Strathaven Airfield

Strathaven is the third oldest operational airfield on the west of Scotland mainland - the other two being Prestwick and Glasgow Airports.

An additional attraction this year is the construction of the Richard Murphy designed house.

It was founded by The Scottish Flying Club in the early 1950s after a decade of searching for a site to replace their former base at Glasgow's Abbotsinsch Airport.

Gp Cpt George Pinkerton, chairman of the Scottish Flying Club when it bought Couplaw farm in the 1950s, was the pilot who shot down the first German aircraft over British soil in WW2.

He was still chairman in the 1970s when the airfield was given to the RAF Benevolent Fund so it "would continue to be used for flying". This is probably why many people think it is an ex-wartime airfield.

Flying clubs based at Strathaven over the years include the West of Scotland Flying Club, Glasgow and Strathclyde University Gliding Club, the Rutherglen Flying Group and the Strathclyde Gliding Club.

The airfield was sold by the RAF Benevolent Fund in 2005 to microlight aircraft instructor Colin MacKinnon, whose Microlight Scotland flying school had been based at Cumbernauld Airport.

The airfield is now back in the hands of the revived Scottish Flying Club and is being completely refurbished. And we are determined to keep that traditional grass runway flying club atmosphere.

Booking Essential: Strictly by tour, booking via the website www.strathavenairfield.co.uk/doorsopen.html