Scotland Trip, August 2023

[Slim]

This wasn't the most picturesque view from our road trip along the North Coast 500 but for me, it was one of the most interesting sights. In the early '90s I worked for the part of Rolls-Royce that was responsible for designing and procuring nuclear reactors for submarines. The company used a test facility situated here at Dounreay, about 35 miles west of John o' Groats.

I had colleagues who flew up here from Derby regularly, but I didn't think I'd ever see the place for myself.



I always imagined the "onshore test reactor" (also called 'Vulcan') to exist in something like a big shed overlooking the sea, accessible only by Land Rovers along a remote trail. But this place is huge and easily accessible by an A road.

I'm not sure why but I always imagined the far north of Scotland to be a sort of wasteland, almost untouched by human civilisation. Maybe the odd farm or little stone cottage nestling in the hills. But (as some readers will already be aware, I'm sure) it has decent roads and medium-sized towns with Wetherspoons, Specsavers, pizza places etc etc much like anywhere else in the UK. We stayed at Wick on the way round.

Earlier we'd been to John o' Groats, where I took the obligatory tourist pic.

[Thenop]

I always imagined the "onshore test reactor" (also called 'Vulcan') to exist in something like a big shed overlooking the sea, accessible only by Land Rovers along a remote trail. But this place is huge and easily accessible by an A road.

Ah yes, it all sounds very cloak and dagger, but in reality it's just your mums bingo night.
I get it, when I heard 'nuclear reactor' for the first time on the late '70s I figured this must be off the map. In reality it is just off the motorway in plain sight.

[The Picnic Wasp]

Not proud to admit that the furthest north I've been is probably Dingwall.

[Slim]

Actually the Rolls-Royce location where I worked, in Derby which has had city status since 1977 and is right in the middle of England, had a low power nuclear reactor onsite. Which amused me no end because the local authorities had designated Derby as a "nuclear free zone" in accordance with the fashion of left-wing councils at the time.

It was supposed to be a secret but it wasn't. CND knew about it and their local headbangers used to get upset about it. You can find plenty of references to it online.

What really made me think that 'Vulcan' must be a remote place was the location, right at the north coast of Scotland.