Building record MAB27016 - PERWINNES MOSS

Remains of World War II radio direction finding station.

Remains of World War II radio direction finding station. It may have been an experimental Direction Finding (DF) station. It is visible on RAF aerial photographs taken in 1946. A brick-built octagonal building with blast walls at the entrance and windows at NJ9336512176 is suggested as a possible DF station on the basis of the shape but would be unusual in being constructed of brick with windows. At NJ9336112223 is a roofless brick building with metal barred windows and doors. At NJ9350012395 is what appears to have been a small network of receiver masts within a rectangular enclosure, with a small building at its centre. Aerial photographs show what appears to be a cable trench from the enclosure to a concrete platform which may have supported a building (NJ9317212398) . From there a concrete path extends south through two rectangular brick-built enclosures, the northern surviving apart from the south wall, the southern enclosure adapted to a large shed. A practice trench system is also visible on the aerial photographs. Standing building survey of the surviving features on Scotstown Moor was carried out by Cameron Archaeology in May 2014, including the World War II DF station, World War II practice trenches and children's camp (NJ91SW0089) which had occupied part of the site. Construction work on the radio station was completed in August 1940. It was reportedly bombed in April 1943 during a large raid on Aberdeen, a crater at the southern end of the moor being said to date from that time. On 30 May 1949 it was recorded that the Air Ministry no longer required the site, although wished to retain it. Features recorded in the 2014 survey included possible base for an aerial, concrete paths, remains of huts, an octagonal brick pillbox, brick built buildings, octagonal concrete foundation (probably for a direction finding tower), zig-zag trenches.

CAMERON ARCHAEOLOGY, 2014, SCOTSTOWN MOOR, SMR ENHANCEMENT: RADIO DETECTION FINDING STATION, CHILDREN'S CAMP, WWII PRACTICE TRENCHES (Bibliographic reference). SAB6968.

ARCAHEOLOGY SCOTLAND, 2015, DISCOVERY AND EXCAVATION IN SCOTLAND. NEW SERIES, VOLUME 15, 2014, p. 13 (Bibliographic reference). SAB5542.

Mar 16 2048 , CPE/SCOT/316/1135, CPE/SCOT/316/1135 (Air-vertical Photograph). SAB36442.

Record last edited

Nov 17 2025 9:37AM