Skelmorlie
Secret
Bunker
The only fully restored nuclear monitoring post in the West of Scotland
Skelmorlie is one of the very few restored Royal Observer Corps underground monitoring posts available for public access after the United Kingdom stand-down in September 1991 as a result of the ending of the Cold War.
See and experience history in real life - learn how information would have been provided using the original equipment and instrumentation to determine the ground zero, blast and fall-out effects of a nuclear missile attack on the West of Scotland.
An atmospheric, underground, hands-on experience, you'll be accompanied by members of 25 Group (Ayr) Royal Observer Corps Association who served in the Corps and at Skelmorlie until 1991.
FOREWARNED
IS
FOREARMED
In 1955 the British Government announced that the Royal Observer Corps would be given the task of monitoring and reporting of radio-active fallout in the event that the United Kingdom should be attacked by nuclear weapons.
This role was later expanded to include the reporting of bomb burst information from which the ground zero geographical position, whether the weapon was air burst or ground burst and weapon yield (power) could be calculated.
In 1957 a massive construction project was started to provide 1563 underground posts and 31 protected centres throughout the United Kingdom. This number was reduced in 1968 to 865 operational underground posts as a result of United Kingdom government budget cuts.
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Skelmorlie underground monitoring post, situated at Meigle, Skelmorlie, North Ayrshire, Scotland was constructed in April 1965 and remained operational until the stand-down of the UK monitoring posts in September 1991 as a result of the ending of the Cold war and the diminished nuclear threat.
In 2004 the monitoring post was restored back to its original condition as a tribute to the thousands of men and women who had served in the Corps and in 2017 a portacabin and small car park were added to the site to enhance the visitor experience during conducted guided tours.
The museum is open at weekends, April to September. Due to the size of the post, which was designed for only three people, pre-booking is absolutely essential.
To book your visit, call Frank Alexander on 07513 504 115 or email info@skelmorliesecretbunker.co.uk
