Garths Ness

20 years ago today the Braer oil tanker on its way from Bergen to Canada ran aground here at Garths Ness at the southern tip of Shetland. It was always a possibility that with the oil industry so prominent in Shetland that there would be an accident of some sort but it was assumed that this would happen at the north end near the Sullom Voe oil terminal.

It had been a terrible spell of weather and it became obvious early on in the day that it was going to happen and the tanker just missed Sumburgh Head before crashing into Garths just before 11.30 in the morning.

We still stay in the same house as then and even though we are about 12 miles away on the east coast the smell of oil was very evident for many days and you could make patterns in the windows by running your finger through the oil that had gathered. It had a huge effect on the Island's particularly the south end although 20 years on the compensation that was paid out has also benefitted a lot of people. It was apparently the first case of wind blown oil pollution. Wildlife suffered terribly as did the local farmers whose animals were covered in oil.

In fact it was the fact that the storm carried on that probably saved the Island from a worse fate as it dispersed the oil quicker than any other method would have done.

The tanker does in fact still sit beneath the waves here at Garths. Here's hoping it doesn't happen again.