Building Layout and Exhibits

MT Hut - Reception & Shop

Here you will find our Reception and Shop where you will be welcomed and given useful information for your visit. You will also view our '1940's Room' which will transport you back in time.

The MT (Mechanised Transport) Hut can be seen in some of the oldest pictures of the air station and dates back to around 1915. After the closure of the air station in 1952 the hut fell into a state of disrepair. In 2009 volunteers started restoring the hut and it was formally reopened on 5th May 2012. The building is a category:C(S) Listed Building Historic Scotland Building ID: 38231

In April 2014, The Montrose Society presented the Heritage Centre with a 'Civic Award for Excellence in Civic Design for the renovation of a World War II timber building to create a visitor reception area'.

For further information on the Shop and Reception please click HERE.

HQ Building

Built in 1915 this was the former headquarters building of the air station and now holds several exhibitions. The building is a category:C(S) Listed Building Historic Scotland Building ID: 38229

Video Room

The introductory video was made by our volunteers and is an excellent preparation for getting the most out of your visit. Length 13 mins

Spitfire room

Everything you ever wanted to know about our most famous aircraft is in this room.
There is also a reconstruction of an Air Raid Precautions (ARP) wardens room.

Station Commanders Office - Newly Renovated

Group Captain F H Coleman assumed command of RAF Montrose on 20th June 1940, just before the Battle of Britain. Our volunteers have accurately recreated his office with original Air Ministry furniture and artefacts of the period.

The diorama room

The diorama in the middle of the room shows RAF Montrose as it was on 6th July 1940, just at the beginning of the Battle of Britain. Exhibition boards on the walls show (Left) No.8 FTS in the 1930s and (Right) the wartime years to 1945. A remarkable group of medals are on display in the tall glass cases.

ATA pilots bedroom

Women were not allowed to fly with the RAF but women pilots made a valuable contribution by delivering aircraft from the factories to the airfields. Sometimes they had to stay overnight which many may have considered the most dangerous part.

Wartime Pillbox and Anderson Shelter

The pillbox dates from 1949 and was an important part of the defences at Montrose. The Anderson shelter was designed in 1938 by William Paterson and Oscar Carl (Karl) Kerrison in response to a request from the Home Office. It was named after Sir John Anderson, then Lord Privy Seal with special responsibility for preparing air-raid precautions immediately prior to the outbreak of World War II, and it was he who then initiated the development of the shelter. It was widely used by the civilian population during WWII

Aircraft Restoration building

This building was funded by the Heritage Lottery fund and is used for aircraft restoration by our volunteers. It currently contains our Avro Anson which is being worked on by our volunteers

Jack Drummond Workshop and Store

This is named after LAC Jack Drummond who was posted to Montrose in 1937. The Nissen hut is used for restoration projects and houses working machinery. For safety reasons, it is not open to the public.

John Betty Library and Research Centre

Named after Squadron Leader John Betty, former Chief Flying Instructor at RAF Montrose, the library houses the largest private collection of aviation books in Scotland and the Heritage Centre’s archives. It is accessible to visitors by arrangement and will eventually provide computer access to archives for family history research.

David Butler Building

This building, a Romney Hut funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, was named after David Butler who was a founding member of the Heritage Centre.  On display is a T22 two-seater training version of the Sea Vampire jet and a Link trainer. There is also information about Pilot Training and a Learning Zone for visits from local schools.

New exhibits include a replica S.E.5a aircraft (7/8th scale), a sectioned Rolls-Royce Spey jet engine and a Jet Provost cockpit.

Our rare Miles M.2H Hawk Major built in 1935, one of only two in the UK Is currently being restored in the Butler Building. Originally registered as G-ADMW, it was delivered to Heston in 1935 and then went on to fly with the Portsmouth Aero Club in 1939. It was then impressed into RAF service as DG590. The Miles Hawk is the forerunner of the Miles Magister which was used at Montrose for pilot training during the Second World War.

Lt. John Ross Robertson Building

Funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund the Robertson Building was opened by the Lord Lieutenant of Angus, Mrs Georgiana Osborne, on 3rd August 2014. The Heritage Centre’s WWI artefacts are displayed in the building together with an amazing full-size replica B.E.2a aircraft, built by volunteers at the Heritage Centre. It represents No.471 of 2 Squadron RFC, flown by Lt Harvey-Kelly and the first aircraft to land in France at the start of WWI.

Also on display is our newly refurbished replica Sopwith Camel F.1. It represents No.B7320 which was flown by WWI fighter Ace Captain John Todd MBE MC DFC of 70 Squadron RFC. Together with the B.E.2a it makes an amazing sight and a fitting tribute to the brave pilots of the Royal Flying Corps.

The Heritage Centre is the only place in Scotland where you can see both these iconic WWI aircraft.

Our new section on Animals at War contains displays about Vic The Montrose War Horse, Bamse the heroic St. Bernard dog of the Free Norwegian Forces and Winkie the carrier pigeon.

The building is named after Lt John Ross Robertson who learned to fly at Montrose and was killed in action on his fourth mission 5 months later on 12th May 1917. He was buried by the Germans and the cross they made for his grave is now on display in the building. It stands as a memorial not just for Lt Robertson but to all the people who served at Montrose.

Burke's Shed 1b

The three buildings leading up to the heritage centre are known as Burke's Sheds and are of great historical importance. They were built at the end of 1913 to house the aircraft of No 2 Squadron RFC but are now owned by Angus Council and used commercially. In January 2019 the Heritage Centre entered into a long-term agreement with the council for the use of Burke's Shed 1b. The hangar is 160m from the Heritage Centre and currently contains a Panavia Tornado GR4 and a Hawker Hunter F1 which is on loan from The RAF Museum. You can also see the Tornado GR4 tail 'fin' which II(AC) Squadron customised for their centenary in 2012.  NEW !  The big cat has arrived. Come and see our latest exhibit, an RAF SEPECAT Jaguar GR1 which joins our Tornado GR4 and Hunter F1 in hangar 1b.

Click pictures below to enlarge