirety with few other historic buildings. Many

photographs strategically use historic buildings to hide the base in landscape views.


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4.2. Magazines and gun emplacements Introduction Scotland’s long history of coastal defence results in a large collection of surviving military monuments throughout the country, mainly dating to the First, Second and Cold Wars, but with some earlier survivals. However, similar features to the gun and magazine found on St Kilda are extremely rare; its survival in such good condition being a result of the remoteness of the island and the fact that it was uninhabited from 1930. As far as we know, there are only two other in situ WW1 guns in Scotland, at Vementry Head in Shetland. These gun emplacements fall into the category of coastal defence; they were intended to defend the installation from seaborne attack and were installed by the Royal Navy. Probably the highest concentration of coastal defence installations survives in the Orkney Islands since Scapa Flow was the main base for the Royal Navy during WW1 and WW2. Since the early 1990s, an increasing amount of work has been undertaken by archaeologists and historians on the 20th century military sites of Britain prompted by concerns over their recognition, conservation and protection. This has resulted in a number of broad guidance documents, larger general texts and an increasingly complete sites and monuments record (English Heritage 1998, 2003). In Scotland, the RCAHMS and the Defence of Britain project have combined to greatly enhance our records of 20th century military sites. However, it is still reasonable to suggest that the heritage sector is in the process of developing a coherent approach to 20th century military archaeology, its conservation and management. The national context Many of the gun emplacements and magazines currently recognised in the NMRS are only known from aerial photographs, whether recent or from wartime. They are a varied group in location, size, and condition. The NMRS holds records for 125 surviving gun emplacements in Scotland, including St Kilda3. The majority of these are in the Orkney Islands (53) and in Fife (14); at Tentsmuir, Inchgarvie, Inchcolm, Inchkeith, and on either side of the Forth itself. Other concentrations include the Shetland Islands (8) and Argyll and Bute (6). Few of those sites are directly attributable to the First World War; the majority have been altered in the Second War and, if situated within an active military establishment, again in the ensuing decades. A unique remnant and probably one of the best suite of military remains surviving in Scotland can be found on the Island of Inchkeith in the Firth of Forth, where 16th century French forts are complemented by three Napoleonic forts and extensive WW1 and WW2 establishments. The Orkney Islands and the Forth islands have a fantastic range of military survivals, partly due the initial investment in coastal defence in these areas, and partly due to the lack of development and change in island locations. The NMRS holds 72 records for magazines, which relate to industrial as well as military applications. Again, Orkney (20), Fife (7), Argyll and Bute (4), Edinburgh (4) and Shetland (3) feature most prominently. Some magazines are vaulted (Ardonald Lime Works and Boreland Quarry, both in Aberdeenshire) some brick, some concrete. Some are sunken, while others have earthen banks built around them (as at Barry Links, Angus). Many recorded magazines are actually quite large and serve as a central and safe location for munitions; others as at St Kilda and Vementry were specifically built for a single gun. Comparative sites Probably the most significant comparative site is the Scheduled First World War gun emplacements and magazines at Swarbacks Head on the island of Vementry, in the 3 A search for ‘gun emplacement’ in the Canmore database returns 125 entries


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parish of Sandsting in the Shetland Isles (Ritchie 1997, 47). The site comprises two concrete gun emplacements with surviving mounted 6” guns, each with a concrete magazine. Here, the gun emplacements are associated with a barrack block and observation post, now ruinous. They were intended to protect Swarbacks Minn, a safe haven for Royal Navy ships. The site was surveyed by Alan Leith and Ian Parker of the RCAHMS in 2000, and described in the following year: Two concrete gun-emplacements both with mounted guns and each with a concrete built magazine to the S and SE respectively, are situated on rocky ground on the NW part of Swarbacks Head. The emplacements are semi-circular with a low parapet and the guns are mounted centrally within. The concrete has been scored in a diagonal pattern. Though heavily rusted, the guns still retain most of their detail including the breech mechanism, recoil mounting, barrel and steel crew protective casing. Entrance to the magazines at HU 28986 61928 and HU 29054 61927 is by a flight of concrete steps to a double compartment concrete chamber. In each of the magazines is the remains of an ammunition trolley still retaining their wheels. Visited by RCAHMS (DE, GL), October 2001. An exactly similar ammunition trolley was found at Score Hill, Bressay, in Shetland (HU54SW 24.01), one of the comparative sites used in the Standing Building Survey (Bain 2003).

6 inch World War 1 guns at Vementry. Shetland Museum photograph number SL03005

Another directly comparable site is the coast batteries at North and South Sutor, built to protect the Cromarty Firth (NH86NW 9.04). This group includes four emplacements for 4-inch QF guns, sunken magazines and an engine house and searchlights. Hoxa Battery, South Ronaldsay, Orkney had 4 inch guns and very similar magazines constructed of shuttered concrete with a door and window at both ends (ND49SW 27.01). Another very similar site survives at Stanger Head, Flotta, Orkney (ND39SE 11.03) where a single magazine in a rock cut trench served two 4-inch guns. Although both these magazines are very similar to the one at St Kilda, they are covered completely with an earth overburden and the main façade is topped by a parapet wall to hold this back.


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First World War Magazines at Stanger Head and Hoxa Head (bottom) in the Orkney

Islands. Both were associated with 4” guns as at St Kilda


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The heavily fortified island of Inchgarvie in the Firth of Forth where an extensive collection of WW1 coastal defences survives (NT17NW 192). The four gun battery is substantially complete

with searchlight emplacements, magazines and barracks, but the guns were permanently removed in 1920.

Other examples of comparable WW1 gun emplacements include Portkil Battery, Argyll and Bute (NS28SE 39.00) which had 4.7 and 6 inch guns removed in 1916 and 1928; Dalmeny Battery, Edinburgh (NT17NW 177.01) which had 6 and then 12 inch guns removed in 1922; Carlingnose Battery, Fife, (NT18SE 25.01) which was built before WW1 removed in 1916; and Braefoot Point Battery, Fife (NT18SE 25.01), which had 9.2 inch guns. Part of the description of Cultybraggan magazine, Perth and Kinross (NN72SE 232.00), is also included as a comparator since it describes the use of lightning conductors, as found at St Kilda: Six prominent rods set vertically and standing about 1m high above the roof were evidently intended as lightning conductors, being linked to an earthing wire. The lighting switches for the building are set outside the door, most of them beneath a cover. These safety precautions are unusual, even for a building of this type, and must suggest that the building was used to store explosives, rather than ammunition, which would not require such precautions. Visited by RCAHMS (RJCM), 20 October 2004.


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4.3. Historical development Military activity before 1914 St Kilda’s place in the United Kingdom’s military history perhaps begins with the visit of three Royal Navy vessels to the islands in 1746. The Looe, Terror, and the Furnace were part of a massive search operation for ‘Bonnie’ Prince Charles Edward Stuart and on June 20th, 21st and 23rd, 100 men were landed to search the island (Harman 1997, 91). Donald Macleod recorded that most of the inhabitants hid in terror but those that were questioned had never heard of the Prince (Harman 1997; Mackay 2002, 35). Navy ships such as the HMS Jackal (1871, 1876, 1884) and the HMS Flirt (1877) visited the islands and it was a naval officer, Captain (later Admiral ) Otter, who first surveyed the island and began substantial works on an improved jetty in 1860 (Robson 2005, 674). Otter travelled to St Kilda on HMS Porcupine and later HMS Seagull (1861? 1863). These ships visited for a number of reasons including capturing census records (in 1861 and 1871), and providing charitable support. Much later, HMS Achilles travelled to St Kilda from the Firth of Clyde with emergency provisions in 1912 (Spackman 1982, 8; Mackay 2006, 110) and HMS Active repeated the support in June 1913, during the period when the Daily Mail was heavily involved in island affairs. These visits demonstrate that the Admiralty and Royal Navy had a long and honourable connection with St Kilda, even before the formal garrison of 1915-1919.

The Daily Mail and the first Radio Set By 1914, St Kilda had become well known in the wider press due to its remote and relatively unique community, oft visited and commented on by members of British society. Various concerns repeatedly arose through the 19th century including housing, the provision of a pier, and communications. The latter eventually resulted in the construction of a wireless station with two 75’ masts and a 1.5kW Marconi wireless set in the Factor’s House, provided courtesy of the Daily Mirror in July 1913 (Harman 1997, 279-280). A German, Gustav Flick, was sent out to operate the set after it had broken down and it later transpired that Flick may have been an officer in German Naval Intelligence; information he passed on may have resulted in the German attack of 1918 (Mackay 2006, 116). Flick left the island with the nurse in January 1914 (before the outbreak of war, contra Spackman 1982, 8); she described how ‘I never saw such joy in my life as in that boy’s face when he got off the island’ (Mackay 2006, 116). By 1914, the Daily Mirror wished to dispose of the wireless station due to the running costs but after much wrangling between them, the Post Office, The Scottish Office and Marconi Co. (who actually owned the set), the station was partially dismantled (Stell 1994, 164; Mackay 2002, 38). On 23rd January 1915, the set was still in packing cases in the Factor’s House attic4. The First World War The outbreak of war in August 1914 gave the station a reprieve as the Admiralty asked Marconi to re-open it. St Kilda was to be manned as a W/T Station (wireless telegraph) or War Signal Station, which formed part of a network of W/T stations, coast watchers, telegraph stations, trawlers, motorboats, whalers, minesweepers etc that patrolled and protected the whole west coast from the Mull of Kintyre to Cape Wrath. Area 1 was patrolled from Stornoway and commanded by Vice Admiral Tupper and later Rear Admiral Boyle. The St Kilda detachment was originally seconded from ships based with the Grand Fleet at Scapa Flow, HMS ‘Warspite’ and, from late April 1915, HMS ‘Cyclops’5.

4 ADM137/1904 p13 5 ADM137/1904 p37, St Kilda W/T and signal station


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There were only four W/T (wireless telegraph) stations in Area 1: St Kilda, Stornoway, Aultbea and Lochboisdale. Area 1 was split into a number of districts including the Butt of Lewis, District T6. This comprised:

• 2 W/T Stations at Stornoway and St Kilda • 25 Telegraph Stations at Stornaway, Garrabost, Portnaguran, Back, North Tolsta,

Port of Ness, Borve, Barvas, Shawbost, Carloway, Tolsta Chaolais, Breascleit (by telephone from Quat House), Cakllanish, Bernera, Miaviag, Ken Resort, Obbe, Stockinsih, Scalpay, Harris, Eishken (by telephone to Balallen), Gravir, Ballalan, Keose, Crossbost (those in italics had coast watchers as well)

• 30 Coastwatchers at Lewis: Tong, Knock, Aird, Bragair, Garrynahine, Islivig, Loch Hamanaway, Morsgail, Aline, Eishken, Lemeraway, Planasker, Soval, Scarp, Amhuinnsuidh, Tolmachan, Luachar, Bunavoneader, Carnoch. Harris: Noster, Ardvourlie, Meavig, Grosbay, Stroud, Finsbay, Northton, Taransay, Luskentyre, Laxdale

• Ships operating on patrol In January 1915 the St Kilda radio station was re-opened by the new naval garrison which arrived on the armed trawler Amsterdam and consisted of Captain Frank Athow, two petty officers7, twelve ratings and a batman8. Temporary accommodation was provided in the Factor’s House and the street while their huts were erected. Athow had great difficult landing his team and equipment and the administration of the station was quickly changed to the Rear Admiral at Aultbea rather than the Admiralty in London for ease of management9. The original and more powerful Daily Mirror wireless transmitter, now a key part of the naval occupation, was retained in the Factor’s House which was also occupied by Mrs ME MacLennan, the nurse and midwife (Harman 1997, 264; Mackay 2002, 39). The wireless set had been installed upstairs with a petrel generator downstairs to power it10 and the set was re-installed there after orders sent by the Commander in Chief of the Home Fleets on the 5th February11. These orders ensured that the Daily Mirror set would be used with the original masts, powered by a petrel generator now housed in a shed outside – perhaps the hard standing immediately behind the Factor’s House. The Navy’s weaker Marconi set was set up in two sheds as a back up, possibly sited ‘between the masts’ as described in a report by Wardle of the HMS Calyx who took a lead in works on 11th February12. It is not clear whether a third mast was permanently erected by the Navy and the mast by the manse, seen in some early 20th century photographs, appears to be a flagstaff mentioned in some archival documents, and donated by the Congested Districts Board. By this time, the garrison consisted of a Warrant Telegraphist, a Chief Petty Officer, a Petty Officer Telegraphist, three W/T learners, four signalmen and four able seamen13. After July 1915, the station came under the control of Rear-Admiral R.Tupper (later Admiral Boyle), CVO at Stornoway and men were seconded from the depot ship Manco (Mackay 2002, 39)14. The St Kilda armament consisted off two Webley Revolvers with 600 rounds of ammunition and twelve Lee Enfield rifles with 800 rounds (Mackay 2002, 39), both standard issue for UK military forces in the period. Facilities consisted of two barrack huts, a store hut, a cook house, food store, latrine and ablutions block. These seven huts (plus two wireless huts) are difficult to pinpoint in photographic records but

6 ADM137/1571, Stornoway Confidential and General Orders Jan 1915 7 A petty officer is a non-commissioned officer 8 A batman is a soldier assigned to a commissioned officer as a personal servant 9 ADM137/1904 p11 10 ADM137/1904 p13 describes the wireless proposals in detail 11 ADM137/1904 p15-16 12 ADM137/1904 p20-23 13 ADM137/1076 p243, Captain de Salis report to Rear Admiral Tupper 14 ADM137/1904 p60 – official transfer of staff to books of HMS Manco (at Stornoway) and responsibility to Rear Admiral, Stornoway 31st July 1915


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included buildings in the area between the manse and store as well as existing sheds behind the manse, set up ten years earlier during the construction of the jetty ( described in archive material held at NAS).

This picture facing west, of around 1914, shows the flagstaff and the two huts by the church, given to the community by the Congested Districts Board after the

construction of the pier in 1901-3. NTS-SKA0327

This photograph, probably from around 1920, shows some of the military huts from the garrison, on level ground between the Manse and the Store (MacKay

2002, 38). The revetment in the foreground seems to be well east of the slipway but is now washed away.

The initial War Signal Station basically comprised a look-out system, with information relayed to the camp and then transmitted by wireless to Lochboisdale and/or Malin Head. This system


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initially comprised a signalman on Oiseval relaying a signal to the W/T station using semaphore flags via a seaman on the beach. In late July of that year, permission was granted for telephone wires to be laid up to the hill top15 and the system eventually involved three look outs with cables laid down to the W/T station. Captain Athow left St Kilda on the 20th May 1915 on a trawler for Oban16, after he was recommended for dismissal by Wardle of HMS Calyx17. Writing on 10th August 1915, Rear Admiral Tupper described how he ‘visited both look-out places whilst at St Kilda and they are excellent both having a stone hut with telephone inside, also a telescope and they connect up with the W/T station. Climbing up to them is very hard work, the gradients being very steep. I got the natives to lay the telephone cables and entrench them as their contribution to the War and it has been very well done.’18 The military occupation was continuing to have a powerful effect on the islanders: during this period, St Kilda was served by a number of trawlers, requisitioned yachts and whalers. As well as regularly bringing supplies, mail and equipment, the trawlers allowed St Kildans to visit the Hebrides for short periods – something which had probably never been possible before: ‘people on the island were now able to travel to the mainland and the isles of Lewis and Harris with trips provided by the visiting ships. My father often travelled to Lewis and Harris and sometimes as far as Aberdeen and Glasgow. It was an entirely different world to them and we would listen in awe at the tales they told on their return’ (Calum MacDonald (b1908 d1979) in Quine 1988, 153). As an example of this connection of the island with the broader war effort, it is worth recounting one important story – perhaps the most important event of WW1 in the area. One of the most interesting of these visiting ships was the Iolaire which visited on 7th June 1915. Iolaire replaced the Manco as depot ship and headquarters at Stornoway in 1916. Although Mackay does not describe it, the Iolaire was the sad focus of one of the worst maritime disasters of the 20th century and certainly the worst wartime event in the Hebrides. On New Year’s morning 1919, 205 people (180 islanders) were lost when the Iolaire struck rocks only a mile away from Stornoway harbour while carrying those who had fought in the Great War back to their homes. It was common throughout the period for the St Kildan watchers to note the presence of shipping, submarines and occasionally action between the two; it played a real and important part in the first Battle of the Atlantic. A copy of one of Admiral Boyle’s weekly reports from Stornoway demonstrates this very clearly (co-ordinates removed for brevity):

Weekly Report April 7th 1917

Sunday 1st Armed boarding steamer ‘Tithonus’ reports sighting floating mine. Owing to snow squall failed to locate it again. HMS Circe reports search of area enclosed by line joining Scarnish Point, Tiree and Dubh Artach. Area considered clear of mines.

Monday 2nd ‘Tithonus’ signalled ‘SOS, sinking off Ardnamurchan’. Later reported proceeding under own steam to Tobermory escorted by Yacht ‘Surf’: fore hold holding. ‘Surf’ reported ‘Tithonus’ struck a mine 8 miles from Tobermory. Vessel anchored at Tobermory in shallow water. The 6” gun was dismounted from the concussion. No casualties. Divers sent from Stornoway to examine the vessel.

Tuesday 3rd HMS ‘Circe’ reports HMS ‘Jason’ struck a mine at 1110 today sinking at 1115. approximately 30 men missing. Proceeded Oban with survivors. At the time of loss 70% search of area contained by line joining following positions had been completed…Nothing found. Divers report one plate starboard side ‘Tithonus’ 6 feet from keel badly damaged

15 ADM137/173 p217 16 ADM137/1904 p42 17 ADm137/1904 p24 18 From Tupper’s weekly report, ADM137/173 p243


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and rivets about same drawn. SOS received from unknown steamer being chased by submarine

Wednesday 4th Further report from Divers state ‘Tithonus’ has two large holes 10’ by 8’ and 5’ by 8’ on port side. Starboard side opposite these damaged plates are opened up in places and rivets gone.

Thursday 5th St Kilda reports submarine on surface 4 miles NNW steering NE 10- knots, proceeding towards sailing vessel. Armed Trawler ‘Theban’ signals two S/M’s sighted on surface at 7-10pm 4th April steering ENE 14 knots. Last seen 8pm. Armed Trawler ‘Rushcoe’ reports S/M on surface steering NE Lieutenant Albert C Allman, DSC, RNR left for Portsmouth for gunnery course HMS ‘Excellent’. St Kilda reports submarine sinking s.v. by gunfire 9 miles NNE. S/M seen alongside and then disappeared. A/D Kimberley picked up small boat belonging to HMS ‘Jason’ in Tiree passage. S.V. reported by St Kilda as having been sunk by submarine was Danish schooner ‘Ebenezer’. Crew and Armed guard picked up by ‘Rushcoe’

Friday 6th ‘Iolaire’ reported from Oban necessary to send steam pipe for repair to Glasgow; expected to be inefficient until Monday 9th April. Master and Crew of Danish s.v. ‘Bris’ landed in Lewis, vessel having been sunk by gunfire at 2pm 5th April. First shot killed cook, second shot killed boy. No warning given. Ship then abandoned. S/M about 90’ feet long. All details forwarded to Admiralty. Form I.D. – S.R. sent through Rosyth. A/T ‘Walpole’ reports S/M on surface. ‘Walpole’ and A/T ‘Tenby Castle’ engaged S/M who submerged and probably proceeded E. A/T ‘Tenby Castle’ signalled ‘am engaging enemy vessel hit bottom of conning tower of S/M. S/M heeled (?) over and sank. Found sea thick with oil. ‘Tenby Castle’ signalled later ‘Satisfied sunk submarine, surface covered Oil for about ½ a mile

Saturday 7th A/T ‘Walpole’ signalled suspicious smoke observed, apparently motor exhaust Admiralty salvage officer Lieut McGuffie RNVR arrived at Tobermory to examine ‘Tithonus’ Yacht ‘Yarta’ sailed for the Clyde for docking HMS ‘Motagua’ reports the sinking of a horned mine by gunfire by Destroyers ‘Marne’ and ‘Marvel’. St Kilda reports S/M off entrance to Village Bay. Made signal asking St Kilda t report her to HMS ‘Fearless’, gave no number, did not answer demand. Said she was ‘Vennino’. Message seemed suspicious

Sweeping at Loch Ewe and Stornoway carried out daily, weather frequently interrupted operations.Petrel stock at this base exhausted. Unable to replenish stock owing to suspended sailings. Further supplies expected Monday 9tH April Commander GE Warner RNR attended the conference at Longhope on Wed 4th April as representative of Area 1, to discuss the question of the protection of traffic between British and Scandinavian ports. Route from Rudh Re to 2 miles south of South Rona examining sweeps in Loch Torridon, was swept and found clear of mines

The U-boat Attack By the later part of war, the garrison may have been common knowledge, if only because the transmitted warnings to Malin Head and Lochboisdale could be easily intercepted. At 0750 hours on 15th May, the station reported a submarine hove to by Boreray which later submerged, resurfacing at 0958 at the entrance to Village Bay. The submarine, almost 250ft in length, nosed into the bay and, after advising the inhabitants to take shelter, commenced shelling just before 11am. The wide spread of shelling seems to reflect the fact that there were two radio masts by the Factor’s House (those erected by the Daily Mail) but also that the Germans thought that other buildings were a power house or barracks. The shelling damaged the Mackinnon’s house (No. 1), the Factor’s House, the Church, the Manse byre, the Store, two boats and some of the temporary huts (Steel 1994, 267; Mackay 2002, 48). This tale is now presented in most books on St Kilda and most guided walks of the island feature it as part of the tour. The only reference describing this action from the German side which I can find is from the Kriegstagebuch (War Diary) of U-9019. This described firing on St Kilda on May 15th 1918

19 Found through the forums of www.uboat.net and with the particular help of Michael Lowry


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from boat U-90 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Walter Remy while on the way out to a patrol area. SM U-90 was a Type ‘Mittel U’ U-boat of the German Imperial Navy, built by Kaiserliche Werft in Danzig and launched on 12th January 1917, undertaking 7 patrols between 10th September 1917 and 11th November 1918. It was surrendered on 20th November 1918 and broken up at Boness on the Firth of Forth. On 31 May 1918, only 16 days after the attack on St Kilda, U-90 torpedoed and sank the largest ship of its career the USS President Lincoln. President Lincoln was a former Hamburg America Line steamer of the same name seized by the United States and employed as a troop transport. From the US Navy crew that abandoned the sinking President Lincoln, U-90 captured Lieutenant Edouard Izac taking him prisoner, and eventually taking him to Germany. Amazingly, on the way back from this patrol, U-90 stopped at North Rona on 5th June 1918 and took seven sheep!

A Mittel U submarine, the same type as U-90. These boats were over 70m long with a crew of 39,

capable of surface speed of 17 knots.

This is a basic translation of the U-boat diary entry20: Time and date

Information about the location, wind, weather sea condition, view, air moonlight and so on

Events

05.00 am St. Kilda 3.4 motion of the sea

access St. Kilda, signed HOMY Ahead, ca. 12.00 o clock on starboard

09.00 am Capped, middle sight, cold, partly rain

I shall figure out, if the St.-Kilda-group is in use as a military base. Because the upper part is over clouded (I will) enter there though the north, between Boreray and St. Kilda.

9.55 am

Boreray is unoccupied. The east ridge of St. Kilda is going to be clear up. Above are two men, who are pacing around. Plunge and

10.00 am Going to an appropriate depth for the periscope and going into the bay of Village, nothing in particular.

10.55 am

Going to surface and (let be, comment) occupied the cannon. I, knowingly, let the boat be seen, in order to locate a possible F.T.-Station (this is a radio station,( Fern Telegraphie), comment). Over the sternpost going into the bay. It is going to be turbulent in the village, ca. 100 people including some women. Those are running up to gorges though basins and take cover. The men are partly armed. Due to nothing happening, I shall do the „Hollermarsch“ (a warning?). During sailing into the south, between Dun and Levenish (???), without a booster a F.T.-Station b z z* getting audible, it emit an O-Signal*. The same time, at the eastern corner of the bay, F.T.-pylons are coming into sight.

11.38 am Wait for h z z * response, then from 30 hm, fire. The radio traffic broke momentary away. After a few strikes, without answer, we are going over the sternpost into the bay, at a closer range of 17 hm (I could see) the grey and moveable F.T.-diggins, a stone-house nearby, probably a power station, plus a couple of grey barracks near the beach. Ca. 30 shoot found their targets and destroyed them (in sum

20 Translation courtesy of Hauke Hinrichs and his family


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74 shoots). The F.T.- pylons could not be broken down. A landing to discover damage and further the demolition is not wise, due to the station’s security-patrol. Furthermore, English land-stations give up a sea-emergency call for „watch-out-vehicles“ (direct translation from English to German) b z z*

12.28 pm Fire suspended, forwards, naturally, around St. Kilda. During the afternoon try to reach b z z* again, no answer form O.A.*

164 alfa VI Wind refreshing End An alternative description of this event, not mentioned by Mackay (2002) is that held in Quine’s 1988 book St Kilda Portraits which includes interview material, diary extracts and testaments from a variety of sources. Calum MacDonald was ten at the time of the attack and recalled being ‘advised to take the hills’: ‘We kept running up the hills until we thought we were safe. Other families arrived, most were frightened out of their wits. Still the submarine kept up the barrage, the cattle were going mad. They were running all over the hills in a stampede. The old folks were praying and the young women huddled together’ (Quine 1988, 157). Lachlan MacDonald aged twelve described Finlay McQueen proposing to row out to the submarine to try and get tobacco and also that Donald Ferguson joked about throwing boulders at the submarine as it lingered on the eastern shore after the attack (ibid, 125). He also relayed the amusing story of a Donald MacDonald who had gone up to Mullach Mor at the time of the attack and was spotted by the women milking the cattle later that day in Gleann Mor. Mistaken for a German, Donald was accosted by a large group of St Kildans and navy men that ventured up to find out who the imposter was (ibid, 126). The attack on St Kilda in May 1918 was the final of fifteen attacks on the coast of Great Britain by German naval Forces during WW121. This excerpt from a communication between the Rear Admiral, Stornoway and the Secretary of the Admiralty details the damage22:

21 NA: CAB 24/73 22 ADM137/1894


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5. UNDERSTANDING THE PLACE, THE SPECIFIC FEATURES 5.1. Phase 1 - 1918 Immediately after the attack on St Kilda, two auxiliary patrol vessels were permanently stationed in the bay. On 20th June, carpenters were sent out to repair two damaged huts and erect another two. Despite lengthy correspondence on behalf of the islanders this never resulted in any compensation23. Meanwhile discussions moved ahead on how to fortify St Kilda; the armed trawlers based at Stornoway were over-stretched so a permanent defence was deemed the best option24 and a gunlayer and rangefinder were seconded to the garrison (though perhaps not actually sent there) as early as 28th May 1918 (Mackay 2002, 50). On 24th June, a lighter25 with a derrick was sent from Poolewe and attempted to land the gun but were unsuccessful. Five weeks later, a Mallaig drifter took it to Stornoway were it was hoisted onto a lighter by means of a collier’s derrick, and presumably then onto a trawler. It was landed at 7am 6th August by 21 locals and 9 trawler men under the direction of Lieutenant Albert C Altman (idem). The Trust is fortunate to have in its possession detailed records of the construction of the magazine and gun emplacement. This includes the day by day works diary of the foreman A Nesbit, including his travel to and from his home town of Burntisland, and copies of telegrams he received while in St Kilda. His work was directed by W Bowden, the District Surveyor of Coastguard Works, 63 Ferry Road, Leith and aided by Rear Admiral Boyle, the Royal Navy Commander in Stornoway. Nesbit refers to himself as a ‘Chargeman’ which may be related to work with explosives, or alternatively a version of chargehand: a foreman. In a contemporary letter from Rear Admiral Boyle, Stornoway to the Admiralty, he thanks in particular a Mr A Nesbit, Chargeman of Bricklayers, HM Dockyard Rosyth26. The constituent parts outlined below include the horizontal concrete slab which the gun is bolted into, technically a ‘holdfast’. This is protected by a low parapet wall. There is then an access trench cut into the hillside with a magazine at the far end. Construction of the gun emplacement began in August of 1918 and was initially led by David Deasy, the chief petty officer of the Navy garrison, assisted by eight St Kildan men as labourers. During this initial phase of six days, the main work undertaken was a) unloading cement from a supply vessel b) excavating a foundation for the holdfast and c) carrying sand and shingle in buckets from the beach to the building site. 27At 4am on Tuesday the 13th of August, A Nesbit arrived on the island to supervise the works accompanied by two masons and two skilled labourers picked up in Inverness. Nesbit had travelled from Burntisland in Fife to Inverness and then Kyle of Lochalsh by train, followed by a boat journey to Stornoway and eventually St Kilda. His journey took from 1.14pm Friday 9th till 4am Tuesday 13th; over three days. Work continued, generally at a rate of ten hours per day, with 2 hours for meals, worked from 6am to 6pm. A wage dispute on Thursday 15th August was settled with Nesbit increasing wages to 4s 6d for a ten hour day. The concrete holdfast seems to have been finished by 22nd August, including the holding down plates and bolts for which a template had to be made. The concrete was a 3:1 mix using beach sand and beach stone (manually broken up) as aggregate.

23 ADM137/1446 has full documentation about the claim 24 Recommended by Rear Admiral, Stornoway 25 A lighter is traditionally an unpowered barge but may also be a smaller intermediate boat used for transferring loads to moored ships. 26 ADM137/1894 p217-218 27 Primary archive related to the construction of the pier in 1901 refers to wheelbarrows and hand barrows but these must have been broken or removed by this point.


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Excavations on the magazine trench began on 20th August, and continued in parallel with the finishing of the concrete holdfast. The low parapet wall was built of shuttered concrete after a small foundation was dug – this was competed on the 26th and then the parapet was heavily backed up with earth. On the 28th a further 8 tons of cement arrived from Stornoway. On the same day, the masons and labourers who had travelled from Inverness returned home on the boat. Excavations for the magazine trench seem to have finished on 2nd September; it was excavated to bedrock. On 31st August, Nesbit wired Stornoway for 800 ft of 9” x 2” or 1200 ft of 6” x 2” timbers for shuttering concrete. On September 2nd, Stornoway replied that only 450ft of 5 by 2” was available and Nesbit replied saying 600ft was necessary. On Tuesday 3rd 574 yards of 5” by 2” timbers were unloaded from a trawler and a wireless was received indicating that the magazine should be built in 17” rubble masonry. This was because wires for reinforcing the concrete were not being sent from Leith. On the same day, the foundations for the magazine were concreted. On the 9th and 10th, four labourers spent the day “digging trench round magazine for water way”. On the 12th, the magazine walls began to be constructed in mortared rubble, though probably with dressed stone at the margins: reference is made to “dressing corner stones”. On the 23rd masonry work was finished and work began to construct the timber shuttering that would allow the concrete roof to be built. On the same day, 3 cwt of pudlo28 was unloaded from a trawler, having been dispatched 11 days earlier by Messrs Galloway of Leith with detailed instructions on its use from Bowden. The timber shuttering was removed 7 days later. On the 1st of October the masons were ‘finishing the plaster work of the Magazine inside’ and concreting the floor. In Bowden’s instructive telegram of 2nd October, he says ‘turf may be put on the embankments if it can be readily obtained’ and described the copper fixtures and fittings being supplied for the lightning conductor. On the 3rd masons were ‘laying drain pipes around the magazine and in trench’, laying 35 yards that day. Nesbit also received a wireless about sizes for the Factor’s House, measured and replied on the 3rd; this relates to the compensation and damage claims after the U-boat attack, see ADM137/1446 for details. Two carpenters had arrived from Stornoway on the 25th but Nesbit doesn’t detail their work, merely noting their attendance. They left on Wednesday 9th October, presumably having completely the lining out, window and door. Nesbit’s diary includes a telegram dated 5th September detailing skirting, flooring, sash frame etc being sent out. The gun was tested on the same day and the ‘foundation was alright’; the weather was stormy and wet but the lightning conductor was landed at 7pm. One boat load of ammunition was landed ‘with great difficulty’ on the 8th. Nesbit notes that the whole job was finished on October 10th. He left on the 11th by trawler at 7pm, arriving in Stornoway at 8pm the following night, and reporting to Boyle at 10pm. He then travelled to Kyle of Lochalsh, Dunfermline, Burntisland, Edinburgh (Leith) and then finally to Rosyth on 16th October to settle accounts. Admiral Boyle reported the construction complete on 13th October and that only the lack of a gunlayer and rangetaker had proved a problem. The gun crew were sent from Portsmouth to Stornoway, arriving 26th October (Mackay 2002, 51). International events took over two weeks later when an armistice was signed on 11th November 1918; the gun crew probably never reached the island and the garrison was removed in the following spring. The gun was of course never fired in anger. At the time of military evacuation, the garrison seems to have left many of their buildings and probably tools and equipment in place. It is not clear whether they removed the

28 Pudlo is a cement additive used to improve water resistance and elasticity.


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ammunition for the gun or whether they removed and dumped the breech block – it seems odd that Neil Ferguson was paid to service the gun if it was effectively useless. Archaeological excavations in 2008 led to the tentative suggestion that the N revetment wall of the access trench was built in two phases (Geddes 2008). It may be that both these phases were undertaken during the main period of construction; very little description of this is given in Nesbit’s diary. 5.2. Phase 2 - 1919 to 1957 There is very little information about the use of the Magazine and the Gun in the period between 1919 and 1957. Neil Ferguson, the postmaster, was certainly paid to grease the gun for a period after the garrison left but this stopped long before the evacuation of the island in 1930 (Mackay 2002, 52; Steel 1994, 168). It is not clear whether ammunition was retained on the island after 1919 – indeed it is possible that very little reached the island at all; certainly, the gunners which were to man it never left Stornoway. It is possible that the magazine was locked after 1919 (Mackay 2002, 52) though it seems unlikely that this situation lasted till 1930. The magazine itself might have been used as a coal store, which suggests it was probably dry through the 1920s. It is probable that the timber lining described in the primary historical documents was removed for firewood during this period. The gun and magazine may have retained a bizarre symbolism for the St Kildans and the visitor through this period; for the St Kildan, it was a reminder of a period of good communication and extra money coming in (putting personal relationships aside), while for both it may have represented an unusual dichotomy between the traditional and relatively abnormal lifestyle of the St Kildans, and the Great War, which so many would have been very familiar with. Presumably the tale of the 1918 u-boat has been trawled out regularly since then. Notably, the gun was slewed round to face the church in the period after evacuation. This gesture, though frivolous, may reflect a key argument oft repeated in the periods after St Kilda’s evacuation; was the influence of the Church through the 19th century positive or negative. For some, the Church and its renewed zealous vigour through the Rev. Mackay in particular, formed a key component in the undermining of the self-sufficient, independent and unique culture of the island. It is important to note that contra Mackay who notes that the gun ‘was actually aimed over open sights at the centre of the church’ (2002, 52), the aim of the gun is actually at the village and so this story and the symbolism attached may be apocryphal.


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The gun in 1959: note the surface corrosion, over a smooth surface, and its aim which is not directly at the church (Mackay 2002, V), but actually at the village.

5.3. Phase 3 – 1957 to 2008 James Mackay notes that ‘the ammunition hut was still in good repair in 1957 when the RAF landed’ (2002, 52). He describes how ‘electricity was laid on’ and the building was used as the Army detachment’s recreational workshop and darkroom. It seems very small for a workshop but the blocking of the window opening probably dates to this period. A photograph in Mackay’s book shows the gun in its ‘church’ position and also a short white pole emanating from the centre of the magazine roof; probably the lightning conductor installed in 1918. There is no obvious sign of a ventilator as may be expected in magazines of the period (Stephen Watt pers. comm.), perhaps because the magazine had a sash window, and a lightning conductor is unusual according to the RCAHMS description of Cultybraggan above (p3). The lightning conductor was removed at some stage after this, leaving an open hole with the haunch in place. This has been capped in 2008 with a small piece of lead by Stephen MacDonald, a tradesman based in Callander, to stop direct water ingress. One key event in the history of the gun was the ‘restoration’ of 1965 or 1966 (Spackman 1982, 26). Major Sir Hugh Walker Bt, the second in command of the Hebrides Range went to St Kilda to cover the OC’s leave. On arrival, he expressed disgust at the state of the gun and required that ‘all members of the detachment put in several hours work each day on de-rusting it, renovating, as far as possible the working parts and repainting it. As might be imagined, the members of the detachment were less than enthusiastic about this work of historical importance but, since Major Walker was a man not lightly crossed, the work proceeded apace. Finally the day dawned when the many hours of chipping and scraping the barrel and gun mounting, machining of the breech and undercoating, and painting and varnishing the gun, had turned the old gun in to a sleek gleaming green weapon for all to be proud of. On the day of its unveiling, however, Major Walker discovered, when dawn broke, that the gun had been painted bright yellow overnight! History does not relate who the midnight painter was nor whether he was apprehended and banished to Boreray in chains but it is known that the Major’s wrath was considerable. The gun was rapidly returned to its proper colour’ (ibid). This story is also mentioned by James Mackay (2002, 52) who described how, in 1961, the gun was winched round to face the sea and the breech block, recovered from the


George Geddes

sea, was cleaned up, restored and buffed to gleam like gold. This was apparently undertaken in advance of the annual inspection in summer 1961, under the command of Captain Desmond F Williamson RA (in command Jan 60 to Aug 61) (Spackman 1982, 56; Mackay 2002, 52).

The gun c.1959 (Mackay 2002, 51). Note the lightning conductor surviving on the magazine roof

Although it is not noted anywhere, the south wall of the access trench has almost certainly been repaired and rebuilt in this period. The condition of the stonework is significantly better than that on the north side. In recent years, the magazine has been used as a store for slate left over from the restoration of the Store in the 1980s. Archaeological work has been undertaken in the last few years to establish the nature of the access trench and its associated drainage and revetment. This year, 2008, a small drainage channel was cut along the base of the north bank to drain the trench which is often saturated. The munitions store door and frame were also replaced in 2008 by Work Party member Christopher Coppock, like for like and retaining existing fittings.

The 1896 naval gun with Staff Sgt Richardson REME in 1982. HMC Ardennes is unloading stores

on the slipway, the trawler Golden Chance lies at anchor and a Gemini speeds towards it (Spackman 1982, 55)


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6. ASSESSMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE 6.1. Introduction This assessment is founded on an analysis of the gun and magazine and its historical development as well as a current understanding of the Dual World Heritage Site that is St Kilda and consideration of the assessment in earlier documents (Bain 2003, UK 2003, 2004 & Turner 2006). The hierarchical assessment system used follows that developed by Kerr (1996, 19) and adopted by the Heritage Lottery Fund (2004) and Historic Scotland (2000). Although a model developed specifically for Australia, where the monuments and interest groups are markedly different, this approach has been widely accepted in the UK as a starting point. As with any cultural heritage resource, the significance of the building usually increases during the writing of a Conservation Plan due to a better understanding. The definitions of the categories of significance used are as follows: Best practice, as defined by the Australia ICOMOS Burra Charter (1999, 1.2) requires that various values are addressed which, for cultural significance in this instance, are grouped under the following broad headings. 6.2. General statement of significance Evacuated by its community in 1930, St Kilda presents an outstandingly complete fossilised 19th century cultural landscape with a tangible sense of the depth of time informed by a remarkable quantity of documentary evidence. St Kilda has long been viewed as a place apart, a place in thrall to nature, with an isolated people adrift on ‘the islands at the edge of the world’. Today it is of universal value equally for its natural riches (which are dynamic and changing), for its long cultural heritage, and for its iconic position as a poignant and powerful reminder of a past way of life. The historic roofed buildings on Hirta are recognised as being of international importance, as an integral part of the archaeology of St Kilda. They are also recognised as nationally important as they fall within the Schedule of Ancient Monuments. The gun emplacement and magazine are the most clear and evocative symbol of the relationship of St Kilda with the military, particularly the Navy, from the 18th century to the present day. The group evoke a real sense of the dichotomy between the perceived romantic ideal of St Kilda and the powerful impact of the outside world; one of the main themes of any analysis or visit. They are the only surviving substantial element and material reflection of the Navy’s strong historical connection with St Kilda and of the Naval garrison. They are, in a Scottish national context, an extremely rare survival of a

Exceptional – irreplaceable features that are not replicated anywhere else Considerable – features that are unlikely to be replicated elsewhere Some – noteworthy features that should be considered for conservation / interpretation Little – features that are of little importance in this context

Aesthetic – including its place in the landscape, its immediate setting and the architecture of the building itself Historic – including its associations with people and events, its place in St Kildan history and culture Social – its place in the eyes of the various communities who have lived on St Kilda Intangible/spiritual – emotional and belief related values


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complete WW1 ‘unit’ – gun, emplacement and magazine are largely unaltered since 1918. The gun emplacement and magazine are of exceptional significance in a national context, as reflected in their Scheduled status. They are part of a World Heritage Site which is of exceptional significance in an international context. Perhaps more importantly they are a very rare survival of a complete WW1 defensive scheme, set in a stunning location with an excellent associated historical record. They are indicative of what is perhaps the main thread of the St Kilda story, the dichotomy between St Kilda and the wider world. 6.3. Key elements of value of the gun emplacement and magazine The aesthetic values of the group are considerable The gun in particular, and the magazine and emplacement, are striking visual elements in the landscape, particularly when viewed from the sea, from above on the slopes of Oiseval, or from the glebe grounds around the church and manse. The group is certainly the most clear visual indicator of a long and complex military and naval association with the islands and they are of course a striking visual reminder of one of the most important events in modern European history. The building itself is probably of a standardised design adapted to a specific scenario. It is particularly interesting in that it uses a combination of local materials (sand, water, stone) and imported materials (cement, pudlo, timber, nails etc) and was built by a combination of local and ‘foreign’ workers; it is not an entirely alien construction in the St Kildan context. Though many contemporary military structures are built in imported reinforced concrete panels, the magazine was built of local masonry with a solid concrete roof spanning the interior. The gun emplacement is an excellent viewpoint for the Village Bay and Dun, particularly for the less fit visitor, and is a popular picnic spot given reasonable weather. The group is also unusual in that it has very little negative direct or visual impact on the surrounding landscape or structures, including for example the 18th century Store. This is in contrast to some other 20th century structures which clearly, according to current understandings of visual impact, have a negative impact on key elements of the World Heritage Site. The historic values of the group are exceptional The gun emplacement and magazine are of exceptional historic value. They are extremely rare survivals in a Scottish context of a WW1 naval defence, perhaps the only one that receives any number of visitors. They are the first and most striking indicator of what has been a main factor in the 20th century story of St Kilda and, more particular, they are the only surviving manifestation of a crucial phase of Naval occupation between 1915 and 1919. The associated documentary record, some of which is in Trust ownership, is extremely good, allowing a real insight into the period and processes around the use of the island as a War Signal Station. The social values of the group are exceptional The gun and magazine are of social value to a number of different groups and, most particularly , they are a powerful symbol of the military ‘community’ of the Great War and also to a lesser extent of the early post 1957 occupation, who took an active interest in the gun through to the end of the 1970s. It is not clear to what extent the current civilian staff value the gun, or what extent the existing military establishment values it. It


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is important to note the distinction between the Navy (who installed the gun) and the Army who took a later interest in it, and who the civilian staff are more connected with. Although we have yet to uncover any reference from a St Kildan to the construction of the gun, their attitude to the construction of the pier in 1901 is enlightening: ‘The danger we always stood in the launching or landing is now past and everyone in the island joins in thanking you for that and for all the other kindness you showed them and received from you and they will be gratefully remembered as long as our descendants are on this island. We also feel proud to be able to point out to our children such a result of their father’s labour. It is the greatest benefit that has been conferred upon us.”29 This suggests that the local people were perhaps proud of the labours associated with the gun installation itself, but also with the broader war effort which they actively took part in. It did of course have a specific association with Neil Ferguson who, as well as being postmaster, pier committee member and ground officer took responsibility for the maintenance of the gun immediately following the departure of the garrison. Later in the 20th century, the link between the service personnel on the islands and the gun emplacement was lost, leaving responsibility fully with the Trust. The Intangible / Spiritual values of the group are considerable The gun emplacement and magazine are considered to have very little spiritual value in that they have no formal or informal relationship to any form of recognised group or activity. However, personal memories and reflections of events on the island in the last 90 years can be powerful and photos like the one showing James Mackay posing by the gun reflect an emotional value, if not a spiritual one . For some, the WW1 occupation which the gun symbolises was a key contributor to the end of the native St Kildan community; in this sense, when wrapped up with the romanticism and fervour which the St Kildan story inspires, the gun has a powerful and emotive significance. For the St Kildans themselves, the gun may have become a clear reminder of the heyday of military occupation – when the navy provided regular communications, waged labour and access to more imported foodstuffs etc. However, as a feature of the latest part of the war, it also marked Tom Steels’ ‘beginning of the end’; a sharp population decline during 1919 and 1920, when the garrison left and, through marriage or influence, many young St Kildans followed suit.

29 This letter from W MacDonald, N McQueen and N Ferguson was written on July 24th 1901 and sent to Col. Gore-Booth, Consulting Engineer at the Scottish Office. NAS: AF42/933


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James Mackay posing by the gun in 2001, with the Black Prince in the background 6.4. Detailed assessment of significance by historical phase Phase 1 – 1918 The aesthetic values of the group in this phase are considerable The gun emplacement and magazine marked a significant departure from the normal aesthetic of St Kildan structures, whether vernacular or traditional. The symbolism of the installation was striking and would have been at the time, marking a permanent indicator of protective intent, and a memorial to the submarine attack and the military occupation. The historic values of the group in this phase are exceptional The documentary evidence of the gun’s installation and the associations of the group with the war effort in the Hebrides, ships such as the Iolaire and the broader documentary record of WWI are unique. Its association with a crucial phase in St Kildan history (the military occupation and its aftermath) is extremely important. The social values of the group in this phase are exceptional During this initial phase of construction, the importance of the gun to the military garrison and the St Kildan civilian community would have been paramount. The gun represented a significant investment by the government in the community, not only recognising the attack but providing a large amount of waged labour during late 1918. The intangible/spiritual values of the group in this phase are little There is unlikely to have been many emotional or spiritual values given to the gun emplacement until after the military evacuation of 1919.


George Geddes

Phase 2 – 1919 to 1957 The aesthetic values of the group in this phase are considerable The aesthetic significance of the building was unaltered through this period with only a slight degradation in condition likely. The symbolism of the group continued to be marked, a trait that was probably increased after evacuation in 1930. It is not clear whether any physical changes took place to the group during this phase. It does seem possible that the magazine was broken into and the timber lining used for fuel. The historic values of the group in this phase are some There are very few references to the features during this period. Neil Ferguson was certainly paid to maintain the gun, but perhaps not for many years. It was slewed round at some point between 1930 and 1957, an act that, apart from demanding quite a bit of effort, may be a strong indicator of the strength of feeling welling up about the story of St Kilda and the impact of the church and secularisation in the UK after WW2. The social values of the group in this phase are considerable The gun represented a significant investment by the government in the community, not only recognising the attack but providing a large amount of waged labour during late 1918. The gun would have continued to be of symbolic value to the community through to 1930; it showed not only that the government was willing to invest in the islands but also what the islanders were capable of when given tools and instruction. Between 1930 and 1957 the oddity of the gun emplacement was presumably more pronounced, as more and more visitors to the island did not appreciate the full story of the WW1 garrison. It is not clear how the Marquis of Bute felt about the gun within the ‘natural’ landscape of the island. The intangible/spiritual values of the group in this phase are some At an emotional level, it is possible that the gun was a reminder to the community of the ‘heyday’ of good communications and waged labour during WW1, as well as the sharp population decline of 1919 and 1920. Phase 3 – 1957 to present The aesthetic values of the group in this phase are some The group have continued to present a stark symbol of the military presence throughout the 20th century, perhaps reaching a peak with the temporary yellow colour of the gun during the 1961! They have benefited from a lack of development in the immediate area, though the modern boat store in particular has affected the view on the approach from the pier. Small changes such as the removal of the lightning rod and the blocking of the sash window have changed the character of the building, taking some of the detailed evidence for functionality away and making it slightly more plain and austere. As an example of its status, the gun features in the gallery of images at www.kildacruises.co.uk, the main tourist trip to St Kilda during the summer months.


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The historic values of the group in this phase are some There are a small number of references to refurbishment work through the later 20th century and these are an important part of the story of the building, and of the military garrison as a whole. The social values of the group in this phase are considerable The gun was clearly of great importance to the naval and military personnel who garrisoned the island particularly in the earlier decades of occupation. This was reflected in the informal ‘adoption’ of the gun and its restoration during the 1960s. Further importance lies with the later use of the magazine as workshop and darkroom, which was no doubt of great importance to many of the men who served there. The Trust’s ownership of the group is an aspect of their importance; in that it is due to this that the building survives basically unaltered since the 1960s and accessible to the public through visits, books, websites and other material. It is clear that the visitor numbers to St Kilda (c.3000 per annum) are much higher than Vementry in Shetland for example. The intangible/spiritual values of the group in this phase are considerable It is clear that St Kilda developed a mystique for tourist and academic alike from the early 19th century and this tendency has increased through the 20th century. For many, the military presence is an anathema while the powerful story of the island is simplified to a dichotomy between local and alien, poor and rich, crofters and soldiers. The gun is the most powerful symbol of this relationship, the importance of which has been recognised by more people from more diverse groups as the post-evacuation period continues.


George Geddes

7. ISSUES AND VULNERABILITIES 7.1. Introduction As indicated by available guidance documents (HLF 2004), after laying out our current understanding of the heritage asset and attempting to describe the significances of that asset, it is important to address the primary issues and vulnerabilities that affect it. The gun and magazine are on an island owned by Scotland’s largest conservation charity, the NTS, and are managed by the NTS in partnership with Historic Scotland, the Ministry of Defence and QinetiQ, and SNH. The features are part of a dual World Heritage site, the most highly designated landscape within NTS ownership. The partners have demonstrated a commitment to manage the island according to the best principals of conservation and so, in theory at least, the site is in a very protective environment. Coupled to this, the site is protected by virtue of its extreme remoteness from many of the more normal threats to military heritage such as vandalism and abandonment, sometimes euphemistically referred to as benign decay. However, given this positive background, it is clear that the gun and magazine are subject to threats by direct physical forces and also lack of clarity of decision making due to philosophical and methodological complexity. Given the NTS acceptance that conservation usually requires minimum intervention, we can reconsider what are the primary concerns given our present knowledge, and propose potential solutions. These are presented by the author as possible options, and are not given as a commitment or a Trust policy. 7.2. Physical Issues affecting the fabric of the features The physical issues may have a large impact on the significance of the structure; mitigation attempts should be assessed carefully by their impact on significance

1. Corrosion of the gun and mounting is continuing and is only partly remedied by the current re-painting regime

2. Slumping of the trench around the magazine has led to increased structural

pressure on the walls of the building as well as severe direct water ingress, leading to rot and potential damage to the masonry walls.

3. Fabric loss since c.1930 has included the lightning conductor, all the internal

fixtures and fittings other than battens, the door and frame, the window and frame, some of the door furniture, and the breech block.

4. Ventilation. The building was constructed with a sash and case window for

ventilation and light but this was probably removed in the 1960s

5. Drainage. The archives demonstrate that the building had an extensive drainage system which is not operating correctly at present.

7.3. Broader concerns

1. Lack of Interpretation

2. Invasive conservation work30

30 A tradition in St Kilda of volunteer staffed conservation work groups has, historically at least, led to a number of quite invasive efforts which have had a damaging effect on the heritage assets, usually through the loss of or change to original fabric


George Geddes

3. The loss of a direct involvement by military staff with the magazine and gun since the 1970s

4. Finding an appropriate use for the building 5. Getting appropriate advice from experts in concrete and metal

6. Lack of appreciation of significance

7. Not part of a regular and formal condition survey (other than the annual HS/NTS

inspection)

8. Relative costs of professional services due to remoteness

9. Long term funding for conservation

10. Loss of patina

11. The removal of the gun for conservation, raised as a possible conservation option


George Geddes

8. VISION 8.1. Introduction St Kilda is the most highly designated property in the ownership of the National Trust for Scotland and is one of only twenty-five dual World Heritage Sites around the globe. The overarching vision for the property includes the following objectives:

• to establish St Kilda as an internationally renowned site for integrated conservation of cultural and natural features and for sensitive public access and interpretation;

• to maintain the highest conservation standards, by actions that proceed on the basis of adopting minimum intervention techniques to retain the significance of the site;

• any (new) development on the islands will only proceed if its effect upon all aspects of heritage significance are evaluated and judged to have only minimal detrimental effect upon the heritage features, landscape or wild land quality of the place, if the developments are essential, temporary and reversible, and if there is no conflict with statutory obligations;

• to ensure the experience for the visitor is unrivalled, with St Kilda established as a model for environmental education and informed interpretation;

• to manage with a structure with appropriate resources that supports on-site staffing needs.

8.2. The gun emplacement and magazine This section describes the individual elements of the gun emplacement and magazine and some of the individual aspirations for each. In any discussion of conservation of the gun, we must be mindful of its proximity to the eroding till cliff edge. It is likely that in the medium to long term (perhaps centuries rather than decades), coastal erosion will remove the structures completely. The standing building survey undertaken in 2003 and the historical research undertaken during the writing of this plan combine to form a detailed record of the building, amounting to a Level 3 or 4 Standard in English Heritage guidelines (2006). 8.3. Specific elements Gun The gun itself is in need of a more extensive assessment by a specialist in metal conservation. The present preservation scheme sees the regular and timely re-painting of the gun in black undertaken by volunteers. We will consider whether the gun should be re-painted in ‘regulation’ grey-blue as suggested by James Mackay (2002, 52). Holdfast The concrete holdfast is in excellent condition. We intend to monitor it every five years and consider repair if and when necessary. Natural turf growth will not be removed. Parapet The concrete parapet wall is in excellent condition. We intend to monitor it every 5 years and consider repair if and when necessary. Natural turf growth will not be removed.


George Geddes

Access trench and magazine trench The trench is slumping towards the magazine at the N, E and S of the building. We intend to investigate the possibility of addressing this problem to secure the building and stabilise the bank. The south side of the access trench is currently stable and is revetted with a uniform skin of dry stone. The north side, explored in 2008, is not in good condition and may require further revetment if more slumping occurs. An archaeological excavation of a sondage to bedrock could be undertaken at the NW and SW corners of the magazine and across the path to expose evidence for the original drainage system which may survive beneath the current path surface. Magazine The magazine is in reasonably good condition, as described in Bain (2003, 4). Most importantly the concrete roof (apparently sections of concrete without reinforcement) shows no sign of structural weakness. The walls of the building and the external render are being badly affected by the slumping of earth causing them extra structural stress and keeping the lower part constantly wet. Surviving straps on the floor are rotting away quite rapidly. The hole in the roof which may have held a lightning conductor is currently capped with lead to prevent direct water ingress. We will explore the possibility of reinstating a conductor or perhaps a low profile ventilator to improve air flow in the building while also preventing water ingress. A new door and door frame were fitted in 2008, exactly matching the existing and re-using the original door furniture. The door standards were cut slightly short to prevent dampness penetrating them from the floor. We would hope to remove the 1960s blocking of the original window opening and replace a sash and case unit as described in the archival material. This will improve the functionality of the building, the look of the building, and provide light and ventilation to the interior, thereby increasing its significance.

9. SUGGESTIONS FOR A WAY FORWARD This section looks at the issues and vulnerabilities highlighted in Part 8 and puts forward a variety of potential solutions for consideration. The issues are repeated as an aid. 9.1. Solutions to physical issues The physical issues may have a large impact on the significance of the structure; mitigation attempts should be assessed carefully by their impact on significance

1. Corrosion of the gun and mounting is continuing and is only partly remedied by the current re-painting regime

a. Have the gun professionally assessed by a conservation specialist, either from HS or elsewhere

b. Consider covering the gun through the winter months c. Undertake further research to clarify the history and significance of the

gun itself d. Raise necessary funds

2. Slumping of the trench around the magazine has led to increased structural

pressure on the walls of the buildings as well as severe direct water ingress, leading to rot and potentially damaging the masonry walls.


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e. Consider a low-impact solution to direct damp ingress, by insertion of a DPC between the slumped material and the concrete walls

f. Monitor the structural stability of the structure

3. Fabric loss since c.1930 has included the lightning conductor, all the internal fixtures and fittings other than battens, the door and frame, the window and frame, some of the door furniture, and the breech block.

g. Halt any removal of existing fabric

4. Ventilation. The building was constructed with a sash and case window for ventilation and light but this was probably removed in the 1960s

h. Reinstall a sash and case unit as described in Nesbit’s diary of 1918 i. Record and remove the post 1957 blocking j. Consider installing low profile ironwork for a winter shutter

5. Drainage. The archives demonstrate that the building had an extensive drainage

system which is not operating correctly at present. k. Consider small investigate trenches to establish the survival of an

apparently extensive drainage system l. Attempt to source the original plans of the building which may exist in

Admiralty files m. Introduce better ventilation (see above)

9.2. Solutions to broader concerns

12. Lack of interpretation a. Consider a NTS booklet on the military occupation, sold for £5 in the

shop b. Consider a museum display or a display in the magazine

13. Invasive conservation work

a. Adopt a policy of minimum intervention to retain or improve significance

14. The loss of a direct involvement by military staff with the magazine and gun

since the 1970s a. Consult with the MoD or RN or local staff – what do they think? b. Publicise a conservation programme with the Royal Artillery or the

Royal Navy websites or journals

15. Finding an appropriate use for the building a. Consider whether a slate store is the best use b. Consider other uses

i. A display on the military or WW1 ii. An audio visual display on the U-boat attack

16. Getting appropriate advice from experts in concrete and metal

a. Find effective ways of getting advice, through HS, though commercial companies, through university courses

17. Lack of appreciation of significance

a. Have a detailed museum piece on the war effort b. Promote research in to the WW1 occupation

18. Not part of a regular and formal condition survey

a. Undertake a formal condition survey by a suitable professional every five years


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19. Relative costs of professional services due to remoteness a. Consider ways to reduce costs

i. Skilled volunteers ii. University projects iii. Tie works to other projects iv. Use the place as a bargaining tool and incentive

20. Long term funding for conservation

a. A policy of minimum intervention should minimise costs but b. Consider specific funding project s for the War features c. Consider a web-based sponsorship scheme

21. Loss of patina

a. Adopt a scheme of minimum intervention i. To include the retention of fabric in deteriorating condition ii. Reduce the rapidity of repainting

22. The removal of the gun for conservation, raised as a possible conservation

option a. Read the accounts of 1918 very carefully. The Royal Navy took two

attempts to land the gun, using three different boats and 15 men. The gun and mounting weighs 2 tons31

b. Consider the possibility that the gun will be absent from the island for longer than planned or expected

31 ADM137/1446 p213


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10. BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES 10.1. Published references Australia ICOMOS 1999 The Burra Charter, http://www.icomos.org/australia/burra.html Bain, S 2003 The Munitions Store, St Kilda: A Standing Building Survey, Internal NTS Report Bagenal, T 2003 The Rape of St Kilda in the St Kilda Mail Number 2007, p27-28 English Heritage 1998 Monuments of War, the evaluation, recording and management

of twentieth century military sites, London: English Heritage English Heritage 2003 Twentieth-Century Military Sites, current approaches to their

recording and conservation, Swindon: English Heritage Geddes, G 2008 St Kilda Archaeologist: Munitions Store – Interim Report, internal report to NTS and HS,

June 2008 Harman, M and Stell, G 1988 The Buildings of St Kilda (RCAHMS), London: HMSO Harman M 1997 An Isle called Hirte, a History and Culture of the St Kildans to 1930,

Isle of Skye: Maclean Press. Heritage Lottery Fund 2004 Conservation management plans. Helping your application. Historic Scotland 2000 Conservation Plans: A guide to the preparation

of conservation plans, Edinburgh Kerr, JS 1996 The conservation plan: a guide to the preparation of conservation plans for places of

European cultural significance, Sydney: National Trust of Australia (NSW). Mackay, J 2002 Soldiering on St Kilda, Devon: Honiton Publishing Ltd. Mackay, J 2006 The St Kilda Steamers, a History of McCallum, Ormer & Co., Stroud:

Tempus. Quine, D 1988 St Kilda Portraits, Frome: The Dowland Press Ltd Ritchie, A 1997 Exploring Scotland’s Heritage: Shetland (2nd Edition), London: The

Stationery Office. Robson M 2005 St Kilda Church, Visitors and ‘Natives’, Isle of Lewis: The Islands

Books Trust Turner, R 2006 ‘Comparing the Incomparable: the comparative analysis of the St Kilda cultural

landscape’, Paper Presented at the Forum UNESCO University and Heritage 10th International Seminar“Cultural Landscapes in the 21st Century”Newcastle-upon-Tyne, April 2005, Revised July 2006, http://www.ncl.ac.uk/unescolandscapes/files/TURNERRobin.pdf

Steel, T 1965 The Life and Death of St Kilda, National Trust for Scotland Steel, T 1994 The Life and Death of St Kilda, London: Harper Collins Stell G & Harman M 1988 Buildings of St Kilda, Edinburgh: HMSO Spackman R 1982 Soldiers on St Kilda, Isle of Benbecula: Uist Community Press. UK 2003, Revised nomination of St Kilda for inclusion in the World Heritage Site List,

Scottish Executive, Edinburgh UK 2004, St Kilda World Heritage Site -a comparative analysis of the cultural

landscape, Scottish Executive, Edinburgh 10.2. Unpublished references National Archive of Scotland, West Register House, Edinburgh Documents of the Congested Districts Board National Archive, Kew, London

Admiralty documents, Air Ministry documents ADM137 in particular – individual documents mentioned in the text as footnotes

National Trust for Scotland, Wemyss House, Edinburgh Bute Box Item STK3/20: The works diary of A Nesbit Wireless communications from Bowden to Nesbit in St Kilda Letter from Nesbit’s relative to A Warwick Lists of materials


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11. APPENDIX 1 This is the transcript of the U-boat diary for U-90 on May 15th 1918.