The only thing remaining from RAF Findo Gask in Scotland is the airfield’s control tower, but that is now nearly unrecognizable from its original form. About three years ago, the tower began its transformation to a four-story, single-family home. It is now on the market for £1.25 million. The house sits on 1.2 acres of garden grounds and includes a detached double or triple garage that has yet to be built.
Fully renovated, the house comes with an open ‘top deck’ on the fourth floor giving panoramic views of the Scottish countryside. To the north is where the grass runways once spread out. It has a lift, an alarm system, intercom system, CCTV and electric gates. The top deck and the second-floor balcony feature glass balustrading and the master en-suite and drawing room feature a “glass box” with dramatic views of the countryside.
Local architect, James Denholm, was responsible for the design to renovate the tower. It is not quite finished, which will allow the new owners to work with the architect and builders to customize the interior specifically to their needs. Clyde Property is in charge of selling the building. They call it “arguably one of the rarest and most unique homes to come onto the Scottish market.”
In 1940, the British and Polish governments signed the Agreement of Mutual Assistance, which allowed the Polish to use British bases for their military operations against the Axis powers.
In 1941, Polish exiles fled to Scotland to avoid persecution by invading Nazis. They worked to build the grass runways of what would become the Royal Air Force’s Findo Gask base in Clathymore, Perthshire.
From 1942 the Polish Army-Cooperation Squadron 309 flew Westland Lysanders from the base. The US Air Force joined them and trained their pilots and stored their P-51 Mustangs there until just before the end of the war. By then metal runways had replaced the grass ones built by Polish workers.
The original intent of Findo Gask was to store airplanes. Instead, it became the base for the Polish Westland Lysanders. Flooding at the air base eventually forced the military to use it as storage for the No 44 and No 260 Maintenance Units.
After the war, the base became Camp 233 and housed German prisoners of war. They worked on the surrounding farmland until after the war, when the camp was abandoned. It was decommissioned entirely in 1948.
Clathymore hamlet was built up around the base. The other buildings of the air base, including the T2 hangar, were demolished to make room for houses in the 2000s.
The tower at Findo Gask was one of only five three-story control towers built in England.
Findo Gask is located on the Gask Ridge. It is six miles southwest of Perth. Visitors can find the remains of Roman signal stations along a Roman road to the south. The airfield was located one mile to the northeast.
Denholm is designing 42 houses to be built on 60 acres in Clathymore, around the area where the old airfield was. They will be traditionally styled country homes with luxury components. The intent is to create a community that is prestigious while retaining its rural nature.
The spacious four and five bedroom homes will emphasize wood, local stone, wet dash render and natural slate rooves. The interiors will include smart technology and large farmhouse kitchens. Homeowners will get the best of all worlds with stunning views of the Scottish countryside, in a prestigious community that is minutes from a town and with international airports only an hour away.
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