A British island became known as the 'island of death' after a secret anthrax experiment and remained under quarantine for 48 years

Gruinard Island off Scotland was contaminated with anthrax spores in 1942 as part of a secret British biological warfare program called Operation Vegetarian.

The experiment tested anthrax as a weapon against livestock, and the spores persisted in the soil for decades, making the island uninhabitable.

Gruinard became known locally as the 'island of death' and remained under official quarantine for 48 years.

The UK government declared the island safe in 1990 after extensive decontamination efforts, including a 1979 operation using formaldehyde and seawater.