DM (frmr RNAD) Glen Douglas

 arsenal / weapon and ammunition storage, military

DM Glen Douglas is a NATO defence munitions depot in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, built between 1962 and 1966. As of 1989, it served NATO as a pre-positioned wartime ammunitions depot, storing around 40,000 tons of missiles, depth-charges, and conventional shells. It is now used only by the UK. The depot lies in Glen Douglas, a six-mile (10 km) glen through which the Douglas Water flows east to Loch Lomond. The depot itself is near the glen's head, less than a mile from Loch Long. Arrochar is the nearest village.

Although a NATO asset, the Ministry of Defence is the sole user of the depot, which is a substantial facility occupying some 650 acres (2.6 km2) of land and employing 120 people. and contains 56 magazines built into a hillside. It is connected to the rail network via a short spur from the West Highland Line. In the 1970s, a jetty was built at Glen Mallan on Loch Long, linked to the depot via an MoD road through Glen Culanach.

The depot is a major installation, reported to be the largest weapons storage base in Western Europe operated by NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation).Although classed as a NATO asset, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) is the sole user of the depot, which is a substantial facility employing 120 people.

The depot's main function is the storage of high volumes of conventional weapons such as bombs, explosives, pyrotechnics, and ammunition, rather than the more sophisticated weapons stored and produced at depots such as Beith. Glen Douglas has the capacity to store almost 40,000 cubic metres of munitions, transported by rail and sea, with Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) vessels docking at Glenmallan on Loch Long. Transport between the loch and the depot is by private road, constructed for the purpose, and not shared with the public. The depot also supports a large fleet of lorries, which travel up to 400,000 miles a year, transporting munitions to bases throughout the UK.

The facility is regularly used by the British Armed Forces to stock up on munitions before the start of any conflict. In January 2003, the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal berthed at Glenmallan to collect munitions from the depot before heading for the Gulf and the war in Iraq. Two train drivers based in Motherwell were reported in the news when they refused to drive a freight train from Glasgow to Glen Douglas, forcing the MoD to transport the cargo by road.

Following the completion of Operation Telic (Iraq), Glen Douglas was used to store unused munitions from the campaign. Some 15,000 tonnes of munitions in 1,400 shipping containers passed through Glenmallan and Glen Douglas, and later by road and rail to munitions depots at Longtown near Carlisle, and Kineton in Warwickshire.

DSDA Glen Douglas provides responsive and efficient munitions storage, maintenance and distribution support to UK Armed Forces. Logistic activity covers a wide range of conventional munitions in support of mainly the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force by way of repairs to the HM Ships and in the refurbishment of aircraft bombs and bomb tails. Additionally, the site operates a deep-water explosive handling depot, which is linked to an extensive road and MoD rail facility.

www.secretscotland.org.uk/index.php/Secrets/GlenDouglas...