Lamer Island Battery - Dunbar

Lamer Island lies on the edge of Victoria and Cromwell Docks in Dunbar Harbour. There has recently been a restoration project to revive the Battery area and I have been intrigued by the building work that has been going on over the last 6 months as I have to park close by when I am shooting my gull pictures from the harbour walls. So today I paid a visit to the nearly completed project and was very impressed  by what has been achieved.

Formerly all that remained was the outer battery wall from which one could look out towards Bass Rock and North Berwick Law (see top left image). these walls remain and the archaeologists have uncovered some of the outlines of the interior walls. 

It was built in 1781 to protect Dunbar from raids during the American Wars of Independence as enemy ships had been spotted. It had 16 gun emplacements of varying calibres and was staffed by volunteers until 1815. It then fell into disuse until 1870 when a two-storey hospital was built within its walls.to isolate patients with infectious diseases and was reputedly cold, damp and uncomfortable. In 1910 it was taken over by Dunbar Red Cross to treated wounded soldiers during the first World War. There were 14 beds and it ran an outpatient department during the day. The Battery Hospital was closed in the 1920s and it then served as emergency housing. One woman brought up a family of twelve children there. It was demolished in 1937 as the roof had blown off in a storm and the building had been damaged by fire.

The current improvements were financed by Viridor and through Heritage grants, There is a garden with installations of wooden and stainless steel blocks by the Scottish Artist, Donald Urquhart (top right & bottom left). There is also a small outdoor performance area (bottom right). There is a nautical theme in the historical interpretations - a list of all ships which were sunk in the vicinity, a board explaining the Beaufort Wind Scales and references to the various shipping areas which feature in the fishing weather forecasts. All in all it is a very positive use of the derelict area of the buildings. Certainly worth a visit.