MHG19583 - Dalcross Airport
Summary
Site of mid C20 airield
Type and Period (1)
- AIRFIELD (BUILT 1901; REBUILT 2100; , Modern - 1901 AD to 2100 AD)
Protected Status
- None recorded
Full Description
The camp site is now Dalcross Industrial Estate. Airfield focus 19. Inverness. J A Guy, 20th Century Defences, (report nos. 1, 8 & 11).
A M Fox, Highland Council, 10.10.01.
NH75SE 31 775 520
For bronze axes and spearhead found at Connage (within the area of the airfield), see NH75SE 3 and 4, respectively.
Immediately before the war, Longman aerodrome (NH64NE 171) needed expansion, but land purchase was likely to be expensive. An alternative location was found at Dalcross, and, when war broke out, the site was suggested to the Air Ministry. The advice given was that tarmac runways would be essential, as the ground became very boggy in winter. The advice was ignored, and during the winter of 1940 the airfield became unusable and was soon closed for runway construction.
The uncompleted station was reopened on June 15 1941, but very soon accommodation proved inadequate as it consisted of four Nissen huts, one mile round the aerodrome perimeter.
During 1946, Dalcross became HQ of 13 Group, although from 1947 it was operated by the Ministry of Aviation as Inverness Airport.
The airport was closed for almost all of 1974, airline services being transferred to Kinloss (NJ06SE 29) while the runway was lengthened and strengthened to permit the operation of larger jet aircraft. Today the large 'VR' hangars are dismantled, but the two wartime Bellmans and many 'temporary' buildings are still in use. Three roofless Blister hangars can be seen and many local fences are made of Sommerfield track and its steel pickets.
D J Smith 1983.
Sources/Archives (8)
- --- SHG18185 Image/Photograph(s): Dalcross Airfield. Colour Slide; Digital Image. .
- --- SHG2642 Text/Publication/Volume: Quarrie, B (ed). 1987. Action stations 10: supplement and index. 41.
- --- SHG2816 Text/Publication/Volume: Smith, D J. 1983. Action stations 7: military airfields of Scotland, the North-East and Northern Ireland. 73-6; 75.
- --- SHG2817 Text/Publication/Volume: Smith, D J. 1989. Britain's military airfields, 1939-45. 26; Photo, 26.
- --- SHG8644 Image/Photograph(s): Dalcross Airport, new terminal. Colour Print. .
- --- SHG8645 Image/Photograph(s): Dalcross Airport, new terminal. Colour Print. .
- --- SHG8646 Image/Photograph(s): Dalcross Airport, new terminal. Colour Print. .
- --- SHG8647 Image/Photograph(s): Dalcross Airport, new terminal. Colour Print. .
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred NH 776 522 (2694m by 2059m) (2 map features) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | NH75SE |
| Civil Parish | PETTY |
| Geographical Area | INVERNESS |
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Investigations/Events (0)
External Links (1)
- https://canmore.org.uk/site/91603 (View RCAHMS Canmore entry for this site)
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