Artillery battery atop Rock of Gibraltar, reached via historic Mediterranean Steps.
O’Hara’s Battery is an artillery battery at the highest point of the Rock of Gibraltar in the Upper Rock Nature Reserve, near Lord Airey’s Battery. Built in 1890 on the former watchtower O’Hara’s Folly, it retains 9.2-inch guns and is a refurbished tourist attraction reached by the Mediterranean Steps.
O’Hara’s Battery is an artillery battery on the Rock of Gibraltar, within the Upper Rock Nature Reserve in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. It stands at the highest point of the Rock, at about 426 metres, close to Lord Airey’s Battery in the Upper Battery area. The position forms part of the Fortifications of Gibraltar and is listed with the Gibraltar Heritage Trust. The battery was constructed in 1890 on the site of a watchtower known as O’Hara’s Folly, named after Governor Charles O’Hara, who governed Gibraltar from 1795 to 1802. The first gun mounted was a 6‑inch breech‑loading gun, later replaced in 1901 by a 9.2‑inch Mark X BL gun. The battery remained in use during World War II and its guns were last fired during training exercises in 1976. The well‑preserved site still has its 9.2‑inch guns in place. Access is via O’Hara’s Road and the Mediterranean Steps, a steep route originally built by military forces in the eighteenth century as a quick connection between defence points. After extensive renovations completed under the supervision of the Governor of Gibraltar, O’Hara’s Battery reopened to the public as a visitor attraction.
