Fuel depot, Sumburgh, Shetland, February 2010

Thanks to The Historian, Engineer and others for their help with this.

Sumburgh Airfield was established in 1933 and taken over by the RAF in 1939. It continued to serve Shetland after the war and was modernised to cater for the North Sea oil boom.

The fuel depot is to the south of the airfield and appears to be perilously close to the end of the runway- though it wouldn't have been so close in wartime, the runway has been extended. It consists of three underground tanks, a small "walk-through" shelter, a central "hub" building and a small kiosk-like building.

This was my favourite kind of explore- spot something interesting, park and go for a look. I rushed it a bit because I had a ferry to catch and I thought my missing toolbox might have been at Sullom Mine, at the other end of Shetland.


External view


The entrance to one of the tank. All three doors were present, though none attached. Through the door there were stairs leading to...


At the bottom of the stairs.

I'd left my torch in the van and was using my camera's focus-assist to see. it wasn't until the last one that I decided to stick my head through the porthole. Then I went back to the van for my torch.

All internal pictures are of the same tank. I considered doing the others but they looked the same and the floor was a bit crunchy. I don't know what is under the tanks but I do know that finding out would hurt.






Standing on top of a tank.


The "hub", for want of a better word. Very overexposed in an attempt to make the inside visible- the sun was pretty strong.

A few more on Flickr

OOOOOOO, yeah!!!!!! I DO need to book a ferry.

Indeed...OOOHHH Yea!What a location too.The inside shots came out quite well.Hope you found your tool box

Great pics and report, Richard.
I really must try to get out of the central belt this summer..........

Just checked out the cost of taking the car by ferry!!! FFS, haven't they heard there's a credit crunch on??? I could go backwards and forwards to Holland 5 times for the same rate!!!

Foot passenger, sleep in a chair, and hire a car at the other side, methinks. And I'll take a flask and butties.

Ooh, very nice find. Something I've not come across on an airfield explore yet. Excellent!

Yes, it cost my employer a little under £500 for my ferry ticket and it was a 26 hour round trip- it is a very long way. On the plus side the food is very good and reasonably priced. You would have to have a list prepared to make the most of your time there I think. I suppose the flights will be equally eye-watering.

Excellent report RichardB!.

RichardB said:

Yes, it cost my employer a little under £500 for my ferry ticket and it was a 26 hour round trip- it is a very long way. On the plus side the food is very good and reasonably priced. You would have to have a list prepared to make the most of your time there I think. I suppose the flights will be equally eye-watering.

Click to expand...

I shouldn't be surprised actually. I've just got back from there the other day. Working at the Schiehallion field, West of the islands.

Nice one Richard, I like this, and HOW MUCH! for a ferry ticket, ye gods I need to start operating a ferry @ £400 a pop

Fuel store.

Nice pics. The tanks are probably type D1, ten feet deep and there were two sizes, 250 and 500 old tons, (not sure what size the pictured ones are).
The only concrete used in their construction was for a base slab

More underground surprises, good man

I like this, reminds me of Inchindown

In line with my policy on underground surprises you'll observe the roof is sagging