MHG20493 - The Bunker, King Duncan's Road, Inverness
Summary
Built in 1941 as a filter room for 14 Group of RAF Fighter Command, this bunker is now in use as an Emergency Planning Centre for Highland Council.
Type and Period (5)
- BUNKER (Built, Second World War - 1941 AD to 1941 AD)
- GROUP FILTER ROOM (In use, Second World War to 20th Century - 1941 AD to 1946 AD)
- CIVIL DEFENCE BUILDING (In use, 20th Century - 1958 AD to 1968 AD)
- ROYAL OBSERVER CORPS SITE (In use, 20th Century - 1968 AD to 1988 AD)
- EMERGENCY PLANNING CENTRE (In use, 20th Century to 21st Century - 1988 AD to 2100 AD)
Protected Status
Full Description
Fighter Command HQ WWII. Concrete underground bunker now used as an HQ for the Emergency Services. <1>
Due to some confusion in the records, clarification was sought from military historian Bob Jenner. The bunker was built in 1941 as a filter room, part of the new 14 Group Headquarters for RAF Fighter Command. Two other bunkers were purpose built for operations and communications. The use of the site by 14 Group (later 13 Group) came to an end in 1946. <2>
The Raigmore site was used as a Royal Auxilliary Air Force headquarters from 1946 to 1957. The filter room was then occupied by the Civil Defence Corps between 1958 and 1968 and later by the Royal Observers Corps in addition to their accommodation in the former operations bunker. In 1988 the bunker was bought by the Highland Regional Council and work began to convert it to an Emergency Planning Centre. It is still in use. <3>
Note that the listed building details appear to be incorrect in stating that Raigmore House was a Sector Operation Centre. <4>
Sources/Archives (4)
- <1> SHG20874 Text/Report/Fieldwork Report: Guy, J. A.. 2000. Highland Region: A Survey of the 20th Century Defences. Historic Scotland. 30/01/2001. Digital (scanned as PDF). Vol. 2 pp. 134-5.
- <2> SHG24080 Text/Correspondence: Jenner, R. 13/09/2008. Email from Bob Jenner regarding RAF Fighter Command 14 Group HQ. Yes. Digital.
- <3> SHG23877 Text/Designation Notification/List of Buildings: Historic Scotland. 2002. Information Supplementary to the Statutory List: Mackintosh Road, RAF Filter Block (The Bunker).
- <4> SHG23297 Verbal Communication: Tilbury, S. Comment by Sylvina Tilbury, HER Officer.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred NH 6825 4559 (55m by 62m) (2 map features) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | NH64NE |
| Civil Parish | INVERNESS AND BONA |
| Geographical Area | INVERNESS |
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (1)
Related Investigations/Events (0)
External Links (2)
- http://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/LB49181 (Online designation description (Historic Environment Scotland))
- https://canmore.org.uk/site/98529 (View RCAHMS Canmore entry for this site (NH64NE 277 ))
Comments and Feedback
Do you have any more information about this record? Please feel free to comment with information and photographs, or ask any questions, using the "Disqus" tool below. Comments are moderated, and we aim to respond/publish as soon as possible.