Secret UK nuclear bunker sparks Ministry of Defence interest amid Russia-Ukraine war

A secret Cold War nuclear bunker considered the "first defence against the Russians" could be used by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) amid current threats of war, its manager has claimed.

The historic bunker in Barnton Quarry in Clermiston, Edinburgh was built in the 1940s and remained completely secret until it was declassified in 1955.

Manager Ben Mitchell says the MoD asked to train in the bunker a week into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

And says the MoD has commissioned surveys on the underground safe zone and army regiments have applied to train there.

Mr Mitchell added current world tensions, including the Russia-Ukraine War, had led to a surge in interest in the Cold War-era bunker.

The Barnton Bunker was originally built as part of Britain’s air defences during the Second World War.

It remained secret until the 50s and was also used for classified roles during the Cold War amid fear of Soviet power and use of nuclear weapons.

The bunker was also the designated central emergency government hub for the Scottish Office in the case of a nuclear attack.

Its identity as a Regional Seat of Government (RSG) able to shelter 400 politicians in the event of an attack was revealed by the Spies for Peace anti-war activist group in 1963. It also has a BBC broadcasting studio.

Mr Mitchell said the bunker was only fit to withstand 3-megaton nuclear bombs and with modern-day bombs weighing 100-megatons, it would not be suitable for a nuclear war but could provide protection.

The secluded entrance, 100ft below Corstorphine Hill, can only be accessed down a rough private track.

The site remained unused for years and was victim to vandals in the 90s.

A restoration project was started in 2011 and the site partially opened to the public last year.

Refurbishments are made with the help of around 30 volunteers aged from 16 to 56.

Volunteers are currently reconstructing the original telecommunications exchange with original equipment donated by BT and phones donated by a historian.

It will hopefully be open this year and will enable people to call different rooms in the bunker as well as other bunkers around the UK.

The site, which became a charity last year, is currently only open on Saturdays for guided tours but receives a lot of visitors - including 1,500 on an open day. They are now applying for National Lottery funding to help it open full-time.

The charity receives requests to hold weddings onsite and has hosted schools for educational trips and a range of societies - including the Edinburgh Ghost Society, which held its Christmas Night Out in the bunker.

Mr Mitchell said: "It will cost an estimated £6 million to finish the place but we are going for project-specific grants of £250,000.

"I like the building aspect and the fact that if we don't finish this place it will get lost to time. A lot of bunkers got demolished and turned into housing estates.

"This one is the most important in Scotland as it is where the country would be run from in the event of a nuclear war so it is quite important to see it finished."