Scotland’s
Secret Bunker unveil Leuchars Air Show exhibition
Scotland’s
Secret Bunker has today unveiled a new photo exhibition celebrating 65 years of
the nearby Leuchars Airshow, almost three years to the day since the Red Arrows
flew over the Fife coast for the last time and the last 617 Squadron flypast
took place.
The Cold War
museum, which is situated just 15 miles from RAF Leuchars, will host the
exhibition, running until Sunday 30th October, which showcases a
selection of 72 stunning photographs spanning the 65-year history of the iconic
Airshow. All photographs have come from the archives of Dundee-based publishers
D.C. Thomson and celebrates the heritage of the annual event that attracted
around 45,000 visitors in its final year.
Leuchars
Airshow was a chance for RAF Leuchars to showcase the Royal Air Force at its
best and featured static and air displays from various defence aircrafts. The
exhibition is a fitting tribute to the nearby base that has a long history of
defending UK airspace, including during the 1950’s, when Scotland’s Secret
Bunker, and throughout the Cold War. The 2013 Airshow was the last and the RAF
base transitioned to an Army base in 2015.
James
Mitchell, Owner of Scotland’s Secret Bunker, commented:
“We’re
delighted to be holding this very special exhibition at Scotland’s Secret
Bunker as a celebration of the 65 years of the iconic Leuchars Airshow. We’ve
hand selected some fantastic images from the archives and are delighted to put
them on display for our visitors to look back with fond memories and learn more
about the history of the show.”
Scotland’s
Secret Bunker was built by the Ministry of Defence in the 1950s to help
safeguard Scotland during the Cold War, decommissioned in the late 1980s and
opened to the public in 1994. Highlights include the RAF operations room, a
rebuild of the original 1950s RAF centre housed there, which includes a “Tote”
board which shows aircraft and anti-aircraft gun status as well as a broadcasting studio that would have been staffed by the BBC to ensure
emergency broadcasting in the event of a nuclear strike.
Visitors wishing to see the photo exhibition can do so by visiting Scotland’s Secret Bunker, which is open 7 days a week from 10am-6pm, with last entry at 5pm. To find out more please visit www.secretbunker.co.uk