Burghead Transmitting Station

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:Infobox UK transmitter The Burghead transmitting station is a broadcasting facility near Burghead ({{#if:NJ125685|[[Ordnance Survey National Grid|{{#if:Template:Yesno|Grid|grid}} reference]] {{#invoke:Ordnance Survey coordinates|oscoord|NJ125685_region:GB_scale:25000|NJ125685|name=}}}}) in Scotland for long wave and medium wave radio transmission that started service on 12 October 1936.<ref>Inverness Courier 13 October 1936</ref> The site is owned by Arqiva and houses a long wave radio transmitter on 198 kHz broadcasting BBC Radio 4 and two medium wave radio transmitters, broadcasting BBC Radio 5 Live on 693 kHz and BBC Radio Scotland on 810 kHz. The long wave transmitter is part of a network transmitting on the same frequency, the other transmitters being Droitwich and Westerglen.

History

It was announced on May 1934. It had been announced earlier that it would be built near Elgin. It would be built nine miles from Elgin, ten miles from Forres.<ref>The Scotsman Wednesday 9 May 1934</ref> Seven sites were considered.<ref>Shetland Times Saturday 19 May 1934, page 4</ref> Three new telephone lines from Aberdeen to Elgin opened on 5 October 1934.<ref>Dundee Courier Saturday 6 October 1934, page 3</ref>

Construction was planned to begin in November 1934,<ref>The Scotsman Wednesday 24 October 1934, page 3</ref> but work began on 14 January 1935. It would open on Monday 12 October 1936, by engineer Sir Murdoch Macdonald. His company is today known as Mott MacDonald.<ref>Dundee Courier Thursday 24 September 1936, page 12</ref><ref>Nottingham Evening Post Monday 12 October 1936, page 7</ref>

It cost £100,000, being 500ft. The building was 254ft by 93ft, and 29 ft high. The building was designed by Wimperis, Simpson and Guthrie. The generator provided 400kW at 20,000 V.<ref>Edinburgh Evening News Monday 12 October 1936, page 5</ref>

BBC Radio 4 will cease longwave broadcasting by 26 September 2026.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Structure

The station has three masts, which are all lattice structures with triangular cross section and insulated against ground. The northern of the two large masts is Template:Convert, the southern large mast is Template:Convert tall, while the third one is significantly lower.<ref>Entry for "LFA 14"</ref> One of the large masts is used for the medium wave transmissions and the other is used for the long wave transmitter. The third and smallest mast is the backup antenna.

The original building was demolished leaving a much smaller building for the more modern transmitters.

Services available

Analogue radio (AM long wave) (until 26 September 2026)

Frequency	kW<ref>Radio Listeners Guide 2010</ref>	Service
198 kHz	50	BBC Radio 4

Analogue radio (AM medium wave)

Frequency	kW<ref>Radio Listeners Guide 2010</ref>	Service
693 kHz	50	BBC Radio 5 Live
810 kHz	100	BBC Radio Scotland

See also

• Arqiva, who own the site
• List of masts
• List of tallest buildings and structures in Great Britain
• List of radio stations in the United Kingdom

External links

• The Transmission Gallery – Photographs & Information