The Lord Provost of Edinburgh Visits Barnton Bunker

We were honoured to welcome the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, Councillor Robert Aldridge to Barnton Bunker. The visit recognised the dedication of our volunteers and the remarkable progress made in preserving and restoring this important Second World War and Cold War heritage site.

Into the tunnel

The tour began descending underground and making our way through the tunnel and corridors. There's no substitute for standing inside the site itself, the scale, the atmosphere, and the weight of history become immediately clear the moment you're below ground.

Barnton Bunker was built in secret, an R4-class nuclear bunker at the heart of the UK's ROTOR radar network, later chosen as Scotland's Regional Seat of Government. The place where officials planned to govern "from the ashes." After decades of abandonment and fire damage, it's now being brought back to life by a grassroots restoration.

Seeing the progress first-hand

A key part of the day was showing the Lord Provost the progress made in preserving our Cold War history. Since 2011, restoration has taken place in carefully managed phases as funding has allowed. This measured approach lets us safely open more of the site to the public while protecting its historic character for future generations.

The Lord Provost saw the restoration works up close, gaining an understanding of what goes into bringing a site like this back to life and the care required to do it properly.

Recognising our volunteers

At the heart of everything at Barnton Bunker are our volunteers. Their commitment and hard work are the reason the site continues to grow and open up to the public, and it was a genuine privilege to have that dedication recognised. Meeting the team behind the project was one of the highlights of the day.

Meeting the animals of Barnton Bunker

It wasn't all corridors and Cold War history. The Lord Provost also met our animals and learned about the role they play on site because every animal here has a job.

From managing vegetation and fertilising the land to producing eggs and honey and even helping with security, they're a genuine part of the team.

A year of recognition

This visit followed a year of growing recognition for the project.

We're delighted to have been shortlisted as a finalist in the Scottish Thistle Awards 2026, in the Best Community Tourism & Events Initiative category for the Central and East region.

The Thistle Awards celebrate the very best of Scottish tourism, and being recognised alongside so many outstanding organisations is genuinely humbling. The nomination reflects the work of our volunteers who bring Barnton Bunker's story to life from preserving its Cold War heritage to creating experiences and events that bring the local community together. Winners are announced at the regional ceremony in Edinburgh on 17th September. Fingers crossed!

Earlier in the year, on 2nd June, the Barnton Bunker Preservation Society SCIO also received an Inspiring Volunteer Award in the Team category presented by the Lord Provost himself at the City Chambers.

That award belongs to every person who's rolled up their sleeves here since 2011. Thousands of hours have gone into transforming this site from a neglected, largely inaccessible structure into a place where people can step into Edinburgh's Cold War and WWII history.

Thank you

We were truly honoured to welcome the Lord Provost to Barnton Bunker, and we sincerely thank him for taking the time to visit, tour the site, and learn more about our restoration work.

Recognition like this means a great deal to everyone involved and it spurs us on as we continue the next phases of this journey.

Visit Barnton Bunker

Want to experience it for yourself? During our top-rated immersive tour, you'll descend underground, stand where RAF crews tracked Soviet bombers, see the BBC four-minute warning studio, and walk raw, unrestored spaces beside rooms returned to their Cold War state, all just minutes from Edinburgh city centre.

Tours 7 days a week this August: 10:30, 12:00, 14:00, 15:30

Drop in or book online: https://www.barntonbunker.com/book-your-tour