Ben Wyvis Hotel at centre of bomb alert as Ross-shire contractors dig up unexpected ordnance find in Strathpeffer triggering explosives team callout
CONTRACTORS digging foundations in the grounds of a Ross-shire hotel got more than they bargained for when a digger turned up something that looked faintly familiar.
The unwelcome appearance in the digger bucket of a foot-long object with a tail fin stopped work in the grounds of the Ben Wyvis Hotel in its tracks as men turned to Google to confirm their suspicions.
It confirmed that they were in all likelihood looking at wartime ordnance, prompting a quick-thinking response to raise the alarm with police, block off a public footpath and alert hotel management before a specialist squad was dispatched to deal with the matter.
Avoch-based Norman Bremner, a long-established building contractor, was with Billy Gill of AB Contracting in Tore when the drama unfolded on Wednesday afternoon around 2.30pm.
He said: "The guys were in digging out the foundations. It was scooped up in a bucket. We had a look to see what it was."
When Google confirmed their suspicions, they first tried to alert police using 101 but failed to get a response. They then took the more direct route of a 999 call and before long an officer was on the scene.
He then noticed what looked like a second device protruding from a hole in the earth close to a public path, prompting a call to the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team.
The work site is considerable distance from the hotel itself and it's understood an immediate evacuation was deemed unnecessary.
The entrance to the hotel was blocked by police as an immediate precaution.
Police were left to guard the site and the contractors sent away as a safety precaution.
Mr Bremner admitted: "This is a first. It was one of those interesting days."
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 2.30pm on Wednesday, May 10, 2023, police were called to Main Street, Strathpeffer, following the discovery of two ordnance items in the grounds of a property.
“The Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team attended and the item was removed, before a controlled explosion took place. The area was cleared around 10.15pm.”
The grand Victorian hotel surrounded by five acres of woodlands and landscaped mature gardens enjoys stunning views of Ben Wyvis itself. It was constructed over the ten years leading up to 1887 and built to accommodate some of Strathpeffer's more up-market visitors during its hey-day as a spa resort. Robert Louis Stevenson features in its guest list.
The Ben Wyvis Hotel said: "It was all action yesterday when we had to call in the bomb squad after not one, but two explosive devices were discovered on our grounds.
"We are currently installing a Biomass unit, and yesterday afternoon the contractors were digging up an area and made the surprising discovery. Everyone stayed remarkably calm, and the local police were quick to react by closing off the area. Thankfully, no one had to be evacuated, and the bomb disposal unit were able to safely and quickly remove both items and take them to a secure place to detonate.
"The site of the Ben Wyvis hotel has been reported to have been a weapons storage site during World War II, and this may explain the unearthing of the explosives."
Unexpected ordnance finds turn up from time to time across Ross-shire.
One of the most recent was at Invergordon when a rookie metal detectorist trying out the equipment for the first time unearthed one, parking
Easter Ross man unearths bomb 10 minutes after using equipment for first time
That prompted police to throw a cordon around the affected recreational area and school to be cancelled for the day as a precaution.
The friends involved also turned to the internet for information, posting a picture to an interest group and quickly learning that it looked like a mortar bomb.
A specialist team made the area safe.
