Dumfries & Galloway Aviation Museum — Attraction in Scotland

An absolutely amazing and outstanding aviation museum situated on the outskirts of the town of Dumfries. The museum has a fantastic collection of Aircraft most of which are displayed outside and one of these is stored in one of the hangars and these aircraft include The Fairey Gannet, Hawker Hunter, Westland Wessex Helicopter, Gloster Meteor, Dassault Mystere, Loch Doon Spitfire, North American F-100 Super Sabre, Saab Draken, Lockheed T-33 & English Electric Lightening and all of these aircraft are in spectacular great condition showing the hard work, diligent and dedicated the volunteers do in maintaining them in this great condition. There are information displays for each aircraft detailing their history which is very interesting and fascinating. There is also some cockpit shells of some aircraft including The Scottish Aviation Jetstream, Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer and Hawkley Siddeley Trident and these are again in magnificent condition showing the great the volunteers do to look after them. The other areas of note are The Control Tower where you can see some great displays of engines on the ground floor and the airmen who served at RAF Dumfries during the Second World War which is an interesting and enthralling to read about. There are also some wonderful artefacts and items to see such as Photographs and medals and other memorabilia and this gives an idea of the lives the people had who served at RAF Dumfries. On the top floor there is a layout of a Control Room giving an idea of how they functioned and what life during the Second World War at RAF Dumfries. Other areas of note are Airborne Forces where you can learn about the use of Airborne Troops from their inception in The Second World War to the present day and the reads about their deployments in the Second World War and The Falklands War are particularly informative and fascinating. There is the hangar about how pilots were trained at RAF Dumfries to conduct their duties and is again an interesting read. There is an Anderson Shelter in the grounds giving you an idea how people lived in them during a Bombing raid and also There is the Homefront building where you can learn how people lived during WWII and how they survived against adversity and this again is a fascinating area to read. The most renowned and best of the hangars is the Loch Doon Spitfire as the plane is itself looks absolutely magnificent and is in fantastic condition coupled with the informative display boards make for a heartwarming read about how it was rescued from Loch Doon and restored as near as possible to its original look and beautifully conserved shows the incredible work people have done to ensure this happened is another wonderful consideration. The read about the Spitfire's use in the Second World War and how it ended up in Loch Doon along with the story of the Pilot makes for an enthralling read. There is a cafe and gift shop selling a variety of food and souvenirs at reasonable prices. The staff are very welcoming and friendly making the visit all the more enjoyable. Overall this is an amazing and outstanding aviation museum to visit and the Loch Doon Spitfire is a must see living up its great reputation along with all the other magnificent displays. Definitely a must see place whilst visiting the...

The Dumfries and Galloway Aviation Museum is a volunteer-operated aviation museum located in and around the World War II-era watch tower (control tower) at the former RAF Dumfries, located two miles north east of the centre of Dumfries, Scotland, which was in service from June 1940 until 1957, when it closed. The site was sold to a private company in 1960. The museum, founded in 1977 by the Dumfries and Galloway Aviation Group, has a collection of aircraft, both civil and military, aero engines, artifacts, and a small, but "ever expanding collection of memorabilia honouring airborne forces."

The amount of unique and interesting artefacts in the museum is astonishing. Plenty here you won’t see at other larger and funded which is a testament to the volunteers here. Throughly enjoyed my visit here and can whole heartedly recommend for any enthusiasts.

Also, make sure you spend plenty of time in the Loch Doon Spitfire hangar. The talks the staff give are so insightful and moving.

The plane was salvaged from the bottom of Loch Doon in Ayrshire in 1982 after a four-year search by divers.

It crashed during a training flight from Ayr in 1941, killing the Czech pilot (which the staff have a superb detailed display).

Returning the bodywork to its former glory has taken 35 years of work and involved several false starts before being carried out.

However, the Spitfire is finally stood and takes pride of place...

The Dumfries and Galloway Aviation Museum has been on my 'to-do' list for some time now, and we finally got to go yesterday, Saturday 17-06-23. It's definitely a wee hidden treasure, and brings the history to life. Volunteer-run and staffed, their obvious pride in the Museum translates to a flawless customer interaction: a warm welcome from front-of-house staff, and knowledgeable guides on hand to answer our many questions. Particular mention must be made of Peter, who conducted a rivetting talk on the recovered Spitfire exhibit: his demonstrable knowledge of the subject, and his practical involvement with the exhibit over a period of 4 decades, made for an enthralling talk, which genuinely humanised the history of this amazing machine, and the men who flew it. In addition to the aircraft exhibits on display, the Museum has an endless collection of aviation and war memorabilia: uniforms, equipment, various aircraft parts, and hundreds of precision-built model aircraft. A very 'real' experience that educates, informs and genuinely keeps the flame of history, and the people who made it, burning. The Museum is also (very...) dog-friendly, does a great sarnie, coffees and teas, and we cannot...