Scotland’s oldest aircraft hangars still in use span the birth of the Royal Air Force with rare timber Belfast trusses.
Quick facts
- Date
- 1917–1918; later alterations
- Architect / designer
- Lieutenant-Colonel B H O Armstrong; built by Melville, Dundas & Wilson with roof trusses by D Anderson
- Type
- Pair of military aircraft sheds
- Designation
- Listed building, Category A (LB51423)
- OS grid reference
- NO 46014 20792
Architecture and continuing use
Each hundred-foot-wide shed runs for fifteen brick bays beneath two very shallow corrugated roofs. Dense whitewashed timber Belfast trusses create the immense column-free interiors, while brick piers, clerestories and later metal doors express successive operational adaptations.
Its story
Built in 1917–1918 for Royal Naval Air Service and Royal Flying Corps training, the sheds were already working before the RAF formed on 1 April 1918. Two of an original three pairs survive and remained part of a continuously used airfield.
Why it is included
Category A listing recognises the only surviving examples of their type in Scotland, among very few nationally, and their exceptional continuity across more than a century of aviation history.
What to notice
- The paired shallow roofs spanning each wide hangar.
- Long brick elevations divided by structural piers.
- The surviving Belfast-truss roof system, visible only under authorised access.
Reading the surroundings
This is an operational defence site. Do not approach gates, photograph sensitive operations, enter restricted land or attempt to view interiors without explicit military authorisation. Follow all signs and personnel instructions.
Timeline
- 1917–1918 The aircraft sheds were built for wartime flying training.
- 1 April 1918 They were already in use when the Royal Air Force formed.
- 1938–1939 Major expansion added a new generation of operational buildings nearby.
- 2015–2026 A continuing RAF unit operated from the airfield within the wider army base.
What we know — and what remains uncertain
The designation’s historic phraseology predates the 2015 transfer of the wider base; current use is therefore described only at site level, not for individual interiors.
Sources & further reading
- Historic Environment Scotland: Leuchars General Service Aircraft Sheds 55 and 57, LB51423 — Current designation status, mapped location, date, fabric and architectural or archaeological interest.
- Trove designation: LB51423 — Parallel national record identity and archival context.
- Royal Air Force: Leuchars Station — Official current status of the operational RAF unit and airfield within the wider base.
- UK Government: Leuchars infrastructure upgrade — Official 2025 evidence for continuing defence use and investment at Leuchars.
Location
OS grid reference NO 46014 20792 · Location confidence: High: the current national designation supplies an exact mapped National Grid Reference; public text separately states access and current-use uncertainty. · Select the marker to open its satellite view in Google Maps. On desktop, drag Pegman (the yellow figure) onto a blue road. On mobile, turn on the Street View layer and tap a blue road. Other photo markers may be user-contributed.
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