BRITAIN BENEATH · GUIDE · 8 OCTOBER 2026
Defending the Forth: Island Guns, Aircraft Defences and a Weapons Depot
Inchmickery’s guns protected a sea barrier. Donibristle’s battery faced aircraft. Crombie stored naval weapons. The surviving records explain the equipment and buildings each task required.
Based on published records and visitor information. We have not visited these places.
AI-generated illustration
An imagined island shows defences beside a sea passage. It is not a map or exact view of Inchmickery. It does not show visitor access.
AI-generated for Britain Beneath · 2026-09-27. Resized and converted to WebP for faster loading; no cropping.
Different threats, different jobs
At Inchmickery, guns covered a barrier built to keep submarines out of the Firth of Forth. The obstruction restricted movement through the water; the island’s group of gun positions, called a battery, helped defend it.
Other Forth sites served different needs. Donibristle Point had heavy guns aimed at aircraft, with radar, ammunition spaces and accommodation for the crew. Crombie’s naval depot stored and supplied weapons.
The records describe the buildings behind the weapons as well as the firing positions. Commands, power, supplies and living quarters were all needed to keep crews ready. These sites are not a confirmed public walking route.
- Historic Environment Scotland — Inchmickery Battery ↗ · reviewed 2026-09-22
- Historic Environment Scotland — Donibristle Point battery ↗ · reviewed 2026-09-22
- Historic Environment Scotland — Royal Naval Armament Depot, Crombie ↗ · reviewed 2026-09-22
Guns watching a sea barrier
Inchmickery was fortified in 1915. It formed part of the Forth’s middle line of defences. Historic Environment Scotland says its guns covered a barrier built to keep submarines out.
Our map has separate records for individual gun positions. They are pieces of one defended site, not separate visitor attractions. Their names help show the old layout. They do not prove safe public entry to the structures.
- Historic Environment Scotland — Inchmickery Battery ↗ · reviewed 2026-09-22
Guns aimed at aircraft
Donibristle Point had heavy guns aimed at aircraft. Archive notes describe four gun positions, a command position, ammunition spaces and a camp. The account draws on air photographs and wartime documents.
The crew needed orders, ammunition and places to live. The record includes radar and equipment changes during the Second World War. The gun positions were only part of the battery.
The battery therefore covered more ground than its firing positions. We have not checked what remains visible today. Archive photos show earlier states of the site. They cannot confirm its current condition or visiting rights.
- Historic Environment Scotland — Donibristle Point battery ↗ · reviewed 2026-09-22
A place to store weapons
Crombie’s Royal Naval Armament Depot stored and supplied weapons. Its Historic Environment Scotland record includes First and Second World War uses. Archive air photos show the pier, jetties and depot buildings.
These three places are starting points for history, not a checked walking route. Islands, depot land and old military structures may have restricted or unsafe areas. We have not confirmed public access to the structures. Check who owns the land and which routes are authorised before a visit. You can follow the story through the records while those questions remain open.
- Historic Environment Scotland — Royal Naval Armament Depot, Crombie ↗ · reviewed 2026-09-22
- Historic Environment Scotland — Inchmickery Battery ↗ · reviewed 2026-09-22
- Historic Environment Scotland — Donibristle Point battery ↗ · reviewed 2026-09-22
Sources and further reading
Written from the linked official records, checked on 22 September 2026. We have not visited these places. Check that the people running a place say it is open before planning entry. Map points are not visitor entrances. Check current visitor details before travelling. The 3 place records below give more information.
- Donibristle Point, Steeple Clump — 104911
- Charlestown, Royal Naval Armament Depot, Crombie — 105821
- Forth Defences, Middle, Inchmickery Battery, No.1 Gun, Twin 6-Pounder — 121775
You can follow the links to read the original sources. Sources and permissions.