Alternative Names Windyhead Hill
Site type RADIO STATION (20TH CENTURY)
Canmore ID 81536
Site Number NJ86SE 27.00
NGR NJ 8530 6190
Council ABERDEENSHIRE
Parish ABERDOUR (BANFF AND BUCHAN)
Former Region GRAMPIAN
Former District BANFF AND BUCHAN
Former County ABERDEENSHIRE

Canmore Mapping
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Archaeological Notes

NJ86SE 27.00 8530 6190 and 8520 6277

NJ86SE 27.01 centred NJ 85149 62754 Military Camp
NJ86SE 27.02 centred NJ 85221 61570 Military Camp
NJ86SE 27.03 NJ 85264 62119 Radio Mast; Building

Camp Site (disused) [NAT] (at NJ 8520 6278)
Wireless Station [NAT] (at NJ 8548 6208)
Mast [NAT] (at NJ 8551 6209)
OS 1:10,000 map, 1972.

Windyhead Hill was a ground station for the Gee Radar Navigation aid, equipped with a type 7000 set.
Information from Mr I Brown to RCAHMS, 19 October 1998

This 'Gee' station is situated on the summit of Windyheads Hill. There are four main elements to the (upper) site all of which involve receiving and transmitting blocks. The main accommodation camp (NJ86SE 27.01) was situated to the N (centred NJ 8520 6280). Whilst many of the buildings have been demolished enough remains of the site to give an impression of what its extant was. This station has many similarities to the complimentary 'Gee' station at Burifa Hill, Caithness (ND27NW 8.00).
A postwar wireless station has been built over the site of one of the wartime Tx/Rx blocks (NJ 85477 62086), comprises a main block, observation post, wind and temperature gauges and a small mast.
The surviving buildings are all constructed of brick and concrete and are located as follows; the two surviving receiver Rx receiver blocks (Tx) are at NJ 85242 61757 and NJ 85486 61872, though four are visible on vertical air photographs (RAF 106G/Scot/UK 108, 3204-3205, flown 23 May 1946). The evidence from the photographs would suggest that each Tx/Rx block was provided with its own power supply generator. There is also evidence of the four Tx/Rx blocks being surround by a barbed wire fence. Two mast bases at NJ 85527 61886 and NJ 85519 62099 corresponding to that visible on the vertical air photographs, are shown on the current version of the OS digital 1:2500 map.
A second smaller hutted camp (NJ86SE 27.02) is visible on the air photographs at NJ 8520 6160 consists mainly of Nissen and wooden types. The air photographs show no anti-aircraft defences, though several small machine gun positions can be seen.
Information from RCAHMS (DE), September 2003