How you can be part of space museum planned for ex-Nato spy base in Kinross

By Emma Duncan

January 20 2023, 1:23pm

The museum is planned for the old 'golf ball' Nato spy base at Balado Bridge in Balado. Image: Amazing Results Estate Agents

A chance to invest in and be part of a new space-themed tourist attraction in Kinross as fundraising for the project begins.

Aero Space Kinross has plans to create a new space and flight-themed museum at the former RAF Balado Bridge site and has begun fundraising to move the project to the next stage.

The site is home to the distinctive golf-ball shaped Balado Satellite Ground Station which houses a now-inactive Nato missile radar which had a range of over 5,500km.

The former RAF station at Balado Bridge. Image: Amazing Results Estate Agents

As part of the fundraising drive, people are being offered the chance to invest in a bond offer.

Aero Space Kinross is with not-for-profit company Ethex, to give people a chance to be part of the project’s progress by investing.

From Friday until March 31 investments of at least £1,000 can be made, with the potential for a tax-free return of 5% per year.

Money in the bonds can be held in an ISA (individual savings account) or be eligible for a 30% tax relief.

Inside the former RAF Satcom ground station at Balado. Image: Amazing Results Estate Agents

Aero Space Kinross hopes to raise £500,000 and will use the money to take its project to the land purchase and construction stage.

Aero Space Kinross was also previously awarded £1.5million in principle from the Tay Cities Deal.

The Balado site was put up for sale in 2020 and was more recently on the market for £950,000.

A pre-planning application was submitted in October which showed that various exhibitions would be included.

Should purchase of the site fall through, the museum would be built on another part of the land at the Balado Bridge site.

‘Significant step’ in Areo Space Kinross project journey

Alisdair Stewart, Aero Space Kinross Scientific Educational Trust chairman, said: “This a significant step in our journey to making our overall strategy to create the Aero Space Kinross science and space centre a reality.

“We would like to invite people to support our vision for the creation of a visitor attraction themed on flight and space exploration.

“The proceeds of this bond offer will supplement the £1.5million of government funding to facilitate the acquisition of a site for the creation of the venue.

“Crucially, creation of the venue will enable us to considerably expand our activities in the sphere of play-based informal STEM education to inspire young people to become scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians of the future.”

Those interested in investing and with the means to do so can find out more at www.ethex.org.uk/invest/asset.