RAF Castletown

The primary reason for closure was the end of World War II, which led to a massive military drawdown. As a purpose-built wartime airfield, its strategic necessity diminished with the cessation of hostilities and the removal of the threat to the Royal Navy fleet at Scapa Flow and Atlantic convoys. It was deemed surplus to post-war military requirements.

The former airfield site is now primarily used as the Castletown Industrial Estate. While the original runway layout is still largely visible from the air, many of the original military buildings, including the control tower (demolished in the 1970s), are gone. However, some hangars and other structures remain and have been repurposed for use by various local businesses. The surrounding land is also used for agriculture. A memorial plaque is located at the site to commemorate the personnel who served at RAF Castletown during the war.

RAF Castletown was a vital World War II fighter station, opened in May 1940. Its primary strategic purpose was to defend the crucial Royal Navy fleet anchorage at Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands from Luftwaffe attacks. As part of No. 13 Group, RAF Fighter Command, it hosted numerous squadrons flying aircraft such as the Supermarine Spitfire, Hawker Hurricane, and Boulton Paul Defiant. Notable squadrons based at Castletown included No. 124, No. 132, No. 313 (a Czechoslovakian squadron), and No. 453 (Royal Australian Air Force). The airfield also played a role in the Battle of the Atlantic, providing air cover for convoys and conducting air-sea rescue missions. In 1944, control was transferred to RAF Coastal Command. It was later commissioned by the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm as HMS Tern II, a satellite airfield for RNAS Twatt (HMS Tern) in Orkney, before its eventual closure.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening RAF Castletown as an operational airport. The site has been extensively redeveloped for industrial and agricultural use, and the region's aviation needs are served by the nearby Wick John O'Groats Airport (WIC/EGPC). Its reopening is considered highly improbable.