For decades, Gruinard Island off the north-west coast of Scotland was too dangerous for public access. Known as 'Anthrax Island', it was contaminated during World War Two by scientists conducting germ warfare experiments. Anthrax, a lethal bacteria, proves fatal in almost all cases when inhaled, even with medical treatment.
The secret experiments left the tiny island uninhabitable for years until 1981, when a group called the Dark Harvest Commandos launched a campaign to highlight the contamination. They sent a letter to the Glasgow Herald newspaper, claiming they had delivered a bucket of soil containing anthrax to the Porton Down biological research centre in Wiltshire. The soil was later traced back to Gruinard Island.
A new BBC Scotland documentary, 'The Mystery of Anthrax Island', explores the island's history. In 1942, Prime Minister Winston Churchill feared the Nazis had developed a biological bomb and tasked scientists with weaponising anthrax. They chose Gruinard for its remote location, and experiments involved exposing sheep to anthrax clouds. The tests were deemed a success, but the island remained contaminated.
After the war, the government paid compensation for dead livestock, blaming a Greek ship. Attempts to decontaminate the island by burning heather failed. Warning signs did not mention anthrax until 24 years after the experiments. The Dark Harvest Commandos later targeted the Conservative Party conference in Blackpool, demanding action over the 'official indifference' to the contamination.
