DM Glen Douglas

{{Infobox military installation

| name = DM Glen Douglas

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| nearest_town = Loch Long, Argyll and Bute

| country = Scotland

| image = FortAustin.jpg

| alt = Grey warship docked at a jetty, with hills in the background

| caption = {{RFAux|Fort Austin|A386|6}} at the old Glen Mallan jetty in 2008.

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| type = Ammunition depot

| coordinates = {{coord|56.159901|-4.771220|region:GB}}

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| pushpin_map = Scotland Argyll and Bute

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| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Argyll and Bute

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| pushpin_label = DM Glen Douglas

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| ownership = Ministry of Defence

| operator = Defence Equipment & Support

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| site_area = 223 hectares{{Cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/33240/DEDP09_annex_a.pdf|title=Defence Estates Development Plan (DEDP) 2009 - Annex A|date=3 July 2009|website=GOV.UK|publisher=Ministry of Defence|page=4|access-date=17 February 2019}}

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| built = {{Start date|1962}}–1966

| used = 1966 – present

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| condition = Operational

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Defence Munitions (DM) Glen Douglas is a military munitions depot located near Loch Long, Argyll, in Scotland. It is operated by Defence Equipment & Support, part of the Ministry of Defence. It was formerly known as RNAD Glen Douglas.

History

File:Glen Douglas munitions depot being constructed.jpg

The facility was built between 1962 and 1966. As of 1989, it served NATO as a pre-positioned wartime ammunition depot, storing around 40,000 tons of missiles, depth charges, and conventional shells.{{cite book

|title=United States Military Forces and Installations in Europe

|publisher=SIPRI

|date=1989

|isbn=978-0-19-829132-9}} It is now used only by the UK.{{cite news

|url=http://www.act4peace.org.uk/docs/DLO_News_20_3.pdf

|title=Bombs, bullets, and Brimstone

|author=Lisa Cole and Melanie Tanner

|quote=Glen Mallen Jetty offers considerable scope

|work=DLO News

|url-status=dead

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070727172009/http://www.act4peace.org.uk/docs/DLO_News_20_3.pdf

|archive-date=2007-07-27

}} The depot lies in Glen Douglas, a {{convert|6|mi|km|adj=on}} glen through which the Douglas Water flows east to Loch Lomond. The depot itself is near the glen's head, less than a mile from Loch Long. Arrochar is the nearest village.

In the 1970s, a jetty was built at Glen Mallan on Loch Long, linked to the depot via a Ministry of Defence (MoD) road.

It was known as NATO Armament Depot Glen Douglas and was used for munitions storage by the Royal Navy, the United States and the Netherlands. In 1993 the US withdrew from the site and the capacity was taken up by Royal Air Force munitions which were previously based at RAF Chilmark in Wiltshire, the RAF's last munitions depot prior to its closure in 1995.{{Cite web|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199394/cmhansrd/1994-02-03/Writtens-9.html|title=Written Answers to Questions – Glen Douglas Depot|last=Hanley|first=Mr|date=3 February 1994|website=parliament.uk|access-date=18 February 2019}}

In January 2003, the aircraft carrier {{HMS|Ark Royal|R07|6}} docked at the Glen Mallan jetty to stock up on supplies ahead of the impending invasion of Iraq. With the tacit backing of trade union ASLEF, Motherwell based EWS drivers working on a MoD contract refused to transport munitions to the depot, in opposition to what they branded a "rush to war".{{Cite news|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-untold-story-of-how-scottish-train-drivers-tried-to-derail-the-iraq-war/|title=The Forgotten Story of How Scottish Train Drivers Tried to Derail the Iraq War|date=2016-07-05|work=Vice|access-date=2018-01-29|language=en-uk}} The drivers' action was supported in an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons signed by 25 MPs.{{Cite web|url=http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2002-03/484|title=Early day motion 484 - ANTI-WAR ACTION BY TRAIN DRIVERS|website=UK Parliament|language=en|access-date=2018-01-29}}

Facilities

The depot covers an area of {{convert|226|ha|km2|abbr=}} and contains 56 magazines built into a hillside, capable of storing 40,000 cubic metres of conventional weapons, typically bombs, various types of ammunition, explosives and pyrotechnics.

= Northern Ammunition Jetty=

File:HMS Queen Elizabeth Leaving Glen Mallen MOD 45168227.jpg

The Northern Ammunition Jetty (also known as Glen Mallan Jetty) is located on the edge of Loch Long, around 3 miles south of the main depot, to which it is connected by a military road which climbs along the western flank of Craggan Hill.{{cite book|title=Fortress Scotland|author=Malcolm Spaven|date=December 1983|publisher=Pluto Press|isbn=978-0-86104-735-2|pages=133|quote=Loch Long NATO jetty}} The jetty is capable of accommodating a variety of Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels so that they can be loaded and unloaded with munitions as well as other provisions such as food and spare parts. The explosives license for the jetty allows up to 440 tonnes of explosives to be handled there. In 2020-21 the jetty was rebuilt to serve the {{sclass|Queen Elizabeth|aircraft carrier|1}}s.{{cite web |title=Upgrades to the Scottish facility used to ammunition the Royal Navy’s aircraft carriers {{!}} Save the Royal Navy |url=https://www.savetheroyalnavy.org/upgrades-to-the-scottish-facility-used-to-ammunition-the-royal-navys-aircraft-carriers/ |website=www.savetheroyalnavy.org |access-date=21 February 2020 |date=24 June 2019}}

File:240830 1537 HMS Cardiff (F89) on Malin Augustea CD01 for launch, nearing Loch Long.jpg launch barge Malin Augustea CD01, for launching at the Glen Mallan jetty, about {{convert|34|mi|km}} from Govan.]]

Type 26 frigates are being built at the BAE Systems Maritime shipyard at Govan, then transferred onto the semi-submersible heavy-lift barge Malin Augustea CD01, and taken down the Clyde then up Loch Long to the Glen Mallan jetty, to be floated off the barge for a gentle controlled launch.{{cite web | last=Watson | first=Calum | title=New Navy frigate HMS Cardiff makes first journey on giant barge | website=BBC News | date=30 August 2024 | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9wj7wx4xpgo | access-date=30 August 2024}}{{cite web | title=Second Type 26 Frigate, HMS Cardiff leaves Govan and taken down the Clyde to be floated off | website=Navy Lookout | date=30 August 2024 | url=https://www.navylookout.com/second-type-26-frigate-hms-cardiff-leaves-govan-and-taken-down-the-clyde-to-be-floated-off/ | access-date=16 September 2024}} They are then taken by tugs upriver to the BAE Scotstoun shipyard for fitting out.{{cite web | last=Admin | first=Jeremy | title=Shipping: New Frigate Heads Upriver After Successful Float-Off | website=Inverclyde Now | date=5 September 2024 | url=https://www.inverclydenow.com/shipping-new-frigate-heads-upriver-after-successful-float-off/ | access-date=13 September 2024}}

=Rail connection=

The depot is served by a branch railway line to the West Highland Line at the former Glen Douglas Halt railway station.{{Historic Environment Scotland|cat=PLA |num=128009 |num2=NS29NE 10 |desc=Glen Douglas Halt}}