RNAS Fearn (HMSOwl) | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fearn,Scottish Highlands in Scotland | |||||||||||
| Site information | |||||||||||
| Type | Royal Naval Air Station | ||||||||||
| Owner | Admiralty | ||||||||||
| Operator | Royal Navy | ||||||||||
| Controlled by | Fleet Air Arm | ||||||||||
| Location | |||||||||||
  RNAS Fearn Shown within the Scottish Highlands Show map of Highland RNAS Fearn RNAS Fearn (the United Kingdom) Show map of the United Kingdom | |||||||||||
| Coordinates | 57°45′28″N003°56′54″W / 57.75778°N 3.94833°W /57.75778; -3.94833 | ||||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||||
| Built | 1941 (1941) | ||||||||||
| In use | October 1942 - July 1946 -1957 (1957) | ||||||||||
| Battles/wars | European theatre of World War II | ||||||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||||||
| Elevation | 8 metres (26 ft)AMSL | ||||||||||
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Royal Naval Air Station Fearn (RNAS Fearn; orHMSOwl) is a formerRoyal NavyFleet Air Armairbase, located 5.4 miles (8.7 km) southeast ofTain,Scottish Highlands and 21.9 miles (35.2 km) northeast ofInverness, Scottish Highlands, Scotland. The Tower has now been converted to residential use. SeeRestoration Man George Clarke.
Situated around 1 mile (2 km) from the north west shore of theMoray Firth, the airfield is 8.5 miles (14 km) north east of the town andport ofInvergordon and 1 mile (2 km) south east of the village of Fearn. Notable landmarks includeTarbat Ness andCromarty Firth.[1]
The Royal Navy acquired the airbase when on 15 July 1942 it was transferred from the RAF to theAdmiralty and was known as Royal Naval Air Station Fearn (RNAS Fearn). On 11 October it was commissioned as HMSOwl.[1] The airbase had initially opened in late 1941 as a satellite forRAF Tain, known as RAF Fearn, before the Fleet Air Arm took it over.[2] HMSOwl was home to the Royal Navy’s Barracuda Operational Training Unit, No. 1 Barracuda Servicing Unit and No. 3 Barracuda Servicing Unit along with No. 1 Avenger Servicing Unit. There was also No. 2 Torpedo School. The site also included accommodation for disembarked squadrons.[1]
A number of units were here at some point:
The site is currently used as farmland.[2] On the southeast edge, a new, separate, aerodrome has been created by the name of "Easter Airfield".[27] The control tower is now a private residence owned. It was in a 2015 episode ofChannel 4'sThe Restoration Man.[28] A lot of the original buildings on the other side of the camp are derelict and only have trash from fly-tipping, crows and bugs in them.
