Aberlour House
ABERLOUR HOUSE: Temporary landing site (?)
Note: All four of these maps and pictures were kindly provided by Mr Michael T Holder
Location: Just S of the A95, just NE of Duffus village, 13nm SSE of Elgin town centre
NOTES: All the credit for finding this site has to go to Mike Holder, a great friend of this 'Guide'. Indeed, he found a newspaper article stating that Sir Ian Hamilton had chartered a Puss Moth from Aberdeen Flying School, piloted by Mr E A Starling, to fly him from Turnhouse Aerodrome, (My note: A RAF Station in those days), to inspect an O.T.C. Camp at Nairn. (Oh no - yet another flying site not listed!)
Without any doubt this de Havilland DH80A Puss Moth was G-ABLS - still flying today, and then a company 'hack' serving both the Aberdeen Flying School and Aberdeen Airways, (later renamed as Allied Airways (Gander-Dower) Ltd.
But what interests here is the last part of the article:
For Aberlour
"On returning from Edinburgh the machine was immediately chartered by Sir Edmund Findlay to fly to Aberlour. The pilot, Mr W. J. Alington, made a perfect landing in a field on the Sir Edmund Findlay's estate. Sir Edmund, on arrival, telephoned to express his enjoyment of the flight."
OTHER ASPECTS
Regarding the picture of Sir Edmund Finlay at DYCE; without much if any doubt he is pictured against the Short S.16 Scion I (G-ACUV) which was the first production example and operated by Allied Airways (Gander-Dower) from August 1934 to May 1939.
In WW2 the house was requisitioned for military use, so it seems entirely reasonable that liaison types would have landed here?
Later the house became a 'Prep' school for Gordonstoun and so it seems likely helicopters may well have made visits.
In more recent years the house was acquired by Walker Shortbread as their HQ. They have restored the house, but I cannot find evidence of a helipad. Which I think, is quite unusual for a company such as this?
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