# Troywood Nuclear Bunker Fife sept 2008



## jock1966 (Sep 15, 2008)

The underground structure involved a massive civil engineering task in those dark, austere post war days.
Design of the Bunker
The design demanded a 40-metres deep hole with a "shock-absorbing" foundation of gravel. The outershell of the building was constructed with an outer shell of 3 meter's of solid concrete reinforced every 15cm with 2.5cm thick tungsten rods.
Finally the whole structure was lined with brick, covered with netting and soaked to form an outer casing.
The guardhouse was built to resemble a traditional Scottish farmhouse but secretly reinforced with concrete and steel girders. This building concealed the access to the bunker and provided accommodation for the security guards detailed to protect it from prying eyes.
After landscaping there was little to give away the secret from above ground.
As you enter this amazing underground labyrinth and walk down the 150 metre tunnel, from the innocent looking farmhouse to the bunker, consider for a moment the events that would be played out behind the hermetically sealed three tons of blast proof doors through which you are about to pass. 
Those built in areas of greatest risk were sited underground. Here at Troywood in Fife, close to the key enemy targets of the Royal Navy's Rosyth dockyard and the fighter aircraft of RAF Leuchars, was one of these. There were several sizes of bunkers and this is one of the largest.
















150m entrance shaft

































































:dull::dull::dull::dull::dull:


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## zimbob (Sep 15, 2008)

Some good shots there 

Tis a good place to visit this, as long as you don't take it's 'restoration' _too_ seriously


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## jock1966 (Sep 15, 2008)

some of the rooms have to be taken with a pinch of salt LOL
did not include the fake roc point was just a joke, poor fake up.
roc ops room a bit fake too so never included it.


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## spacepunk (Sep 15, 2008)

And whatever you do, do not order food from the cafe, it's the worst ever.
Nice photos jock1966.


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## freebird (Sep 15, 2008)

Nice one! Some nice pics there. Looks like an interesting visit.


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## Seahorse (Sep 16, 2008)

I'm a tad confused at the array of weaponry on display. What sort of statement were they trying to make? If there were any weapons originally down there, surely they'd have been predominantly SLR's, Sterlings and Browning 9 millys? Not a rag tag assortment that looks as if they've just raided a secret IRA weapons hide.


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## foz101 (Sep 16, 2008)

Seahorse said:


> I'm a tad confused at the array of weaponry on display. What sort of statement were they trying to make? If there were any weapons originally down there, surely they'd have been predominantly SLR's, Sterlings and Browning 9 millys? Not a rag tag assortment that looks as if they've just raided a secret IRA weapons hide.



They prob had a spare room and got some guns for free and put two and two together. It's more a museum than a restoration. Even the supposed restored bits stretch the truth. For example, they have a special office for the 'Minister of State' but I believe no-one of any importance like that would've gone there. Unless they were on their hols in Anstruther...


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## Seahorse (Sep 16, 2008)

I do think though that if the worst DID happen, the entire staff of the Anstruther chip shop should have been moved in as a matter of national security, along with several tons of tatties, frozen fish and flour. 

That would have kept their morale up through the dark days of a nuclear winter.


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## foz101 (Sep 16, 2008)

But when the Russian troops came pillaging over the fields of Fife, they'd be wondering why that wee farmhouse smells so strongly of hot cooking oil and haddock...


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## Seahorse (Sep 16, 2008)

Glasnost mate...

_"Sit yersel doon Ivanovich. Fancy some bread and butter wi that fish supper? Mushy peas? Aye, nae problem. Now, where's yer vodka?"_


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## Foxylady (Sep 16, 2008)

Who was the bunker built for, as a matter of interest? I love the communications equipment. Interesting stuff.


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## foz101 (Sep 16, 2008)

Foxylady said:


> Who was the bunker built for, as a matter of interest? I love the communications equipment. Interesting stuff.



Its an R2 two-level GCI Rotor bunker - very basically, a regional radar station. As for who would've been lucky enough to be tucked away in there, probably local government bods and other local civil service types as required.


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## zimbob (Sep 16, 2008)

And Ronald MacDonald 

Anyone remember that? Hilarious....


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## Seahorse (Sep 16, 2008)

Somewhat sadly, I actually recognise some of the test kit. Oscilloscopes, sig gene's etc. that we used to use back when I were a lad.

Aw, I'm getting old.


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## OSPA (Sep 16, 2008)

I especially love pic number 4, the green tunnel!


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## Bryag (Sep 16, 2008)

zimbob said:


> And Ronald MacDonald
> 
> Anyone remember that? Hilarious....



I remember!

Excerpt from BBC news 

"Armed police staking out a former nuclear bunker in Fife said they are now talking to a man hiding inside.

Firearms officers and negotiators were called to Scotland's Secret Bunker near Anstruther, which is now a Cold War museum, at about 0130 BST on Tuesday.

The man is understood to be Ronald MacDonald, a 39-year-old who had been living rough in the area.

Mr MacDonald's plans are unclear, but police said they hoped the situation could be resolved soon.

Scotland's Secret Bunker is hidden 100ft underground below a farmhouse at Troywood."

Full story here http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/3789465.stm 



The situation was resolved peacefully. Here is a photo of the police taking him away.


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## Foxylady (Sep 17, 2008)

Seahorse said:


> ...Oscilloscopes...



That's the fella...couldn't think of the name, but I had a mate who was a radio ham and he had one of those. Interesting to see them again.


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## Andymacg (Sep 17, 2008)

I remember that but before he locked himself in the bunker, he stole a jcb to get there,which caused my old boss a headache that, trying to work out where the jcb was 


great picture and must get back there again one day didnt spend enough time there the last time as the inlaws were getting bored and wanted their haddock n chips in Anstruther


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## rockhopper (Sep 17, 2008)

In its ROTOR days it would only have housed RAF types but ROTOR was only in service for a few years as Russia changed its method of delivery from aircraft to ICBM's which made this kind of radar interception obsolete. Many of the bunkers were then converted into RSG's (regional seats of government) which would have housed local government people who were responsible for running the region in the event of a nuclear war.
The modifications to the bunkers were extensive, RAF Skendleby for example had a whole extra floor added.


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## King Al (Sep 18, 2008)

Cool explore jock, I could spend hours down there


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