RAF Banff

Post-war military drawdown. The airfield was built specifically for wartime operations under RAF Coastal Command. With the end of World War II in 1945, the large-scale anti-shipping missions it supported were no longer required, and the station was declared surplus to requirements as part of the massive reduction of military forces across the UK.

The airfield is closed and the site has been returned to private ownership, primarily for agricultural use. The basic layout of the airfield is still clearly visible from the air. Large sections of the three concrete runways and the perimeter track remain, although they are in a derelict state, broken up, and partially overgrown. Some of the original buildings, such as hangars and technical buildings, have been repurposed for farm storage or have fallen into ruin. A memorial dedicated to the men and women who served at RAF Banff, particularly those who lost their lives, has been erected near the site's former entrance.

RAF Banff was a highly significant airfield during the later stages of World War II. Opened in 1943, it became a major base for RAF Coastal Command. It is most famous for being the home of the 'Banff Strike Wing' (also known as the Banff and Dallachy Strike Wings), a multinational force comprising squadrons from the Royal Air Force (RAF), Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), and the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF). Operating primarily de Havilland Mosquito and Bristol Beaufighter aircraft, the wing specialized in dangerous, low-level anti-shipping and anti-submarine attacks against German convoys, U-boats, and naval assets along the heavily defended Norwegian coast. Its operations were critical in disrupting the flow of iron ore from Sweden to Germany and sinking numerous enemy vessels, making it one of the most effective anti-shipping bases in the United Kingdom during the war.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening RAF Banff as an operational airport. The site is privately owned, and the remaining infrastructure is derelict and completely unsuitable for modern aviation without a complete reconstruction. There is no strategic or commercial demand for an airport at this specific location that would justify the immense cost of acquiring the land and rebuilding the facility.