View Full Version : Loud Bang
Anyone hear a very loud bang tonight around 5.45pm
What area are you in wkgeorge?
Yes that would have helped - Im in Halkirk area
weeboyagee
01-Aug-11, 18:20
Heard it too. In Halkirk.
highlander101
01-Aug-11, 18:29
what was it ????????
Strangely enough, at that time we also heard a loud 'bang' it seemed to come from a south easterly direction - and we're out at Strathy (24 miles west of Thurso!) and it did not seem like the usual bombing out at Durness either..
Never heard a bang but I was about a mile on the otherside of the A9 from Halkirk and felt the house vibrate around that time.
Never heard it either. Could it have been thunder as it started to rain here about that time - not a huge amount associated with thunderplump!
Never heard a bang but I was about a mile on the otherside of the A9 from Halkirk and felt the house vibrate around that time.
Some say it could have been thunder; A house would not vibrate with that, it did not 'sound' like thunder to me, it was a definite 'bang'
Anyone hear a very loud bang tonight around 5.45pm [?]
I don't know.
Is that any help?
reeboksusie
01-Aug-11, 22:38
We heard it too, big bang, house shook and windows vibrated. Really didn't sound like thunder. In halkirk.
We heard it too, big bang, house shook and windows vibrated. Really didn't sound like thunder. In halkirk.
I was in the car between Thurso and Castletown at 5.45.
I heard it and I live in Reiss!
It certainly wasn't thunder so wonder what it was? It was actually difficult to know what direction it came from but seemed like SW.
Definately not thunder. Shook our house and rattled the windows. Seemed to be a huge blast followed by a massive dust cloud south of Loch More. Very strange.
Heard 2 bangs here at that time, sounded like heavy ordinance but could n't identify which direction the sound travelled from, am on the north coast near Reay.
Dropped me butties, sorry! :~(
Dropped me butties, sorry! :~(
Did you drop them because of the bang or did the dropping of them cause the bang?
Metalattakk
02-Aug-11, 03:35
I'm in Thurso and I heard it. Just a loud-ish sort of 'Bang!' noise.
Still waiting for the mushroom cloud. . . [para]
skaterboy
02-Aug-11, 07:30
Yeah, I heard it whilst I was watching TV. I thought it was thunder.
I know that the Navy Bomb Disposal are at Durness at the moment. They detonated a live shell on Saturday afternoon whilst we were playing football over there - I near pooped my pants!!!
Heard & felt the same but in Watten on Sat & Sun nights, both around 5pm. House shook both times, but no sign of the cause at all... Could it have been a sonic boom? Any military aircraft in the area on exercises?
Probably this !!!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-14372410
C3.....:eek::roll:;)
Heard another one this afternoon whilst out at Strathy Point so am inclined to think it's live ordinance being destroyed at Cape Wrath.
I think it might have been Northener's Mother Bin back-firing. :)
I also heard that one this afternoon at Glengolly.
Heard & felt the same but in Watten on Sat & Sun nights, both around 5pm. House shook both times, but no sign of the cause at all... Could it have been a sonic boom? Any military aircraft in the area on exercises?
I heard a double bang around the same time in Bilbster.
Sounded like a sonic boom to me.
It was ordinance taking place at loch more which happens a few times a year
It was ordinance taking place at loch more which happens a few times a year
Thanks for that. What do you mean by ordinance taking place? Is it live fire exercises or disposing of ordinance or what?:)
Another big boom in Bilbster just now....
cazmanian_minx
03-Aug-11, 16:52
Heard one just now out in Armadale - that's some explosion if it's all the way from Loch More!
highland red
03-Aug-11, 16:53
There has just been a massive bang outside (I'm in Halkirk) whilst I was browsing the org.
I've no idea what it was but I thought it was going to break the windows. I'm sure I read a similar post last week or so. Any ideas folks?
just heard a huge bang tonight about 4.45 in keiss
Yep, just heard it here too, in Ackergill, what a massive boom !!!!!
I heard it to and we r at Brims :(
And again, for the 5th day in a row: The loudest bang at ten minutes to five..... Really shook the house: Someone must know exactly what is happening. Must phone the Council right away.... see if they know, or can tell anything....
Hellovva bang here in Wick too.
We got it too, ornament fell off the window sill, & horses went loopy, we're just above Stemster loch, partner phoned from Lidl & they heard it in there too.
Shook our house, roof and windows, just outside Thurso. Quite scary
Windows shook at Thrumster
Bobinovich
03-Aug-11, 16:58
Loud enough here in Thurso to send the kids in from the garden wondering & worried...
EDIT: Just gave Thurso police station a call and it's apparently a company who are testing explosives (didn't ask whereabouts) and will be doing so until the 8th.
Stargazer
03-Aug-11, 16:58
Another loud bang. Heard in Halkirk just now at 16:48.
Seems from other reports these event happen around 5 - ish.
Someone suggested it was the footsteps of the Asda monster coming up the A9. It takes one step every 24 hours..... :s
same here, whole house shook,horses most unsettled, we are banniskirk area
heard it aswell, were in pultney side of wick
Seeminly they are testing explosives at Lochmore.
Just spoke to the Council in Wick, who couldn't tell me anything: called Wick Police Station where I recieved no answer....., and finally spoke to someone in Thurso Police Station who advised that the explosions are explosives testing being done by Ordinance Test Solutions Ltd of Northumberland. tel. No. for those who want to make a complaint (I already have), is 01434 270751
I'm not aware that the public was advised, although I may be wrong and missed any Public Notices that may have been posted. i think this should be stopped, either by public outcry, or by Police or Highland Council intervention..... Rant over.
Just spoke to the Council in Wick, who couldn't tell me anything: called Wick Police Station where I recieved no answer....., and finally spoke to someone in Thurso Police Station who advised that the explosions are explosives testing being done by Ordinance Test Solutions Ltd of Northumberland. tel. No. for those who want to make a complaint (I already have), is 01434 270751
i', not aware that the public was advised, although I may be wrong and missed any Public Notices that may have been posted. i think this should be stopped, either by public outcry, or by Police or Highland Council intervention..... Rant over.
Must be really big to be shaking windows here (Bower), Thurso, Wick, Halkirk. Watten. No doubt they are testing in Caithness because it wouldn't bother anyone. :eek:
Does anyone KNOW why every house in the county just shook:eek: Was in Thurso Tesco about 5 oclock enite and I thought a truck had reversed into the back of it. Heard all the usual reasons, weapons testing at Westerdale, bombing runs in Durness Blah Blah Blah. Surely 'they' would have warned us all if it was that kinda carry on.
Just spoke to the Council in Wick, who couldn't tell me anything: called Wick Police Station where I recieved no answer....., and finally spoke to someone in Thurso Police Station who advised that the explosions are explosives testing being done by Ordinance Test Solutions Ltd of Northumberland. tel. No. for those who want to make a complaint (I already have), is 01434 270751
I'm not aware either that the public was advised, although I may be wrong and missed any Public Notices that may have been posted. i think this should be stopped, either by public outcry, or by Police or Highland Council intervention..... Rant over.
I completely agree with you donss !!!
There has never, to my knowledge either, been any warnings of this type of activity going on in Caithness/Sutherland. Considering that we are the residents in this area, should (whatever "body" is concerned with this) we not be, at the very least entitled to some warning of such happenstances !!
Horses, dogs and other farm animals or pets (not forgetting wee bairnies out playing on a warm afternoon) can be extremely traumatised by loud noises....and boy were they loud !!!
Whoever is responsible for this , (due to the consistency of it by timings, someone, somewhere, knows whats happening) then they should be held accountable !! [disgust]
And in typical .Org fashion we now have 4 threads going all on the same subject.....no wonder the site is slow!!!
Why dont people read the threads before posting yet another on the big bangs??????
C3......:roll::roll:[disgust]
And in typical .Org fashion we now have 4 threads going all on the same subject.....no wonder the site is slow!!!
Why dont people read the threads before posting yet another on the big bangs??????
C3......:roll::roll:[disgust]
Well, slap my hands. I have now deleted the thread I started.
annemarie482
03-Aug-11, 17:42
Must be really big to be shaking windows here (Bower), Thurso, Wick, Halkirk. Watten. No doubt they are testing in Caithness because it wouldn't bother anyone. :eek:
is shaking windows in keiss and lyth too!!
earthquake apparently all over caithness
NickInTheNorth
03-Aug-11, 17:52
no not an earthquake :
http://www.earthquakes.bgs.ac.uk/
Tried phoning, no answer. Emailed them instead. Here's the email address if anyone's interested, info@OTSlimited.co.uk
I was just lucky enough to have a camera at hand to capture the blast
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f244/Rheghead/Dounreayblast.jpg
I was beginning to think it was croc dundee fishing.
We're in Durran. Did anyone else feel the pressure wave? This was no small explosion. The animals went ballistic. My man's ex-forces and knows about ordinance. He also suffers from PTSD so having scraped him down off the ceiling, I've sent a strongly worded email to be followed up by some phone calls tomorrow. Wouldn't be so bad if we'd all had warning but still unacceptable. Just hope everyone else is ok because I nearly had a heart attack and I'm healthy!
Just spoke to the Council in Wick.............Ordinance Test Solutions Ltd of Northumberland........
..... Rant over.
I gave 'em a bell and told 'em it's out of order blasting at that time of the afternoon, so they've agreed to pull it forward to 6AM for the rest of the week.
NickInTheNorth
03-Aug-11, 18:27
Can you imagine the uproar and indignation if this was happening in the south east of england...
The noise of that we would hear from here...
I gave 'em a bell and told 'em it's out of order blasting at that time of the afternoon, so they've agreed to pull it forward to 6AM for the rest of the week.
6.00 AM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You have got to be kidding.
Can you imagine the uproar and indignation if this was happening in the south east of england...
The noise of that we would hear from here... perhaps that what canvey island would sound like if that went up
DeHaviLand
03-Aug-11, 18:40
6.00 AM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You have got to be kidding.
Obviously :roll:
annemarie482
03-Aug-11, 18:52
I was just lucky enough to have a camera at hand to capture the blast
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f244/Rheghead/Dounreayblast.jpg
lol liking the pic!
and i thought it was fog we're surrounded in........... :eek: lol
im behind you
03-Aug-11, 18:56
Yeah, I heard it whilst I was watching TV. I thought it was thunder.I know that the Navy Bomb Disposal are at Durness at the moment. They detonated a live shell on Saturday afternoon whilst we were playing football over there - I near pooped my pants!!! if you did poo your pants would you of changed your name to skitterboy.
vintagepower3
03-Aug-11, 19:03
Who knows maybe we'll get lucky and they will accidently blow caithness off the map or on purpose you never know.
Just had a courteous reply from 'the man in the know', being the bloke (didn't catch his name) who is doing the explosives testing: This is being done approx. 22km SE of Thurso on Strathmore Estate land, 'with their kind permission'.....
Todays blast was the largest of the series, the 'boom' being exacerbated by the low cloud: the next blast to be carried out on Friday ( not at 6am Phil ;-) ), followed by the final test blast on Saturday. The guy was very polite and informative, but I still don't see why prior warning wasn't given by way of a Public Notice..... I believe that they will now issue a warning in advance of the remaining blasts via Caithness FM.....
Hope this helps placate the understandable concerns and worries of the counties folks. ;-)
After a few phone calls: -
1. The Government Authorsied Ordinance Testing have authorised this.
2. Police nor Council have any dealings with and also cannot discuss/argue with said Govenment "body.
3. The "booms" that we all hear are to do with "Ordinance Testing" on the Stathmore Estate (some way behind Loch More).
4. The next "boom" is due between the hours of 12.00 and 14.00 on Friday.
5. There will also be a "boom" on Saturday, though no times are as yet confirmed.......
As I've said previously, all this "knowledge" has come from a phone call !
6. I got all of this information from "Ordinance Test Solutions Ltd." BTW !
NickInTheNorth
03-Aug-11, 19:22
Just had a courteous reply from 'the man in the know', being the bloke (didn't catch his name) who is doing the explosives testing: This is being done approx. 22km SE of Thurso on Strathmore Estate land, 'with their kind permission'.....
Todays blast was the largest of the series, the 'boom' being exacerbated by the low cloud: the next blast to be carried out on Friday ( not at 6am Phil ;-) ), followed by the final test blast on Saturday. The guy was very polite and informative, but I still don't see why prior warning wasn't given by way of a Public Notice..... I believe that they will now issue a warning in advance of the remaining blasts via Caithness FM.....
Hope this helps placate the understandable concerns and worries of the counties folks. ;-)
I've just had a call from John from the company, just to reiterate what donss said above.
Another large test is scheduled between 1200 and 1400 on Friday, with a final test on Saturday, that will be smaller than the one today and fridays test.
Seems that they rely on the landowner to publicise the testing, and that this does not appear to have happened this time. The testing is taking place within 200 metres of a building, and a noise level of 118dB was recorded for todays test.
The noise may be getting transmitted more than expected due to the low cloud and the sandstone on which much of caithness sits. The test site is right at the edge of the sandstone and it seems to be transmitting the sound more than expected.
vintagepower3
03-Aug-11, 19:27
No Nukes!!! No Nukes!!! No Nukes!!!
Sorry donss......"John" obviously just phoned you as well.....!!
Strangely enough, at that time we also heard a loud 'bang' it seemed to come from a south easterly direction - and we're out at Strathy (24 miles west of Thurso!) and it did not seem like the usual bombing out at Durness either.. and we are south of the hill by a mile or so and we heard it too, initially thinking it may have been the blowhole, but alas no.
Tugmistress
03-Aug-11, 20:01
If todays measured 118db in a building 200 meters from the blast zone, it must magnify the further the sound travels! (or it seemed louder than that to me!)
has anyone got a thingy to measure the decibels for tomorrows blast? it would be interesting to see what it comes out at a fair distance away from the blast site.
mummieslilgirl
03-Aug-11, 20:05
i live in durran and heard a dull rumble but the house shook!
chef4celebrations
03-Aug-11, 20:28
well when it happened it sounded like someone slammed my front door shut, and i am living in halkirk at the moment, and going by my previous experiance as a demolition saftey officer at 1 mile away and using 75 kilo of explosive it would sound similar, but i am damn sure it was a lot further than the 1 mile away, it felt like a hell of a lot more explosive than the max 75 kilo allowed, i am not sure what the uk law is on max explosive usage on a single blast. maybe someone can enlighten us......
arrowsmith
03-Aug-11, 20:58
i heard/ felt it too checked the house for any signs of anything!
Can you imagine the uproar and indignation if this was happening in the south east of england...
The noise of that we would hear from here...
Yes they can!
I'm in wick. thought a plane or something had fallen on the house it was that loud. whole house vibrated. Dog went crazy - would not stop barking. Surely we would not have heard it so loud had it been from Durness.
Ah the big bang! A new planet has been formed - or maybe they just decided to blow up Stroma and Swona after all?
i must be one of the few people who didnt hear it *Laughs* i was at home at 5:45 yesterday, but all the noise in my house may have drowned out any outside noise.. ill be in the shop tomorrow so will have a listen between 12 and 2 and see if i hear anything
BACK OF THE HILL
04-Aug-11, 09:49
We are a few miles east of thurso and felt the shock wave. It was an explosives company testing new explosives out at Strathmore....
i must be one of the few people who didnt hear it *Laughs* i was at home at 5:45 yesterday, but all the noise in my house may have drowned out any outside noise.. ill be in the shop tomorrow so will have a listen between 12 and 2 and see if i hear anything
Snap Brandy; I'm off to get my hearing tested!
I wonder if a bang and vibration this loud may have caused cracks to appear in older buildings close to the explosions??
some one told me it was a controlled explosion at Janetstown
BTW - it's ordnance - not ordInance. I offer this just for the sake of linguistic accuracy for which the org is renowned the world over ....
out at loch more at the time taking pics, guy told me to leave the car windows open as they were test blasting nearby, seems there was a explosion in a french fertiliser factory a couple of years ago, they are trying to recreate the blast using fertilser, doing pretty good as well 1 would say lol ,
its fertilser, was out taking pics at loch more yesterday, guys came and warned us to leave the car windows open in case the shock waves damaged the glass, seem there was a explosion in a french fertilser factory a few years ago, and they are trying to recreate the blast using fertilisers, dont know how true it is but dont think the guys would lie, i managed to get some pics of the blast cloud
its fertilser, was out taking pics at loch more yesterday, guys came and warned us to leave the car windows open in case the shock waves damaged the glass, seem there was a explosion in a french fertilser factory a few years ago, and they are trying to recreate the blast using fertilisers, dont know how true it is but dont think the guys would lie, i managed to get some pics of the blast cloud
lol i did see it very impressive, they have a fair size set up out there, caravans, trucks, units, thought it was the sideshows when i first arrived
http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/224446_10150252638728031_532808030_7619897_2392213 _n.jpg
I've merged all the threads about the bangs that you've all been banging on about - "boom boom"
~~~Tides~~~
04-Aug-11, 13:42
If people aren't happy about any of this, they should complain to their local MP. Mainly because it's his land!!
I think this is a very unusual bit of diversification, that so many land owners are searching for; and am sure that the local hotels, restraunts and contractors are welcoming the buisness. I am not sure who needs the credit for this but somone certainly deserves it, taking heed of the posted comments on communications.
This is the reply I got to my email, pretty much the same as others.......
On behalf of Ordnance Test Solutions Limited we would like to apologies for any distress and concerns that has been caused to you on the recent explosions that have been carried out within the Strathmore Estate.
We were scheduled to carry out four firings of the magnitude heard, this has now been reduced to three with the third scheduled to take place on Friday 5th August between the hours of 1200hrs and 1400hrs. with one or two minor firings on Saturday 6th August.
It is not the intention of the company to disturb and upset the local community and we do apologies to the community for not being informed of the tests being carried out and that reasonable notice was not provided by the Strathmore Estate or ourselves.
The Thurso police were notified of our intentions
This is the reply I got to my email, pretty much the same as others.......
On behalf of Ordnance Test Solutions Limited we would like to apologies for any distress and concerns that has been caused to you on the recent explosions that have been carried out within the Strathmore Estate.
We were scheduled to carry out four firings of the magnitude heard, this has now been reduced to three with the third scheduled to take place on Friday 5th August between the hours of 1200hrs and 1400hrs. with one or two minor firings on Saturday 6th August.
It is not the intention of the company to disturb and upset the local community and we do apologies to the community for not being informed of the tests being carried out and that reasonable notice was not provided by the Strathmore Estate or ourselves.
The Thurso police were notified of our intentions
Anyway, how do you get a job with this outfit? It would be right up my street. :cool:
It could be that the very fact you want to blow things up might count against you in your application :))
orkneycadian
04-Aug-11, 18:53
Hmmmm, might try my own experiments with manure and diesel.... Well, if this guy can do it! http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14406766
It's only a bang and it has to happen somewhere and plenty of other people will have had to put up with it in different parts of the uk so don't see why we so special we don't have to listen to a few bangs once in our life
r.rackstraw
04-Aug-11, 21:26
'Only a bang' - I disagree. Even at Dunnet, 20 miles away, this bang was really alarming.
It beggars belief that these explosions can take place without consent from the local authority or consultation with the local community.
NickInTheNorth
04-Aug-11, 21:30
when you consider that the bomb detonated at Canary Wharf in 1996 was only half a tonne, and that the testing here has been 3 tonnes I think it is totally unreasonable that this has happened without warning.
I'm pretty certain that if I had detonated 3 tonnes of fertiliser somewhere the authorities would have been keen to speak to me...
I'm in forss and i heard the loud bang! thought my weights had fallen over in the house but it was just "the infamous bang" for people closer to it, it must have been a shock but i get a hint of some people over exaggerating as they were further away than me and seemed to have heard it so much louder than i did lol really a few bangs and the place is in an uproar it will be over soon sleep well knowing its not going to be a regular thing, worse things could have happened and it will be over soon enough :) if i had known i would of went to watch lol
cullpacket
05-Aug-11, 07:12
Why did Ordnace pick Caithness with all thier facilities, Why pick Caithness it is flat as a pancake let the sound travel, Why did John Thurso not let us know about it maybe the money never came through and could not afford to tell us. Yes he has a few questions to answer at the nex clinic.
orkneycadian
05-Aug-11, 07:16
Why did Ordnace pick Caithness with all thier facilities,
Well, you are all shouting "Wick wants work" and "More jobs for Caithness"! - Doesnt establishing a UK centre of excellence for testing bombs appeal?
whiteneck
05-Aug-11, 10:18
i think everyone is over reacting about this. It happens all over the country but this time caithness was chosen, fair do's they should have had an advert in the paper or on the wireless but on the plus side it has given atleast 5 local companies some work, i say let them lash at it,
NickInTheNorth
05-Aug-11, 10:29
i think everyone is over reacting about this. It happens all over the country but this time caithness was chosen, fair do's they should have had an advert in the paper or on the wireless but on the plus side it has given atleast 5 local companies some work, i say let them lash at it,
which 5 local companies would that be?
It would seem to make sense for them to provide times when detonations would take place.
12 o clock everybody listening???
NickInTheNorth
05-Aug-11, 13:16
Just received a call to advise that todays blast may be slightly delayed due to very wet conditions at site. It may still go bang before 1400 but could be as late as 1500
Mr P Cannop
05-Aug-11, 13:50
just heard the bang
i was disapointed was a wee pop rather than the bang from the other day i should of went closer with a picnic and some beers lol
We where at loch More from 12.00 until 14.15 binoculars, camera, flask, and sandwiches and did not hear or see a thing.
it was rescheduled to 3 think it went off at 20 past 3
My horses could be police horses - what with the fireworks, explosives and fighter jets that they are now used to...
It was a military test http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-14407918 near Loch More - idiots should have warned people beforehand!
NickInTheNorth
05-Aug-11, 17:00
It was a military test http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-14407918 near Loch More - idiots should have warned people beforehand!
No it was not a military test, that is just lazy reporting as usual by the BBC.
It was a test on fertiliser for a commercial company. Not a military test at all.
stop press.......stop press.........stop press
local companies accidentally blow up the entire county of Caithness
Damage estimated to exceed £400 :eek:
Well I think that the owner of the estate is making a fair few £££££ with this bombs getting tested on Loch More area. Is that the Strathmore Estate?? Patrick Sinclair is the owner I believe but I may be wrongly informed? Correct me if anyone knows different
Well I think that the owner of the estate is making a fair few £££££ with this bombs getting tested on Loch More area. Is that the Strathmore Estate?? Patrick Sinclair is the owner I believe but I may be wrongly informed? Correct me if anyone knows different
OH NO - someone making money - they should be run out of town!
Can anyone please tell me what the blasts are that are coming from Loch More direction?I have been told that tomorrow (saturday) they are gonna be 3 times the size of all the other ones!
thanks
Can anyone please tell me what the blasts are that are coming from Loch More direction?I have been told that tomorrow (saturday) they are gonna be 3 times the size of all the other ones!
thanks
If you have a look at the general section I'm almost sure someone mentioned it.
If you have a look at the general section I'm almost sure someone mentioned it.
You're not wrong there Duke......:lol::lol:
C3....;)
.............. tomorrow (saturday) they are gonna be 3 times the size of all the other ones!Keewwwwwwl!!!
(what time does Tesco open?)
buddyrich
05-Aug-11, 22:51
Did anyone see the large brown ploom that went up from the loch more area the day? Presumably it was from the "big test" the company quoted to various folk.
torisdale
06-Aug-11, 00:40
Heard it 50miles away.. ^^
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