A brief history .
Throughout most of its history, Cramond Island was used for farming, especially sheep-farming, and perhaps served as a fishing outpost as well. The island was once famous for its beds, but these were destroyed due to overfishing. In the north west corner of the island there are remains of a jetty built with local stone which could be medieval in origin, while towards the centre of the island, half-hidden by a small wood there is the ruin of a stone-built farm.
At the outbreak of World War II, Cramond Island, along with other islands in the Forth, was fortified to protect the coasts in the event of enemy warships entering the channel.
I set off at the crack of dawn as you can only get out to the island at low tide and this was at 6 am.
The first view on arrival is of the concrete pylons that were part of the anti submarine defences and which also mark the concrete causeway that runs a mile out to the is
This causeway is submerged much of the time and can be quite slippery at times.The pylons are also starting to show their age,breaking down in places .
I followed an anti clockwise route around the island,bypassing the first gun emplacement until last.
Walking along the east side of the island then up to a knoll in the middle where the first of the buildings appear out of the undergrowth.It looks like someone has decided to move in.
These were most likely stores buildings.
From here I headed down to the north shore with several pillboxes and gun emplacements.
Inchmickery is visible to the North of the island but the fortifications here are only accessible by boat.
There was also evidence of some kind of mooring system,a large concrete mushroom shape just of the shore.
I headed off past the site of the barracks ,to the ammunition store,and a small ruin on the west side .
I finally ended up back at at the initial 75mm gun emplacement and at the end of the causeway.
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