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View Full Version : RAF Saxa Vord, Unst, Shetland. Report 2009



wader3
24-02-2011, 04:40 PM
This is the most Northern place in the UK. A local told me the place was deserted, so I drove up for a look around. The Base itself has been empty since 2004, but the accommodation village a couple of miles south is now part of a tourism initiative. (Good luck, nice place but a bit far for most!)

I've left it a while because 1 I never find the time to do all the uploading, but 2 because the place is so remote, I'm pretty sure they'd know who was snooping - the local was one of a handful of residents occupying this island. Oh, and I did later find it's not completely deserted, the radar is still maintained and perhaps I could have been shot afterall :wflag

RAF Saxa Vord was a radar station operated by the Royal Air Force. It was situated on the island of Unst, one of the Shetland Islands in the north of Scotland. Its radar provided long-range coverage of the airspace to the North of Scotland. The station's motto "Praemoneo de Periculis", Forewarn of Danger, reflected its role.
The island of Unst has played an important part in the defence of the UK since the outbreak of the Second World War.
From around 2000 until 2 April 2004, the station operated as RRH Saxa Vord, an unmanned Remote Radar Head operated from a parent station (RAF Buchan). On 2 April 2004, RAF Saxa Vord was upgraded from a Remote Radar Head to a full manned station, taking over control of the radar defences in the area. RAF Buchan will be downgraded to a Remote Radar Head. RAF Saxa Vord closed in April 2006.



http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt66/david_mann_duel/saxa%20vord%20raf/P1060257.jpg



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http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt66/david_mann_duel/saxa%20vord%20raf/P1060231.jpg



http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt66/david_mann_duel/saxa%20vord%20raf/P1060232.jpg



http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt66/david_mann_duel/saxa%20vord%20raf/P1060234.jpg



http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt66/david_mann_duel/saxa%20vord%20raf/P1060237.jpg



http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt66/david_mann_duel/saxa%20vord%20raf/P1060238.jpg



http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt66/david_mann_duel/saxa%20vord%20raf/P1060236.jpg


Last exit to nowhere...?
http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt66/david_mann_duel/saxa%20vord%20raf/P1060239.jpg



http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt66/david_mann_duel/saxa%20vord%20raf/P1060241.jpg


I thought about going up this as I figured it was out of use...glad something held me back...
http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt66/david_mann_duel/saxa%20vord%20raf/P1060240.jpg


Notice how this gate is now open... (and how quick the weather changes...)
http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt66/david_mann_duel/saxa%20vord%20raf/P1060243.jpg



http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt66/david_mann_duel/saxa%20vord%20raf/P1060233.jpg


Gate to electric sub station
http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt66/david_mann_duel/saxa%20vord%20raf/P1060228.jpg



http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt66/david_mann_duel/saxa%20vord%20raf/P1060258.jpg


Anyone want to compete for the furthest north vehicle UK?
http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt66/david_mann_duel/saxa%20vord%20raf/P1060260.jpg

KingElvis
24-02-2011, 04:52 PM
Wow mate, so is it operational at the moment?

Krypton
24-02-2011, 05:00 PM
I love this!

wader3
24-02-2011, 05:13 PM
Wow mate, so is it operational at the moment?

Yeah, there was me wandering around in the fog and some maintenance contractors arrived. I just said I was being nosey as a local told me it was disused - they said it was but the radar dome building is still maintained which is what they were doing. I guess just so it's ready if they want to reinstate it. They were quite nice and just suggested I leave.

There really is no need to board up buildings and have security in this sort of a place. I stayed in a youth hostel - about 30 beds and I was the only person there - not even any staff!

Clough
24-02-2011, 07:19 PM
Thats sweet mate when you get home make sure all the radio waves and exposure to high end military equitment hasnt left you with super powers, top stuff

coops
24-02-2011, 07:23 PM
This is great i,m over in Uist this summer doing the north and south so will be sure to check this out ...i always thought Cape Wrath was the most northerly point ?

Only2Eyes
24-02-2011, 07:28 PM
This is excellent

Nicola
24-02-2011, 07:50 PM
Cool - glad you didn't get shot!

simonix
24-02-2011, 08:27 PM
Wow, thats amazing!

wolfism
24-02-2011, 08:29 PM
Cheers for posting, bet I'm not the only one who's occasionally wondered what Saxa Vord was like.

Coops – afaik Cape Wrath is the most north-westerly point on the Scottish mainland (Dunnet Head is the most northerly), but Saxa Vord is pretty much at the northern end of the Shetland Isles.

beam assisted
24-02-2011, 08:33 PM
very tasty mate - love it

boxerheaven
25-02-2011, 11:21 AM
thats actually pretty good and interesting :)

wader3
25-02-2011, 01:05 PM
Thanks all, shame I didn’t have a tripod though, and would have been nice to get more internals.




Coops – afaik Cape Wrath is the most north-westerly point on the Scottish mainland (Dunnet Head is the most northerly), but Saxa Vord is pretty much at the northern end of the Shetland Isles.

Indeed - although if I'd had time I would have liked to get a boat out to Muckle Flugga lighthouse - that really is the last place. You can almost thow a stone to it, but you wouldn't want to swim it..

Runner
25-02-2011, 01:15 PM
Great stuff - cheers for posting this :thumb

Coops - if you're up around Cape Wrath there's a place near Durness that's worth checking out.

ERNIE99_UK
25-02-2011, 01:45 PM
nice report, its good to see something in such good condition. Nice bike btw.

magoo˛
25-02-2011, 02:42 PM
Excellent stuff :thumb

wolfism
25-02-2011, 08:40 PM
Coops - if you're up around Cape Wrath there's a place near Durness that's worth checking out.
Yep, there's an old Chain Home Low station (remains of), and the domestic site at Balnakeil is still there, converted into a hippy artists' commune. You can also get onto the Cape Wrath range occasionally when they're not firing.

coops
25-02-2011, 08:45 PM
Great stuff - cheers for posting this :thumb

Coops - if you're up around Cape Wrath there's a place near Durness that's worth checking out.

Cheers mate as it happens we are up in Durness for 2 days as part of the holiday tour so yes cheers

coops
25-02-2011, 08:48 PM
Yep, there's an old Chain Home Low station (remains of), and the domestic site at Balnakeil is still there, converted into a hippy artists' commune. You can also get onto the Cape Wrath range occasionally when they're not firing.

Thanks for this too mate

wolfism
25-02-2011, 08:54 PM
No worries mate. There are a few B&B's at Durness, and a decent enough hotel to get a meal in (Sango Sands?) but not a lot else close by really. Also look out for the NATO Z-berth buoys and POL's if you're driving down the west side past Loch Broom on the road towards Ullapool, I think there's still a boom defence line at Aultbea as well, though it's watched over iirc.

Runner
25-02-2011, 08:59 PM
Originally Posted by wolfism
Yep, there's an old Chain Home Low station (remains of), and the domestic site at Balnakeil is still there, converted into a hippy artists' commune. You can also get onto the Cape Wrath range occasionally when they're not firing.
Thanks for this too mate

Second that; we watched the German airforce trying to blow a rock out of sea when we were up there from the beach at Balnakeil, they had some sort of one way system working for the planes and they were coming over every 5mins or so. I would have watched it all day but Mrs runner got bored and went to look around the hippy place. Sure you'll be able to trawl some details of operating days for the range up - well worth a watch :thumb

wader3
26-02-2011, 01:00 AM
nice report, its good to see something in such good condition. Nice bike btw.

Cheers Ernie, great exploring machine! :thumb

coops
12-07-2011, 09:48 AM
will be out here next week will try and get up for some pics