Inchindown, an amazing series of fuel storage tanks built into a hillside close to Invergordon during World War Two, is to feature on BBC 1’s ‘The One Show’  on Friday 20 January at 7.00pm. The site is normally closed to the public - so this is a great opportunity to have a glimpse inside.

 

The fuel depot, built for the Royal Navy, was designed to be bombproof and is one of three in Britain  - there are more details on the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS) website  - where there is also a large photographic record of the site - the picture above is from RCAHMS. Of the six tanks, five are an impressive 237m long, 9m wide and 13.5 m hight and each could hold up to 5.6 million gallons of furnace oil. A four-mile pipeline linked the tanks to Invergordon Royal Naval dockyard.

 

Allan Kilpatrick, from RCAHMS, is a World War Two expert, and in talking to the BBC has commented,

 

 

You can see more of the article that this quote came from on the BBC website 

 

ARCH project officer Susan Kruse was there for the reccie in 2009, and can

claim to be the 2nd person into the oil tank on that occasion - though judging by the graffiti in some of the RCAHMS photos a few people must have made it into at least part of the system over the years!

 

The tanks certainly made a big impression Susan and she commented,  “It's one of the most fascinating and enigmatic sites in the Highlands.” 

 

There is more about filming for The One Show on the RCAHMS website