Royal Air Force Pitreavie Castle or RAF Pitreavie Castle was a station of the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
located at
Pitreavie Castle
Pitreavie Castle is a country house, located between Rosyth and Dunfermline in Fife, Scotland. It was built in the early 17th century, and was extensively remodelled in 1885. The house remained in private hands until 1938, when it was acquired by ...
in
Dunfermline
Dunfermline (; sco, Dunfaurlin, gd, Dùn Phàrlain) is a city, parish and former Royal Burgh, in Fife, Scotland, on high ground from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. The city currently has an estimated population of 58,508. Accord ...
and near
Rosyth
Rosyth ( gd, Ros Fhìobh, "headland of Fife") is a town on the Firth of Forth, south of the centre of Dunfermline. According to the census of 2011, the town has a population of 13,440.
The new town was founded as a Garden city-style suburb ...
,
Fife
Fife (, ; gd, Fìobha, ; sco, Fife) is a council area, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries with Perth and Kinross (i ...
, Scotland.
Built in the early 17th century, the castle was sold to the
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964. It was under the political authority of the Secretary of State ...
in 1938. An underground
bunker
A bunker is a defensive military fortification designed to protect people and valued materials from falling bombs, artillery, or other attacks. Bunkers are almost always underground, in contrast to blockhouses which are mostly above ground. ...
was constructed and the station was used to coordinate the operations of RAF
Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command was a formation within the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was founded in 1936, when the RAF was restructured into Fighter, Bomber and Coastal Commands and played an important role during the Second World War. Maritime Aviation ...
and the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
during the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
.
The station was subsequently used as a UK and
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
maritime headquarters before closing in 1996. It is now in residential use.
History
Pre-military use
Pitreavie Castle is thought to have been built by
Sir Henry Wardlaw, the 1st
Baronet of Pitreavie, who bought the Pitreavie estate in 1608, with the castle believed to have existed by 1614. It was sold to
Archibald Primrose, 1st Earl of Rosebery
Archibald Primrose, 1st Earl of Rosebery (1664–1723) was a Scottish politician.
Son of Sir Archibald Primrose, Lord Carrington, he was a Commissioner to the Parliament of Scotland for Edinburgh county from 1695.
He was created Viscount R ...
, in 1703, and then to Sir Robert Blackwood,
Lord Dean of Guild
A Dean of Guild, under Scots law, was one of a group of burgh magistrates who, in later years, had the care of buildings. The leader of the group was known as Lord Dean of Guild.
Originally, the post was held by the head of the Guild brethren of ...
, and later
Lord Provost, of
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
, in 1711. It remained in the Blackwood family for 170 years, but was unoccupied for almost a century. The castle was bought by Henry Beveridge, a wealthy mill owner, in 1884. It was extensively extended and altered in 1885.
Establishment
Before the outbreak of the Second World War, the Works Department of the
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964. It was under the political authority of the Secretary of State ...
was looking for a site to accommodate the headquarters of newly reformed
No. 18 (Reconnaissance) Group, part of
RAF Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command was a formation within the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was founded in 1936, when the RAF was restructured into Fighter, Bomber and Coastal Commands and played an important role during the Second World War. Maritime Aviation ...
. In 1938, Pitreavie Castle was found and purchased for £12,306.
The building, which was in a dilapidated state, was considered suitable due to the room available for expansion in its large grounds and its close proximity to the Royal Navy base at
Rosyth
Rosyth ( gd, Ros Fhìobh, "headland of Fife") is a town on the Firth of Forth, south of the centre of Dunfermline. According to the census of 2011, the town has a population of 13,440.
The new town was founded as a Garden city-style suburb ...
. In 1939, the
Admiralty
Admiralty most often refers to:
*Admiralty, Hong Kong
* Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964
*The rank of admiral
* Admiralty law
Admiralty can also refer to:
Buildings
*Admiralty, Tr ...
made it known to the RAF that it was interested in co-locating at Pitreavie and creating a joint RAF/
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
Area Combined Headquarters (ACHQ), to which the RAF were agreeable.
In order to protect the important headquarters from potential aerial attack should war break out, work began on an subterranean
bunker
A bunker is a defensive military fortification designed to protect people and valued materials from falling bombs, artillery, or other attacks. Bunkers are almost always underground, in contrast to blockhouses which are mostly above ground. ...
within the grounds, located to the south-west of the main building. It comprised a two-storey bunker, square in shape, buried underground. It featured two entrances, one for the RAF, leading to an external entrance beside the main building and one leading to the newly built above ground Royal Navy block to the west. It was completed in 1941.
Second World War
![Royal Air Force Coastal Command, 1939-1945](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Royal_Air_Force_Coastal_Command%2C_1939-1945._CH12189.jpg)
The site became home to the No. 18 Group headquarters, which had responsibility for maritime air operations north of
Flamborough Head
Flamborough Head () is a promontory, long on the Yorkshire coast of England, between the Filey and Bridlington bays of the North Sea. It is a chalk headland, with sheer white cliffs. The cliff top has two standing lighthouse towers, the olde ...
in
Yorkshire
Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...
, including the areas north and west of Scotland. The Navy's
Commander-in-Chief, Rosyth
The Flag Officer Scotland and Northern Ireland (FOSNI) was a senior post in the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. It was based at HM Naval Base Clyde, and the holder of the post was the Royal Navy’s senior officer in Scotland. The post of FOSN ...
was responsible for naval operations north of Flamborough Head to
Wick
Wick most often refers to:
* Capillary action ("wicking")
** Candle wick, the cord used in a candle or oil lamp
** Solder wick, a copper-braided wire used to desolder electronic contacts
Wick or WICK may also refer to:
Places and placenames ...
in
Caithness
Caithness ( gd, Gallaibh ; sco, Caitnes; non, Katanes) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland.
Caithness has a land boundary with the historic county of Sutherland to the west and is otherwise bounded by ...
.
The site featured a joint Officers'
Mess
The mess (also called a mess deck aboard ships) is a designated area where military personnel socialize, eat and (in some cases) live. The term is also used to indicate the groups of military personnel who belong to separate messes, such as the o ...
and a
steading to the east of the main building was used as a Sergeants' Mess.
Towards the end of Second World War, three wooden huts were located to the east of the main building and used to accommodate officers, non-commissioned Officers and other ranks and
ratings. The huts were believed to have dated from the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
and had been relocated from
RAF Donibristle
RNAS Donibristle is a former Fleet Air Arm base located east of Rosyth, Fife, and northwest of Edinburgh.
From 1918 to 1939 the station was called RAF Donibristle.
History
The following units were posted here at some point:
;Royal Air Force
...
, approximately away at
Dalgety Bay
Dalgety Bay () is a coastal town and parish in Fife, Scotland. According to Fife Council, the town is home to , making this the eighth-largest place in Fife. The civil parish has a population of 10,777 (in 2011).Census of Scotland 2011, Table KS ...
.
During the war, No. 18 Group had responsibility for more than twenty squadrons and controlled aircraft predominately involved in
anti-shipping and
anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare (ASW, or in older form A/S) is a branch of underwater warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, submarines, or other platforms, to find, track, and deter, damage, or destroy enemy submarines. Such operations are t ...
in the seas around Scotland. The
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 Winston Churchill in the Second World War, dur ...
, visited Pitreavie Castle twice during the war.
Cold War
![Pitreavie Castle (geograph 2502403)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/Pitreavie_Castle_%28geograph_2502403%29.jpg)
After the end of the Second World War in 1945, Pitreavie Castle's peacetime role continued to be maritime coordination. However, Flag Officer Rosyth transitioned into the
Flag Officer Scotland and Northern Ireland
The Flag Officer Scotland and Northern Ireland (FOSNI) was a senior post in the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. It was based at HMNB Clyde, HM Naval Base Clyde, and the holder of the post was the Royal Navy’s senior officer in Scotland. The ...
position.
During the Cold War, Pitreavie Castle had several administrative and command roles.
On the formation of the
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
alliance in April 1949, both the Flag Officer Scotland and Northern Ireland and
Air Officer Commanding 18 Group took on second, additional, NATO command roles.
An associated
Royal Naval Reserve
The Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) is one of the two volunteer reserve forces of the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. Together with the Royal Marines Reserve, they form the Maritime Reserve. The present RNR was formed by merging the original Ro ...
unit was commissioned in 1957, later being named
HMS ''Scotia'' in 1960. Initially based in the Maritime Headquarters, it was relocated to an above ground building in 1962.
![Hawker Siddeley Nimrod MR2 (801), UK - Air Force AN0799125](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/Hawker_Siddeley_Nimrod_MR2_%28801%29%2C_UK_-_Air_Force_AN0799125.jpg)
In 1963, following a review of Royal Navy and RAF headquarters sites, the bunker was rearranged and enlarged. After Commander-in-Chief Fleet (CINCFLEET) Headquarters based at
Northwood Headquarters
Northwood Headquarters is a military headquarters facility of the British Armed Forces in Eastbury, Hertfordshire, England, adjacent to the London suburb of Northwood. It is home to the following military command and control functions:
#Headqua ...
(HMS ''Warrior'') in
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For govern ...
, Pitreavie became the second most important naval headquarters in the UK, as FOSNI had a war role under CINCFLEET. The castle however remained as a joint Royal Navy/RAF operation.
On 28 November 1969,
No. 18 Group RAF, part of
RAF Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command was a formation within the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was founded in 1936, when the RAF was restructured into Fighter, Bomber and Coastal Commands and played an important role during the Second World War. Maritime Aviation ...
, stationed at Pitreavie Castle, was disestablished by being redesignated Northern Maritime Air Region. From that point onwards AOC Northern Maritime Air Region appears to have also had the responsibility of Air Officer Scotland and Northern Ireland (AOSNI). FOSNI had command and control of Royal Navy warships and
auxiliary vessels (apart from submarines) and in the seas around Scotland, Northern Ireland and Northern England. AOC Northern Maritime Air Region directed RAF maritime patrol aircraft (MPA), any allocated attack aircraft, and helicopters. Peacetime operations would include training exercises and routine patrols. The station was often used as the base for coordinating
Joint Maritime Course
Exercise Joint Warrior is a major biannual multi-national military exercise which takes place in the United Kingdom, predominately in north west Scotland. It is the successor of the Neptune Warrior exercises and Joint Maritime Course.
Joint W ...
exercises. Had war broken out with the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
, the station would have taken command and control of NATO vessels and MPA in its allocated areas.
Among Air Officers Commanding Northern Maritime Air Region was then-Air Vice Marshal
Thomas Kennedy.
Pitreavie could also, if required, take over the functions of Northwood Headquarters. In these circumstances Pitreavie would take on a wider area of responsibility, have increased contact with politicians, co-ordinate submarines, and after 1970, control
Polaris
Polaris is a star in the northern circumpolar constellation of Ursa Minor. It is designated α Ursae Minoris ( Latinized to ''Alpha Ursae Minoris'') and is commonly called the North Star or Pole Star. With an apparent magnitude that ...
, the UK's
strategic nuclear deterrent.
During the mid-1970s the number of Royal Navy personnel increased whereas the level of RAF personnel reduced. A limited number of married quarters were provided at Pitreavie, however most personnel were accommodated at
Rosyth Dockyard
Rosyth Dockyard is a large naval dockyard on the Firth of Forth at Rosyth, Fife, Scotland, owned by Babcock Marine, which formerly undertook refitting of Royal Navy surface vessels and submarines. Before its privatisation in the 1990s it was fo ...
(HMS ''Cochrane'') or
RAF Turnhouse
Royal Air Force Turnhouse or more simply RAF Turnhouse is a former Royal Air Force Sector Station located in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is now Edinburgh Airport.
History
The following units were here at some point:
;First World War
* No. 26 Reserve ...
near
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
.
Administration
The station was home to the administrative offices of the senior Royal Navy and RAF officers in Scotland. Flag Officer Scotland and Northern Ireland (FOSNI) had offices in A-block and AOSNI had offices in the main castle building.
Rescue Co-ordination Centre
The Search and Rescue (SAR) cell, known as
Rescue Co-ordination Centre (RCC) Edinburgh, controlled Royal Navy and RAF aircraft taking part in rescues over both land and sea in Scotland, Northern Ireland and most of England.
Draw-down and closure
During the early 1990s, RAF Pitreavie Castle's future looked secure with plans announced in July 1993 to locate a combined national Rescue Co-ordination Centre (RCC) at the site. The combined RCC would have coordinated all military aircraft involved in military and civilian search and rescue operations in the UK. The plans would have seen the closure of the UK's other RCC, which was located at
Mount Wise in
Plymouth
Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west.
Plymouth ...
. The national RCC was expected to be operational by the end of 1994.
However,
''Frontline First: The Defence Costs Study'''','' published by the
Ministry of Defence
{{unsourced, date=February 2021
A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...
in July 1994, recommended various changes to the structure of the British military and the defence estate. The study resulted in Pitreavie's roles being relocated and the station proposed for closure.
The creation of the national RCC at Pitreavie was cancelled, with a new home for it proposed at RAF Leuchars, also in Fife.
In the event, the national RCC was established in 1997 at
RAF Kinloss
Royal Air Force Kinloss or RAF Kinloss is a former Royal Air Force (RAF) station located near the village of Kinloss, on the Moray Firth in the north east of Scotland.
The RAF station opened on 1 April 1939 and served as a training establishme ...
in
Moray
Moray () gd, Moireibh or ') is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It lies in the north-east of the country, with a coastline on the Moray Firth, and borders the council areas of Aberdeenshire and Highland.
Between 1975 ...
and became known as the
Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre
The United Kingdom's Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre (ARCC) is based at the National Maritime Operations Centre (NMOC), Fareham, Hampshire.
Structure
The centre is responsible for coordinating all Maritime & Coastguard Agency Search and ...
(ARCC).
In December 1995, the office of the Air Officer Scotland and Northern Ireland moved from Pitreavie Castle to RAF Leuchars. Flag Officer Scotland Northern England and Northern Ireland moved to Faslane (HMNB Cylde).
RAF Pitreavie Castle closed on 31 January 1996. The closure of the station was expected to save £22 million over 10 years.
Post-military use
After the closure of the station the castle and former steading buildings were converted to residential use. Other buildings were demolished and the bunker sealed up, with all surface elements removed.
See also
*
List of former Royal Air Force stations
This list of former RAF stations includes most of the stations, airfields and administrative headquarters previously used by the Royal Air Force.
The stations are listed under any former county or country name which was appropriate for the du ...
*
HMS ''Scotia'' (shore establishment)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pitreavie Castle
Buildings and structures in Dunfermline
Category A listed buildings in Fife
Government buildings completed in 1938
Military command and control installations
Military installations in Scotland
NATO installations in the United Kingdom
Organisations based in Fife
Royal Air Force stations in Scotland
Royal Air Force stations of World War II in the United Kingdom
Royal Navy bases in Scotland