Building record MAB23670 - BALGOWNIE LINKS

Pillbox constructed during World War II.

Pillbox constructed during World War II. This is one of five pillboxes surviving on Balgownie Beach, north of the mouth of the River Don. It is polygonal with a flat concrete roof, Wills type 24, and measures 5.9m by 4.8m. One side has an entrance, the other five each have a wide loophole. There is a near continuous line of anti-tank blocks between the pillbox and a sewer outfall a short distance to the north. Coastal erosion has led to the pillbox being total covered with sand, and, depending on the tide, it is not always visible. During World War Two, following the fall of Norway and Denmark in May 1940, an invasion directly to the east coast of Scotland was a serious possibility. Had this happened the country's main defences would rely on holding the beaches for as long as possible and delaying the invading force by stop-lines. The coastal pillboxes were linked by a network of anti tank blocks (NJ91SE0053). Site visit in November 2022 as part of the SCAPE Coastal Zone Assessment Survey noted that the pillbox was mostly buried in the surf at mid tide. The roof appears to have become detached.

SCAPE, 2023, COASTAL ZONE ASSESSMENT SURVEY ABERDEENSHIRE AND CITY OF ABERDEEN: CULLEN TO MILTON NESS, ID 15037 (Bibliographic reference). SAB4866.

Record last edited

Jan 4 2024 4:10PM