Signage Project – Kilchiaran Radar Station

Historical Signage Project

Kilchiaran Radar Station

High on the cliffs ahead stand the remains of the Kilchiaran Radar Station.

Kilchiaran Radar Station from the beach, c. 1950s

Initially operational between 1940 and 1945, this RAF station was a Chain Home Low station, part of the ring of early warning radar stations surrounding the British Isles during the Second World War. The station was responsible for locating and tracking aircraft and shipping.

There are the remains of two CHLs here – an earlier model which required separate transmitter and receiver aerials, each rotating and turned by hand by the operators in the huts beneath; and a later version, with a single rotating aerial turned by an electric motor.

Approaching the Station from Kilchiaran. The masts shown are the modern communication masts, 2022

By February 1943, the newer station was the operational one, with the older on standby. The new equipment was more accurate and operated on a much shorter wavelength, improving the range for plotting shipping in and out of Belfast and the Clyde. In March 1943, one convoy was plotted to a range of 56 miles.

William (Bill) Cochrane of the RAF Military Police was based at Kilchiaran in the late 1950s. Photo taken up at the Radar Station and provided with kind permission from William’s family.

Plots were first reported by landline to the radar station at Saligo. From there, they were passed in Morse code by wireless telegraphy to the central Filter room for the west coast in Dundonald, near Belfast. This was due to the lack of a permanently open phone between Dundonald and Kilchiaran (said to be for financial reasons!).

When the station was functional, there was a surfaced road from the living quarters at Kilchiaran, round Granny’s Rock, to Kilchoman. This provided a shortcut to the nearby RAF base at Saligo, and the trip was often made by personnel on bike, especially those with WAAF sweethearts there.

Shut down in 1945, the base was refurbished in 1954, during the Cold War, to accommodate the RAF Kilchiaran Chain Home Extra Low ROTOR radar station; however, this was never fully functional and was obsolete by 1958.

The radar station is now joined on the clifftop by several more modern communication masts, including one for the Coastguard.

Special thank you to Radar Operator John Sharp, who was based on Islay in 1943. His account of the Kilchiaran Radar Station was kindly provided to the Museum of Islay Life in 2004. Also to David McLellan, of Kilchiaran, for sharing his knowledge.

Stèisean Rèideir Chille Chiarain

Shuas àrd air na creagan, tha na tha air fhàgail de Stèisean Rèideir Chille Chiarain.

Ag obrachadh bho thùs eadar 1940 agus 1945, b’ e siostam Chain Home Low a bh’ anns an stèisean seo a bhuineadh do Fheachd an Adhair, pàirt den chearcall de stèiseanan rèideir tràth-rabhaidh a bha mun cuairt Eileanan Bhreatainn aig àm an Dàrna Cogaidh Mhòir. Bha an stèisean an urra ri bhith a’ lorg agus a’ tracadh shoithichean-adhair agus bhàtaichean de gach seòrsa.

Tha na tha air fhàgail de dhà CHL an seo – modal nas tràithe aig an robh feum air crann- sgaoilidh agus iadhairean glacaidh fa leth, le gach aon dhiubh a’ cuairteachadh agus air an tionndadh leis na gnìomhairichean anns na hutaichean gu h-ìosal fòdhpa; agus seòrsa eile nas fhaide air adhart, le aon iadhaire cuairteachaidh air obrachadh le einnsean dealain.

William Cochrane, and his wife, Joyce Aitken, on School Street, Port Charlotte c. 1957.  William met his wife, who was from Port Charlotte, while based at Kilchiaran and they went on to marry St Kiaran’s Church in 1957. They had two daughters, the oldest of whom was born on Islay. Photo provided with kind permission from William’s family.

Sa Ghearran 1943, b’ e an stèisean a b’ ùire a bhathar ag obrachadh agus bha an seann fhear air fuireachas airson àm èiginn. Bha an t-uidheam ùr nas cinntiche agus ag obrachadh air bann mòran nas giorra, a’ cur am feabhas an raoin airson leantainn bhàtaichean a-steach agus a-mach à Béal Feirste agus Abhainn Chluaidh. Sa Mhàrt 1943, chaidh aon choimheadachd a leantainn gu raon de 56 mìle.

Bhiodh plotaichean gan aithris an toiseach air fòn chun na stèisein rèideir aig Sailigeo. Às an sin, bhiodhte gan cur air adhart ann an còd Morse tro chagar-adhair gun prìomh sheòmar Sìolachaidh don chosta an iar ann an Dún Dónaill faisg air Béal Feirste. Bha seo mar thoradh air dìth fòn a bha fosgailte gu maireannach eadar Dún Donaill agus Cille Chiarain (air a ràdh gur ann airson adhbharan ionmhasail!)
Nuair a bha an stèisean ag obair, bha rathad le uachdar cruaidh eadar na togalaichean còmhnaidh ann an Cille Chiarain timcheall Creag Granaidh gu Cille Chomain. Bha seo a’ solarachadh geàrr-rathad gu togalach Feachd an Adhair faisg air làimh aig Sailigeo, agus bhiodh an turas sin dèante glè thric le luchd-obrach air rothair, gu h-àraid iadsan aig an robh leannain WAAF an sin.

Air a dhùnadh sìos ann an 1945, chaidh am bun-togalach seo a dhèanamh suas ann an 1954, aig àm a’ Chogaidh Fhuair, gus àite a thoirt do stèisean rèideir ROTOR Chain Home Extra Low aig Feachd an Adhair aig Cille Chiarain; ach, cha robh seo a-riamh air a làn obrachadh agus bha e air a dhol a-mach à bith ro 1958.

Tha grunn chrainn conaltraidh nuadh-aimsireil a-nis còmhla ris an stèisean rèideir air mullach na creige, a’ gabhail a-steach aon don Mhaor-chladaich.