walkhighlands

Share your personal walking route experiences in Scotland, and comment on other peoples' reports.
Warning Please note that hillwalking when there is snow lying requires an ice-axe, crampons and the knowledge, experience and skill to use them correctly. Summer routes may not be viable or appropriate in winter. See winter information on our skills and safety pages for more information.

St Colm Hill - revisiting the 1963 Vulcan crash site

St Colm Hill - revisiting the 1963 Vulcan crash site


Postby Gordon Ballantyne » Wed Aug 15, 2018 12:42 pm

Date walked: 14/08/2018

Time taken: 4 hours

Distance: 13 km

Ascent: 600m

Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).

I decided to re-visit the Vulcan crash site, as we didn't find any residual wreckage on the previous visit. A recent visit with the ranger in Glentannar confirmed that there definitely was some pieces left, so I text GordonC, who was available and we picked up Harvey on the way.
After parking in the generous car park we mused over which route to take up the hill, being cognisant of the - just opened - grouse season and the sheep in the fields surrounding Ballochan Farm. To avoid the paitrick/pheasant breeding area and the big hoose peacocks, we threaded our way up through the field margins from Ballochan farm through some trees past a rotting lambs corpse, which we could smell, long before we saw it lying down the bank above the burn.
Following the fence-line we eventually emerged on to the Gannoch track


our_route.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts



We met some folk descending the Gannoch track from a walk up the fungle path and round on to the Firmounth road. Soon after leaving these folks it started to smirr wi rain. Eventually we had to don some showerproof gear. Continued up over Gannoch and down to the Mounth road to start our search.
We headed over to what we had deemed peat hags on our first visit and almost immediately, eagle-eyed GordonC spotted a couple of bits of aircraft.
We then spread ourselves out to look for more bits. Again GordonC came up trumps with a discovery of lots of bits in a trench. Bearing in mind that the RAF had spent a fair bit of time recovering the wreckage soon after the incident, it would seem that these small bits had been collected and thrown into this trench that had been gouged out by the crashing Vulcan. By this time the rain had passed and the sun was shining through gaps in the clouds - as advertised by the BBC.
After scouting around for any more bits, we returned to the main cache to take some photos. I retrieved a piece to take back as a souvenir. It still had pristine SS locking wire, shining like the day it was put on - at least 55 years ago !

GordonC inspecting the debris.jpg
GordonC inspecting the debris



H investigating the Vulcan bits.jpg
H investigating the Vulcan debris


Bit of engine - maybe.jpg
Bit of engine - maybe....


Concetina'd bit of mesh..jpg
Concertina'd bit of mesh



I wonder if any V-bomber Engines/ Airframes guy recognises this bit of a Vulcan ? The suction connection is still lovely and shiny !

Recovered Vulcan bit.jpg
Recovered Vulcan bit


Vavuum sensor - maybe.jpg
Vacuum sensor - maybe


DIS PL 227 ISS 13.jpg
Serial number on the bit recovered.- DIS PL 227 ISS 13


On our previous visit we must've walked around the locus of the crash without looking at the obvious gouges in the hillside - Doh !
We walked across to a grouse butt to shelter from the breeze where we had our piece while Harvey watched on - dribbling.
He wasn't satisfied with HIS titbits - he wanted OUR piece. Nae chance ! The only residue was the core of GordonC's apple.
We followed the line of grouse butts across the hill to the Gannoch track - reasoning that the shooters would walk along this line to take their stance at the allocated peg. We only saw one small covey of about 6 grouse as we walked across.
We descended via the other side of the burn to Ballochan farm, feeling very satisfied that we'd at last found the Vulcan crash site..

Vulcan B-1A s/n XH477 of 50 Sqdn RAF took off on 12th June 1963 to practice low-level night-time, flying through the scottish hills.
( doesn't seem very sensible to me - but these were the things they had to do for Queen and country.... )
It looks a bit like the pilot turned right too soon to head south and clipped the Hill of St Comb about 10m from the top, just to the east.
All 5 crew members were killed. 2 Pilots, 2 Navigators and an Air Electronics Officer.


Note : location marked on our GPS was: Altitude 677m Grid NO 49235 88459
Approx 50m west of the Fairmounth Road, characterised by gouges out of the hillside running approx N-S, that look like peat hags.
Gordon Ballantyne
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 396
Munros:282   Corbetts:89
Fionas:20   Donalds:7
Sub 2000:59   
Joined: Jan 30, 2011
Location: Westhill, Aberdeenshire

Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).



Can you help support Walkhighlands?


Our forum is free from adverts - your generosity keeps it running.
Can you help support Walkhighlands and this community by donating by direct debit?



Return to Walk reports - Scotland

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Ashman, cambflatlander, hollyhotspur and 67 guests