The Durris transmitting station is a

broadcasting Broadcasting is the distribution of audio or video content to a dispersed audience via any electronic mass communications medium, but typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum (radio waves), in a one-to-many model. Broadcasting began ...

and

telecommunications Telecommunication is the transmission of information by various types of technologies over wire, radio, optical, or other electromagnetic systems. It has its origin in the desire of humans for communication over a distance greater than tha ...

facility, situated close to the town of

Stonehaven Stonehaven ( , ) is a town in Scotland. It lies on Scotland's northeast coast and had a population of 11,602 at the 2011 Census. After the demise of the town of Kincardine, which was gradually abandoned after the destruction of its royal cast ...

, within Durris Forest, within the area also known historically as

Kincardineshire Kincardineshire, also known as the Mearns (from the Scottish Gaelic meaning "the Stewartry"), is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area on the coast of northeast Scotland. It is bounded by Aberdeenshire on the north and ...

(). It is owned and operated by

Arqiva Arqiva () is a British telecommunications company which provides infrastructure, broadcast transmission and smart meter facilities in the United Kingdom. The company is headquartered at the former Independent Broadcasting Authority headquart ...

, and is the tallest structure in Scotland.

History

It is also a feature in Durris Primary School's newest logo created in 2000 (the logo shows the mast on the hill with the sun and three trees). It can be seen from the summit of Mither Tap, near

Insch Insch ( gd, An Innis or Innis Mo Bheathain) is a village in the Garioch, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is located approximately from the city of Aberdeen. Etymology The name of the village may have come from the Scottish Gaelic ''innis'', m ...

, Aberdeenshire and can also be spotted at night on the road down from the

Lecht Ski Centre The Lecht Ski Centre is an alpine ski area in the Cairngorms in the Scottish Highlands. The ski slopes are set around the mountains Beinn a' Chruinnich, 2,552 ft (778 m) and Meikle Corr Riabhach, 2556 ft (779 m). The Lecht is the small ...

Construction

It has a high guyed steel lattice mast, built by

J. L. Eve Construction J. L. Eve Construction was a civil engineering company from south London. History The company was formed on 8 February 1930 by John Leonard Eve (3 February 1887 - 25 June 1954) from Aveley in Essex. In 1924 he was appointed as the Chief Engineer ...

. It was constructed in 1966. 38-year-old Thomas Sutherland of Blairgowrie died in its construction on Monday 24 October 1966, falling 175 ft from 300 ft up the mast; the company had a regional office in Edinburgh

Transmissions

Its coverage includes north east

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to th ...

, from St. Andrews in the south to

Fraserburgh Fraserburgh (; sco, The Broch or ; gd, A' Bhruaich) is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland with a population recorded in the 2011 Census at 13,100. It lies at the far northeast corner of Aberdeenshire, about north of Aberdeen, and north of ...

in the north, including the city of

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), ...

. It also covers much of the North Sea coast between

Dunbar Dunbar () is a town on the North Sea coast in East Lothian in the south-east of Scotland, approximately east of Edinburgh and from the English border north of Berwick-upon-Tweed. Dunbar is a former royal burgh, and gave its name to an ec ...

and Berwick, although this coverage is not deliberate. The analogue television transmission

antennas In radio engineering, an antenna or aerial is the interface between radio waves propagating through space and electric currents moving in metal conductors, used with a transmitter or receiver. In transmission, a radio transmitter supplies a ...

surmounting the structure are contained within a GRP cylinder, and bring the overall height of the structure to , making it the tallest structure in Scotland.

Services listed by frequency

Analogue radio (FM VHF)

Digital radio (DAB)

Analogue television

Analogue television was switched off during September 2010; BBC Two Scotland was closed on 1 September and the remaining four on 15 September.

Digital television

30 September 2018 - present

15 June 2011 - 30 September 2018

15 September 2010 - 15 June 2011

† Temporary channel to avoid interference with Craigkelly transmitter.

Before switchover (until 15 September 2010)

References

External links

Entry for Durris transmitting station at The Transmission Gallery

Skyscraperpage.com

Buildings and structures in Aberdeenshire Stonehaven Towers completed in 1966 Transmitter sites in Scotland {{UK-bcast-stub