Newhall Mains Airfield

Military Decommissioning. The airfield was a purpose-built World War II training facility. With the end of the war in 1945, it became surplus to the requirements of the Royal Navy and was decommissioned as part of the widespread post-war military drawdown.

The site has been returned to civilian use and is now part of Newhall Mains Farm, used primarily for agriculture. The ghostly outlines of the original intersecting runways and perimeter track are still clearly visible from the air, etched into the farmland. While the control tower and many ancillary buildings have been demolished, some original structures have been repurposed as farm buildings. The historic farmstead on the site has been restored and now operates as a luxury accommodation and events venue called 'Newhall Mains'.

The airfield was a Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) known as RNAS Newhall or, more formally, HMS Owl. Commissioned in 1943, its primary and crucial role during World War II was as a Deck Landing Training School for the Fleet Air Arm. The runways were painted with the markings of an aircraft carrier flight deck, allowing pilots to practice and master the difficult technique of carrier landings in a safe, land-based environment before being deployed to active aircraft carriers. It served as a satellite and relief landing ground for the larger RNAS Evanton (HMS Fieldfare) located nearby.

None. There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the airfield. The land is privately owned and actively used for agriculture and a hospitality business. The essential aviation infrastructure is gone, and its revival as an airfield is not feasible or in demand, particularly with Inverness Airport (EGPE) operating relatively close by.