Building record MAB21750 - DYCE

World War II pillbox, built circa 1940 with brick walls and a concrete roof.

World War II pillbox, built circa 1940 with brick walls and a concrete roof. This pillbox is located on the bridge which carried the road to St Fergus Church. For the construction of this pillbox brick shuttering has been used. The brick was not removed after the concrete set and created a brick facing, with a concrete core and roof. The original bullet-proof shutters on the loopholes remain inside the pillbox. It is unique in Aberdeen in being the only one with brick facing. This could have been done to help it blend in with the bridge, delaying its recognition from a distance. The hedge line will provide additional defence. This pillbox provides a good line of sight for the railway track in both directions. Pillboxes were part of the defensive works built to resist invasion during World War Two and date from between 1940- 41. They were intended to defend against an army equipped with armour and artillery. Of the 10 surviving pillboxes in Aberdeen, not all are located on the beaches. Should the invasion force make it past the beach, there would be other defensive positions inland, known as stop-lines. Defensive posts were placed at strategic locations, such as the on the bridge over the Aberdeen- Inverness railway line near Dyce. To help delay the recognition of pillboxes they were constructed using local materials. However masonry was expensive and called for specialised skills and so rarely used in wartime.

Period Notes
Listed 16/05/2007

BABTIE GROUP, 2004, ABERDEEN WESTERN PERIPHERAL ROUTE: ARCHAEOLOGICAL DESK-BASED STUDY & WALKOVER SURVEY. VOL 1: TEXT, VOL 2 GAZETTEER, Site 154b (Bibliographic reference). SAB3745.

Record last edited

Jun 2 2025 2:51PM