I strayed off the path today but how could I resist? An invitation from Andrew & Tilly to be the first guest in their new house on Mull – and the offer of a free meal to boot. Wow! That’s set the bar quite high for the rest of you I must say.

I then had the task from Surrey to find a cold war bunker. And find it I did (thanks largely to the grid reference offered at Hilpers. The description reads as follows:

Name: LOCHALINE

OS Grid Ref: NM67444517

Date opened: March 1963

Date closed: September 1991

Location: In a large square compound in the middle of a field 75 yards south of the northern arm of the B849.

Description: LOCKED All surface features remain intact with the green paint peeling badly. A metal dome on the ventilation shaft and three guying points indicates this was a master post. One louvre on the ventilation shaft has been removed and is in the monitoring room. The hatch is detached at one side but locked internally; it can be opened with a Scottish ‘T’ bar key. The counterweight dismantled, and the parts lie at the bottom of the shaft. The post is flooded to 4 inches. Much remains internally including the shelf, cupboard, twin bunks with mattresses, WB1401 carrier receiver with WB1410 filter unit, Tele-Talk, 2 chairs, siren box, large fire blanket box, light, kettle, teapot, saucepan, notice board, FSM mount, waste bin and a wooden shelf unit with 2 shelves. There is also a shelf in the toilet recess. The hatch counterweight is broken and lies in the toilet recess.

The revelation was that the bunker wasn’t locked at all, and if it wasn’t for the fact that I was short of time (and a big scaredy-cat) I would have climbed down and had a nose around. Surrey – you’ll just have to make do with some pics (more of which I’ll post later).

All of this meant my reading was a little rushed (and troubled by wind if you’ll pardon the expression). Still it is done in sight of where the ship of exiles must have moored, and I was amazed to think how many people left from this point to start a new life halfway around the world. The shadow of the Clearances is hovering over this story now.