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Edinburgh, Cramond Island, Cramond Twin 6-pounder Battery
Gun Emplacement (Second World War)
Site Name Edinburgh, Cramond Island, Cramond Twin 6-pounder Battery
Classification Gun Emplacement (Second World War)
Alternative Name(s) Forth Defences; The Binks
Canmore ID 271553
Site Number NT17NE 71.03
NGR NT 19771 78728
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/271553
- Council Edinburgh, City Of
- Parish Edinburgh (Edinburgh, City Of)
- Former Region Lothian
- Former District City Of Edinburgh
- Former County Midlothian
NT17NE 71.03 19771 78728
The concrete and brick semi-circular twin 6-pounder gun-emplacement is situated at the small headland annotated as 'The Binks' on the Ordnance Survey maps.
The canopy has been removed but the main part of the emplacement is extant if damaged. The double semi-circle of embedded rails to the rear of the gun-position, which would have been for moving the shells, can also be seen.
The lower part of the emplacement is also visible amongst piles of rubble. It is not known whether the holdfast for the gun is still extant under a filling of grass, earth, bricks and rubble.
Visited by RCAHMS (DE, AL), May 1998
The canopy, gun store and director tower has been removed and the men's shelter on the south edge, the magazine at the rear and the platform on the north side on which the gun store was erected are still intact.
Information to RCAHMS via e-mail from Mr J Dods (Cramond Heritage Society), April 2006
Field Visit (31 August 2022)
This Second World War gun emplacement is situated at the N end of the E side of Cramond Island and originally comprised a holdfast that once supported twin 6-pounder guns, a crew shelter that stood immediately S, a magazine W, and a gun store N. On the date of visit the pit at the centre of the gun platform was filled with rubble and the actual holdfast was not visible. The walkway around both sides and the rear of the pit remains intact and the twin rails for the running of ammunition trolleys is readily visible. The area outside the walkway around the sides and rear of the platform was also filled with rubble, largely obscuring the ammunition lockers below. The same rubble blocked access to the crew shelter which otherwise remains intact. The gun store has been removed leaving only its concrete floor. The magazine measures 7.3m from N to S by 3.97m transversely within walls 0.57m thick and rising 2.77m to a corrugated iron ceiling and flat concrete roof. There is a doorway (1.05m wide) close to the N end of the W side which retains its heavy-duty steel frame and one of its two original doors. Ammunition was supplied to the gun-pit via a rectangular hatch in the middle of the E side. It measures 1.05m wide by 0.89m high and stands about 1m above the floor.
Visited by HES Archaeological Survey (J. Sherriff, A. McCaig) 31 August 2022.
