Wednesday 2 April 2014

Scotlands Secret Bunker


After readings A Bit About Britain's post on a cold war bunker and the cold reception he was given I thought I would show you what one looked like. There were many of these built round the country against time of nuclear attack and up to the time of visiting I had only ever seen an ROC post and that had been burned & trashed buy the local chaves. I thought shame the lid had not shut with them inside.  Still it gave me an idea as to how things would have been. The two guys manning the post would have been on a one way ticket that is for sure. It was while I was on holiday in Scotland near Dundee my wife saw the advert for the Scotlands Secret Bunker  and said we should visit. I had heard of the places and was wondering what it would be like.




 

Apart from the fence and truck that give away this is not a farmhouse you could be forgiven in thinking  that was the purpose. Down below it's a whole different ballgame






After walking down a stairway you come to this long tunnel









To these blast doors
 

 
I'm sure you can read how thick the walls are



Nearby you can view this mock up of an ROC Post 
Now this gives a very good idea as to what they would have looked like but most you ever come across now are trashed. I have come across a few and been in one which was totally trashed by mindless little thugs win nothing better  to do. A few are owed privately and are maintained and you can visit them if you arrange it. I found it very claustrophobic in one.


Inside is the first control room for the area

The ROC  control room which was the main HQ for the Dundee area


Telephones were manned 24hours as day


There is also a doctors surgery though I'm not sure I'd want him as my Doctor


 
There are also two sets of dormitories like this





Broadcasting Studio







 
 
 
Two cinemas














A church if you have not lost faith by then














 And a special room for the Minister of state so he can save his sorry arse while every one else dies of radiation poisoning 


The room is off the main operations room and has it's own bedroom















Emergency services


















Fully staffed switchboard








Did I mention there were two floors in the place





Plant Rooms


Long Corridors 




RAF operations room is down there as well


With lots or gear in it




Civil defence also staffed the place




The whole lot is hidden under this mound though I would be sceptical if it was known known about if the radar set up on the left was there as well and if you were local you would have known anyway





The guard room at the front of the building


I think we should be grateful they did not fire one of these at the country or I would not be showing you this blog. This is one of the many displays around the site it's a SAM2 surface to air missile and used to shoot down planes. You can also see displays from WW2 in the bunker along with some of the armaments from the time



There were many places like this round the UK and all the Major city's & towns have them including Reading, Oxford & Witney which are around the area I live & were council run. I have no doubt in a time of crises at a moments notice they could be gotten operational again even if privately owned the MOD  would just walk in and take over.
 Hope you have enjoyed your trip round the Bunker, in all honesty I found the place very depressing & oppressive so having to live there underground for a long time would do you no favours especially if you did not know what to expect when you came out. All that said  the guy who owns the site has done a great job of restoring it and getting the exhibits so if your around the Dundee area the pay a visit it gives an inside into a world we did not know about. If you would like to know more then visit Scotland's Secret Bunker