Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Email An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Google An icon of the Google "G" mark. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Logout An icon representing logout. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Tick An icon of a tick mark. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Pause Icon A two-lined pause icon for stopping interactions. Quote Mark A opening quote mark. Quote Mark A closing quote mark. Arrow An icon of an arrow. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Caret An icon of a caret arrow. Clock An icon of a clock face. Close An icon of the an X shape. Close Icon An icon used to represent where to interact to collapse or dismiss a component Comment An icon of a speech bubble. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Ellipsis An icon of 3 horizontal dots. Envelope An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Home An icon of a house. Instagram An icon of the Instagram logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Search Icon A magnifying glass icon that is used to represent the function of searching. Menu An icon of 3 horizontal lines. Hamburger Menu Icon An icon used to represent a collapsed menu. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Rating An icon of a star. Tag An icon of a tag. Twitter An icon of the Twitter logo. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. Speech Bubble Icon A icon displaying a speech bubble WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo. Information An icon of an information logo. Plus A mathematical 'plus' symbol. Duration An icon indicating Time. Success Tick An icon of a green tick. Success Tick Timeout An icon of a greyed out success tick. Loading Spinner An icon of a loading spinner. Facebook Messenger An icon of the facebook messenger app logo. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Facebook Messenger An icon of the Twitter app logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. WhatsApp Messenger An icon of the Whatsapp messenger app logo. Email An icon of an mail envelope. Copy link A decentered black square over a white square.

Step back in time: Photographic memories of Edzell

Post Thumbnail

Edzell is a quiet, beautiful village, often described as the “jewel in the crown of Angus”.

But for decades the tranquil spot was at the heart of both the Second World War, as a vital RAF base, then a vital player in the Cold War, as an American military communications centre.

It was one of the US’s most important links in its intelligence gathering operation and has been credited with helping end the Cold War.

Today, Edzell is best known for its beautiful surroundings, picturesque riverside walks through spectacular scenery and the chance to play a round on its popular golf course.

Join us as we take a look at Edzell over the decades.

The Dalhousie Arch is Edzell’s famous landmark at the entrance to the village and is pictured here in 1955.  It leads on to the elegant main street, lined with Victorian buildings that have become home to  teashops and antique stores, making it a magnet for day-trippers.


RAF Edzell was called up to the cause for the Second World War, having previously been used as a civilian airfield. This photo from 1946 shows some of the last bombers to be fly into RAF Edzell, where they were to be dismantled.


Not many people realize Edzell had its own car racing circuit – but very briefly. Only one meeting was held in 1959. Even at that it was reckoned to be the fastest circuit in Scotland, using the airfield’s runways. Our picture shows a fight for position at the main bend with number 40, W. A. Palmer (Lotus XI), number 29, R. Ross Will (Healey) and number 9, N. J. Scott-Wallace (Jaguar XK 120).


The handing over of RAF Edzell to the United States Navy in 1960, saw a symbolic flag-raising ceremony in the teeth of a snowstorm. Doing the honours were Chief Petty Officer Keenum and Flight Sergeant Soutar.


Edzell has long prided itself on the community spirit in the village. Our picture shows local people coming together in 1977 for the Edzell gala week – including a haggis hurling competition.

Some 37 years after the Stars and Stripes was hoisted aloft at RAF Edzell it came down for a final time in 1997 when the base permanently closed.  Father Lawrence (Buzz) Hummer watches as Adam Caudell (left) and Lieutenant Sean McLaren fold the iconic flag for a final time.