RAF Turnhouse
Former Royal Air Force station in Edinburgh, Scotland (1915–1961)
title: "RAF Turnhouse" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["royal-air-force-stations-in-scotland", "royal-air-force-stations-of-world-war-ii-in-the-united-kingdom", "military-airbases-established-in-1916", "military-airbases-closed-in-1996"] description: "Former Royal Air Force station in Edinburgh, Scotland (1915–1961)" topic_path: "history" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Turnhouse" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Former Royal Air Force station in Edinburgh, Scotland (1915–1961) ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox military installation"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | RAF Turnhouse |
| ensign | Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg |
| ensign_size | 90px |
| partof | |
| location | Edinburgh |
| nearest_town | |
| country | Scotland |
| image2 | |
| type | Sector Station |
| coordinates | |
| pushpin_map | Edinburgh#UK |
| pushpin_map_caption | Shown within |
| pushpin_label | RAF Turnhouse |
| ownership | Air Ministry |
| operator | Royal Air Force |
| controlledby | RAF Fighter Command |
| open_to_public | |
| site_other_label | |
| site_other | |
| site_area | |
| code | TS |
| built | & 1939 |
| used | 1915- |
| height | |
| length | |
| fate | |
| battles | First World WarEuropean theatre of World War IICold War |
| past_commanders | |
| garrison | |
| occupants | |
| footnotes | |
| elevation | 30 m |
| r1-number | 13/31 |
| r1-length | 5,892 ft |
| r1-surface | Concrete |
| r2-number | 08/26 |
| r2-length | 2,621 ft |
| r2-surface | Concrete |
| r3-number | 00/00 |
| r3-length | |
| r3-surface | Concrete |
| h1-length | |
| airfield_other_label | |
| airfield_other | |
| :: |
| name = RAF Turnhouse | ensign = Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg | ensign_size = 90px | native_name = | partof = | location = Edinburgh | nearest_town = | country = Scotland | image = | alt = | caption = | image2 = | alt2 = | caption2 = | type = Sector Station | coordinates = | pushpin_map = Edinburgh#UK | pushpin_map_caption = Shown within | pushpin_label = RAF Turnhouse | pushpin_label_position = | ownership = Air Ministry | operator = Royal Air Force | controlledby = RAF Fighter Command | open_to_public = | site_other_label = | site_other = | site_area = | code = TS | built = & 1939 | used = 1915- | builder = | materials = | height = | length = | fate = | condition = | battles = First World WarEuropean theatre of World War IICold War | events = | past_commanders = | garrison = | occupants = | designations = | website = | footnotes = | IATA = | ICAO = | FAA = | TC = | LID = | GPS = | WMO = | elevation = 30 m | r1-number = 13/31 | r1-length = 5,892 ft | r1-surface = Concrete | r2-number = 08/26 | r2-length = 2,621 ft | r2-surface = Concrete | r3-number = 00/00 | r3-length = | r3-surface = Concrete | h1-number = | h1-length = | h1-surface = | airfield_other_label = | airfield_other =
Royal Air Force Turnhouse, or more simply RAF Turnhouse, is a former Royal Air Force Sector Station located in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is now part of Edinburgh Airport.
History
A landing ground was first established at Turnhouse in 1915. The airfield was greatly expanded in the 1930s, with three concrete runways being laid in 1939/40. RAF Turnhouse closed in 1996 and its remaining facilities were acquired by Edinburgh Airport. The following units were located at Turnhouse at various times: ;First World War
- No. 26 Reserve Squadron
- No. 26 Training Squadron
- No. 73 Training Squadron
- No. 84 (Canadian) Reserve Squadron
- No. 89 (Canadian) Reserve Squadron ;Squadrons
- No. 3 Squadron RAF
- No. 44 Squadron RAF
- No. 63 Squadron RAF
- No. 64 Squadron RAF
- No. 65 Squadron RAF
- No. 77 Squadron RAF
- No. 81 Squadron RAF
- No. 83 Squadron RAF
- No. 104 Squadron RAF
- No. 122 Squadron RAF
- No. 123 Squadron RAF
- No. 141 Squadron RAF
- No. 151 Squadron RAF
- No. 164 Squadron RAF
- No. 165 Squadron RAF
- No. 197 Squadron RAF
- No. 207 Squadron RAF
- No. 232 Squadron RAF
- No. 241 Squadron RAF
- No. 242 Squadron RAF
- No. 243 Squadron RAF
- No. 245 Squadron RAF
- No. 253 Squadron RAF
- No. 263 Squadron RAF
- No. 268 Squadron RAF
- No. 289 Squadron RAF
- No. 290 Squadron RAF
- No. 303 Squadron RAF
- No. 309 Polish Fighter-Reconnaissance Squadron
- No. 312 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF
- No. 329 (Free French) Squadron RAF
- No. 340 (Free French) Squadron RAF
- No. 341 (G.C.III/2 'Alsace') Squadron RAF
- No. 598 Squadron RAF
- No. 603 Squadron RAF
- No. 607 Squadron RAF
- No. 666 Squadron RAF
- 801 Naval Air Squadron
- 807 Naval Air Squadron
- 808 Naval Air Squadron
- 848 Naval Air Squadron
- 882 Naval Air Squadron
- 884 Naval Air Squadron
- 886 Naval Air Squadron
- 895 Naval Air Squadron
;Units:
- No. 4 Aircraft Delivery Flight RAF (January 1942 – July 1943)
- No. 6 Gliding School RAF (January 1946 – May 1951)
- Detachment of No. 7 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit RAF (March – April 1941)
- No. 12 Air Experience Flight RAF
- No. 13 Group Anti-Aircraft Cooperation Flight RAF (May – August 1941)
- No. 17 Group Communication Flight RAF (January 1942 – September 1945)
- No. 18 Group Communication Flight RAF (November 1959 – May 1960 & October 1964)
- No. 24 (Edinburgh) Group, Royal Observer Corps
- No. 59 Operational Training Unit RAF (December 1940 – February 1941)
- No. 66 Group Communication Flight RAF (September 1946 – October 1952)
- No. 66 (Scottish Reserve) Group RAF (August 1946 – August 1950) became No. 66 (Scottish) Group RAF (August 1950 – November 1954)
- No. 71 (Signals) Wing Calibration Flight RAF
- No. 72 (Signals) Wing Calibration Flight RAF
- No. 88 Group Communication Squadron RAF (May – June 1945)
- No. 129 (RAF) Wing RAF (May 1945)
- No. 130 Wing RAF (May – June 1945)
- No. 132 (Norwegian) (Fighter) Wing RAF (May – June 1945)
- No. 661 Volunteer Gliding School RAF (January 1958 – January 1964)
- No. 1353 (Anti-Aircraft Cooperation) Flight RAF (February – June 1946)
- No. 1968 Reserve Air Observation Post Flight RAF
- No. 2753 Squadron RAF Regiment
- No. 2770 Squadron RAF Regiment
- No. 3508 Servicing Unit RAF (December 1943 – March 1945)
- Aircraft Flight of Caledonian Sector HQ RAF (October 1951 – November 1957)
- Edinburgh University Air Squadron (January 1941 – December 1945 & October 1946 – January 1969) became East Lowlands University Air Squadron (January 1969 – February 1996)
- Fighter Flight, Shetlands RAF (December 1939)
- Midlothian Sector HQ RAF (1945 – April 1946)
- Detachment of Northern Communication Squadron RAF
- Scottish Sector HQ RAF (November 1949 – May 1950)
- Detachment of S.C.R.584 Training Unit RAF (May 1945)
Current use
The site is now used by Edinburgh Airport.
References
Citations
Bibliography
References
- (2000). "UK airports and airfields: a spotter's guide". Airlife Publications.
- (1989). "Action stations. 7: Military airfields of Scotland, the North-East and Northern Ireland / David John Smith [Bearb.]". Stephens.
- "Turnhouse (Edinburgh)". [[Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust]].
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