RNAS Rattray, Former Royal Naval Air Station in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
RNAS Rattray is a former Royal Naval Air Station in Aberdeenshire with multiple runways built during World War II. The site contains various military buildings and infrastructure arranged across open land near the village of Crimond.
Construction started in 1943 and the station received official commission in 1944 as a naval air facility. After the war, it transformed into a wireless communications station serving the Royal Navy until the early 2000s.
The station trained numerous Telegraphist Air Gunners and Torpedo Bombing Reconnaissance crews, contributing to British naval aviation development.
The site now operates as a transmitter station for military communications and is not open to the public. Access is restricted as it remains an active defence installation managed by a private contractor.
The facility was known as HMS Merganser and continued serving in a naval communications role long after flight operations ended. This shift allowed the base to remain operational and relevant into the 2000s.
Location: Aberdeenshire
GPS coordinates: 57.61190,-1.88450
Latest update: December 14, 2025 11:42
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