Building record MAB27016 - PERWINNES MOSS

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 NJ 93365 12176, 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 NJ 93361 12223 there is a roofless brick building with metal barred windows and doors. At NJ 93500 12395 there 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 (NJ 93172 12398). From there a concrete path extends south through two rectangular brick-built enclosures, the northern survives fully but is missing its south wall, and the southern enclosure is adapted into 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 (MAB26996) which had occupied part of the site. 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.

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.

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

Jun 11 2026 6:39PM