A man spent the night on the ‘world’s deadliest island,’ where public access is banned and even breathing the air can be fatal.
World’s deadliest island, Gruinard Island, located off the coast of Scotland in Gruinard Bay, has long held a chilling reputation.
Known as “Anthrax Island” due to its contamination during World War II, the public has been banned from visiting the island for decades.
Recently, a YouTuber named Dara Tah took on the challenge of spending 24 hours on this forbidden land. He hoped to uncover its deadly secrets. His findings, however, turned out to be surprising.
World’s deadliest island, Gruinard Island’s dark past
A deadly experiment
Gruinard Island, once a small, peaceful isle nestled between Gairloch and Ullapool, became infamous during the early 1940s.
In 1942, during World War II, the British government used the island for biological warfare experiments.
Scientists released anthrax spores on the island during their tests.
These experiments left the land contaminated and uninhabitable for decades.
The deadly bacteria, “Bacillus anthracis”, mainly affects livestock and can be fatal to humans if inhaled or ingested.
The public ban
By 1945, the Ministry of Supply deemed the island too hazardous for human contact.
Gruinard was considered a biological threat, and all visits were strictly forbidden.
The island’s dark legacy remained hidden until 1981, when a rebel activist group known as the “Dark Harvest Commandos” brought public attention to its deadly history.
They delivered a package containing soil from Gruinard Island, claiming to return the ‘seeds of death’ to the authorities.
This action triggered new concerns about the island’s safety.
The 2022 wildfire and new concerns
An unsettling event
In 2022, Gruinard Island made headlines once again when a wildfire scorched the land, burning from “one end to the other.”
The apocalyptic blaze raised fears that the island’s anthrax contamination might have resurfaced.
In the aftermath of the fire, YouTuber Dara Tah and his friend Matt James set out to investigate the island. They aimed to determine whether it still harbored traces of anthrax spores.
The mission was to uncover what the government might be hiding after the mysterious fire.
The dangerous expedition
Journey to the forbidden island
Tah and James set off on their daring adventure, equipped with a gas mask, white hazmat suits, and scientific curiosity.
They reached Gruinard Island by speedboat, plunging into the waters before swimming ashore.
Upon arrival, they were met with a desolate landscape devoid of life.
Tah remarked on the eerie silence: “There seems to be absolutely nothing on the island. Everything is just burnt. I can’t see a single bit of wildlife.”
Collecting soil samples
Determined to find out whether the island still harbored anthrax spores, the pair dug up ten soil samples from various locations on the island.
These samples were later sent to a lab for testing.
Despite their cautious exploration, the YouTuber expressed some doubts about the trip. “I was beginning to question whether coming to the island was too reckless,” he admitted.
Yet, his curiosity kept him going, hoping to uncover the truth.
The surprising results
Anthrax-free discovery
After spending the night on the island, Tah and James were safely picked up the following morning and eagerly awaited the results of their soil tests.
Much to their surprise, the test results revealed that Gruinard Island was free from “Bacillus anthracis”.
“Anthrax Island is Anthrax-free,” Tah excitedly announced. “That’s so weird I can’t believe it! It’s done, they burnt it all away.”
A cleansed Island
The discovery that the island was no longer contaminated was a shock to many, but it also brought closure to a decades-old mystery.
A spokesperson for the Gruinard estate shared their perspective following the 2022 fire. He stated: “It has done good. The island was totally impenetrable and the sea eagles killed any wildlife there. It didn’t go out of control. It looked dramatic, but in two months, there will be green shoots again.”
Gruinard Island’s deadly reputation, fueled by years of anthrax contamination, has finally come to an end.
What was once known as “Anthrax Island” is now anthrax-free, thanks in part to nature’s own cleansing through fire.
“Dara Tah’s bold 24-hour expedition uncovered the truth about the island.
His findings brought both relief and a sense of closure to a place that had been feared for so long.
Though the island’s dark history remains, it has now begun a new chapter of recovery and renewal.