RNAS Machrihanish

RNAS Machrihanish (HMS Landrail)
Machrihanish, Kintyre, Argyll and Bute in Scotland
Fairey Swordfish; a common sight at Machrihanish during the Second World War
HMS Landrail
Site information
TypeNaval Air Station
OwnerAdmiralty
OperatorRoyal Navy
Controlled byFleet Air Arm
Location
RNAS Machrihanish
Location within Argyll and Bute
RNAS Machrihanish
RNAS Machrihanish (the United Kingdom)
Coordinates55°26′30″N 5°41′55″W / 55.44167°N 5.69861°W / 55.44167; -5.69861
Site history
Built1941 (1941)
In use1941 - 1952 (1952)
FateTransferred to the Royal Air Force
Garrison information
Occupants
  • Accommodation of disembarked squadrons
  • Deck Landing Training
  • Fleet Requirements Unit
Airfield information
Elevation30 feet (9 m) AMSL
Runways
Direction Length and surface
03/21 1,030 feet (314 m) Asphalt concrete
07/25 1,230 feet (375 m) Asphalt concrete
12/30 1,190 feet (363 m) Asphalt concrete
16/24 1,000 feet (305 m) Asphalt concrete

Royal Naval Air Station Machrihanish, (RNAS Machrihanish; or HMS Landrail), is a former Royal Navy air station located near Machrihanish, close to Campbeltown in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. The airfield opened during the Second World War and served at various times as a Fleet Air Arm naval air station, a Royal Air Force facility, and a United States Navy operating base. Part of the site later became the civilian Campbeltown Airport.

Situated 3 miles (5 km) to the west of Campbeltown on the western flank of the Kintyre Peninsula, Machrihanish is a former military airbase, recognised for its weather forecasting capabilities. The facility eventually featured an unusually lengthy runway 3,049 metres (10,003 ft), in addition to a substantial array of technical structures and living quarters.