A beachgoer has found a suspected World War II torpedo on a beach in East Lothian, near Edinburgh. The item was later deemed safe by HM Coastguard.
Discovery on the foreshore
Rob, 61, was walking his labradoodle with his wife between Muirfield Beach and Eyebroughy Beach on September 28 when they came across a large metal tube. He described it as about three metres long, covered in rust and patches of seaweed.
Rob told Metro: “It was right down on the foreshore at a very low tide, lying between rocks.” He added: “I knew it had arrived there recently as I walk there at low tide frequently.”
Reporting the find
The North Berwick residents took photos and noted the coordinates to report the find to the Coastguard. Rob said his online research turned up a Coastguard poster with a photo of an identical object, captioned: “This isn’t a gas canister, it’s a torpedo.”
He was asked to email photos to the Coastguard, who said the item was a “fair size” and that they would “send the boys in green” to assess it at the next low tide in daylight.
Coastguard response
A spokesperson for HM Coastguard said: “HM Coastguard received a report of a possible piece of ordnance on Gullane Beach at around 3pm on Friday 28 September. North Berwick Coastguard Rescue Team was sent, and Police Scotland were informed. An Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team attended and established the item was safe.”
The discovery was made around 23 miles east of Edinburgh, near the Renaissance and Muirfield Golf Clubs. The coastline has seen other ordnance finds recently, including a 20lb artillery shell on Broad Sands Beach on September 21 and a World War II bomb on Belhaven Bay Beach in July.
The Coastguard advises beachgoers to be cautious: “If you find something on the beach that’s an unusual size or shape, especially if it’s rusty, it could be unexploded ordnance. If you do come across something on the beach that you’re unsure of or suspect could be unexploded ordnance, please don’t touch it or move it. Call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.”
