Duncansby Head.

[piratelassie]

I read recently that in 1953 weapons scientists at the 'Atomic Weapons Establishment' in Berkshire considered Duncansbay Head for Atomic Bomb Test Detonation. This apparently was rejected, not because of the local population or the dire consequences sure to follow but because of the wet weather.Can anyone throw any light on this?

[Alrock]

Was it here (http://qi.com/television/series-h/history/nuclear-testing) that you read it?

[orkneycadian]

This apparently was rejected, not because of the local population or the dire consequences sure to follow but because of the wet weather.Can anyone throw any light on this?

Apparently, they came to this conclusion because it rains a lot.

[piratelassie]

No, but I've just read your article. Thank you for that.


Was it here (http://qi.com/television/series-h/history/nuclear-testing) that you read it?

[sids]

Apparently, they came to this conclusion because it rains a lot.

Would that make it hard to light the fuse?

[ducati]

It's good to know that that the Government was thoughtful enough to re-locate a bunch of forners before bombing their home into a glass carpark.

[Alrock]

Apparently it was not an Atomic Bomb test that was proposed for Duncansby Head but more a test of the Initiator (detonator) which admittedly does contain Polonium so there would have been a danger of contamination but no massive mushroom cloud & no glass carpark.

[neilsermk1]

As I heard it they were scared it would be nicked before they had a chance to blow it

[Green_not_greed]

I had a recollection of this story doing the rounds many years ago, and found this from the Glasgow Herald in 1985.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2507&dat=19850320&id=d-09AAAAIBAJ&sjid=wkgMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4158,4212343

I'm sure that the Groat also ran with the story at the time.

Less believable, but nevertheless interesting reading, is this

http://www.lochness.co.uk/exhibition/operationpangea.html

Enjoy !