Local Hero village in new alert as suspect cylinder washes up

Royal Navy bomb disposal team called out to picturesque pennan

By Jamie Buchan

Published:

Local Hero village Pennan came close to being evacuated for a second time in less than a year yesterday after a suspect metal object was discovered in the harbour.

A Royal Navy bomb disposal crew was called to the picturesque, north-east haven after a visitor spotted the suspicious 3ft cylinder floating in the water.

It came just a day after the team were called to Arisaig in the west Highlands close to Camusdarach Beach – another location for the 1983 film – after a piece of spent ordnance was washed ashore.

Yesterday police secured the area around Pennan harbour while they waited for explosive experts from the Navy’s diving group, based at Faslane on the Clyde.

Part of the team arrived just before 6pm, with the rest arriving later in the evening.

One onlooker said it was impossible to tell what the device was.

“It could be a small torpedo or just a length of pipe,” he said.

But a Grampian Police spokesman last night confirmed it was a gas cylinder.

He said: “We got a call from a member of the public about the object just after 8.30am.

“It was lying half submerged in water, about four feet from the high-tide line.

“The nearest houses are about 330ft away and separated from a thick harbour wall, so there was no need to evacuate any properties.”

He added: “It was difficult to tell exactly what the device was at first. It didn't have any markings on it.

“We were fairly confident the device was not dangerous, but we called in the bomb disposal unit as a precaution.”

A Northern Constabulary spokesman said of the alert at Arisaig: “We often get pieces of spent ordnance washed up.

“There are notices up telling people not to touch it and to contact police.

“As a precaution we con-tact the bomb disposal team who come and take it away.”

Pennan shot to fame with the release of the Bill Forsyth comedy Local Hero which was filmed in the village.

It is now one of the most visited points in that corner of the north-east.

The film will be re-released on Monday to mark its 25th anniversary.

In August last year, the entire village was evacuated when heavy rain brought hundreds of tonnes of mud down from the nearby cliffs.

It damaged several homes on the Main Street and devastated the village hall.