RNAS Hatston, Royal Naval Air Station in Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, Scotland
RNAS Hatston was a Royal Naval Air Station located northwest of Kirkwall, built across extensive grounds with multiple asphalt runways designed for naval aircraft operations. The site has since been converted into an industrial estate while retaining evidence of its military infrastructure.
The station was established in 1934 and commissioned in 1939 to house Fleet Air Arm squadrons. It served as a key operational base during World War II for naval aviation missions across the North Sea.
Street names in this area honor naval aviation heritage through names like Sparrowhawk Road and Swordfish Road, keeping the military past present in daily life. Walking through the industrial estate, you notice these aviation references woven into the local landscape.
The site today functions as an industrial estate near Kirkwall, with pathways crossing through the former airfield area. Visitors should be prepared for industrial activity and vehicle traffic throughout the zone.
This site pioneered the use of continuous asphalt runways at a British military airfield, a construction method that became the template for future air bases across the country. The innovation made Hatston a model for modern military aviation infrastructure.
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