This place was a very important site in the Second World War. With the incoming plan of reoccupying Europe from the German occupying armies, a need was required for research into deceiving the enemy and to research more into radar and infrared. Twenty six were constructed around the Uk including the one at Gin Head. In fact Gin Head was probably one of the most important due to its location. With it its location sitting on a cliff jetty overlooking the sea, the Isle of May and Bass Rock allowed them to be fixed structures for calibration for radar. It was also close to East Lothian and Fife which had airfields for testing. Also the forth for Naval vessel for random testing as they passed through. The things tested here was ship borne radar systems, infrared research for detecting enemy submarines and ships, disguising ships from radar detection, testing ways of fooling Germans radar and Window which was a way of doing radar deception before D Day. The site was constructed in 1943 and opened in 1944, and some 100 staff were moved here to do the research. Window was one of the most important things developed at Gin Head. Radar deception was needed to fool the German radar systems that an imaginary invasion force was headed to French shores. This was to distract them from the real invading force.
After the war research was still carried out here till 1954 when the site was put into maintenance with minimal work being done. In 1984 it was sold to Ferranti which was a private company specialising in radar. The company operated till 1994 when it decided to vacate the site. In 2008 it was put on the market for 3.5 million with plans to develop it into residential dwellings, this was further reduced to 2.5 million. Nothing has been done with the site despite planning permission now been given for seven house.
More in depth history here if anyone is interested, with old photos.
Even though the place is a shell, it is one I have always fancied. It’s set in a beautiful backdrop with the steep cliffs and Tantallon castle virtually next to it. Plus it’s a fascinating history what really appeals to me. I visited going to the other half’s for a wedding. I visited not long after the big storm, and the weather was crazy, I had a real mixture, it was blue skies when I set off with white frost, then when I arrived it chucked it down with rain, then the sun come out again. Then heading to Glasgow the snow got thick on the motorway, then in Glasgow it was sunny but flooded everywhere. I took the walk up to it, I eventually found a hole to get in, but it was literally on the edge of the cliff with a tiny bit to stand on. All that was going through my mind was that the cliff don’t give way after the storm, or that the wind don’t blow me over as it was was still raging. It was ok in the end, but was glad to get on more solid ground. I can only find one report on here, and that was ten years ago.
The station sits in two parts really. You have a guard house with massive gates at the front, this takes you to a cluster of buildings down a roa. This includes one big building with several corridors and numerous rooms. Some garage like buildings and vehicle maintenance building, former pump house and so on. The building has a sloped roof with tracks on. I think this was going to put a radar on top, but it never happened. Then you head down a slope to another building. This is a lovely building externally, with a bowed front overlooking the sea.
Starting with the lowest building then heading up to the cluster of buildings, then the gatehouse.
And two photos I took on my phone, looking over the site from the cliffs. And a building that was a fair distance from the main site. This was just one room filled with junk.
After the war research was still carried out here till 1954 when the site was put into maintenance with minimal work being done. In 1984 it was sold to Ferranti which was a private company specialising in radar. The company operated till 1994 when it decided to vacate the site. In 2008 it was put on the market for 3.5 million with plans to develop it into residential dwellings, this was further reduced to 2.5 million. Nothing has been done with the site despite planning permission now been given for seven house.
More in depth history here if anyone is interested, with old photos.
Research Testing - RADAR
eastlothianatwar.co.uk
Even though the place is a shell, it is one I have always fancied. It’s set in a beautiful backdrop with the steep cliffs and Tantallon castle virtually next to it. Plus it’s a fascinating history what really appeals to me. I visited going to the other half’s for a wedding. I visited not long after the big storm, and the weather was crazy, I had a real mixture, it was blue skies when I set off with white frost, then when I arrived it chucked it down with rain, then the sun come out again. Then heading to Glasgow the snow got thick on the motorway, then in Glasgow it was sunny but flooded everywhere. I took the walk up to it, I eventually found a hole to get in, but it was literally on the edge of the cliff with a tiny bit to stand on. All that was going through my mind was that the cliff don’t give way after the storm, or that the wind don’t blow me over as it was was still raging. It was ok in the end, but was glad to get on more solid ground. I can only find one report on here, and that was ten years ago.
The station sits in two parts really. You have a guard house with massive gates at the front, this takes you to a cluster of buildings down a roa. This includes one big building with several corridors and numerous rooms. Some garage like buildings and vehicle maintenance building, former pump house and so on. The building has a sloped roof with tracks on. I think this was going to put a radar on top, but it never happened. Then you head down a slope to another building. This is a lovely building externally, with a bowed front overlooking the sea.
Starting with the lowest building then heading up to the cluster of buildings, then the gatehouse.
And two photos I took on my phone, looking over the site from the cliffs. And a building that was a fair distance from the main site. This was just one room filled with junk.
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