Description

The monument comprises the remains of a Second World War minefield control tower, built as part of the network of defences protecting the strategic harbour at Oban. It is hexagonal on plan, around 6m across, with the entrance projecting around 2m from the east side and a blast wall for the entrance extending around 2m from the north. The control tower is built of reinforced concrete, with steel fixtures and fittings and some brick interior walls. Internally, the structure has two floors with a connecting ladder, and the remains of a raised suspended observation platform above the upper floor. It is located at the top of a steep slope overlooking the Sound of Kerrera, at around 30m above sea level.

The scheduled area is circular, measuring 15m in diameter. It includes the remains described above and an area around within which evidence relating to the monument's construction, use and abandonment is expected to survive, as shown in red on the accompanying map.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The national importance of the monument is demonstrated in the following way(s) (see Designations Policy and Selection Guidance, Annex 1, para 17): a.  The monument is of national importance because it makes a significant contribution to our understanding or appreciation of the past, or has the potential to do so, in particular as an example of the scale and range of maritime defences that were developed during the Second World War. b.   The monument retains structural, architectural, decorative or other physical attributes which make a significant contribution to our understanding or appreciation of the past. The monument survives relatively unaltered and there is also some potential for additional buried archaeological deposits relating to the site's construction, use and demolition to survive. c.   The monument is a rare example of a Second World War minefield control tower. It is the only known surviving example of this type within Scotland, and one of only two known examples within the British Isles.e.   The monument has research potential which could significantly contribute to our understanding or appreciation of the past, in particular the wide variety of designs and approaches used in maritime defence during the Second World War. f.   The monument makes a significant contribution to today's landscape and our understanding of the historic landscape, retaining its connection to both the Sound of Kerrera, where the minefield it controlled was located, and to Oban, the strategic asset it was constructed to defend, and it contributes to our understanding of Second World War maritime defensive strategies.g.  The monument has significant associations with historical, traditional, social or artistic figures, events or movements, specifically the Second World War, one of the defining global events of the 20th century.

Assessment of Cultural Significance

This statement of national importance has been informed by the following assessment of cultural significance:

Intrinsic characteristics (how the remains of a site or place contribute to our knowledge of the past)The monument is the remains of a minefield control tower, officially known as an extended defence officer post, dating to the Second World War. It survives as a substantial concrete building and it retains functional elements of its use, including blast shutters, cabling and the metal frame of the upper observation platform.Second World War remains are relatively common across Scotland, including elements of coastal and maritime defences. However, Gallanachmore is the only known example of a minefield control tower of this type within Scotland, and only one other example is known within the British Isles as a whole, at Burnham-on-Crouch in Essex, England (National Heritage List for England entry 1020997). This makes the Gallanachmore example an exceptionally rare example of part of the wide range of defensive buildings and structures built across Scotland during the Second World War.As a rare example of its type, the monument has a good potential to inform our understanding of Second World War defences and their design, construction and use, and it retains some potential for buried archaeological deposits relating to its construction and use to be found around the monument.

Contextual characteristics (how a site or place relates to its surroundings and/or to our existing knowledge of the past)The monument is a particularly rare and well-preserved surviving example of a minefield control tower within Scotland. Second World War remains were common across the country, reflecting the scale of the conflict and the vast resources involved. However, many sites were wholly or partially cleared following the war, with others being removed or decaying in the period since, further adding to the significance of this example. The monument is located in a prominent position, on top of a steep, northwest facing slope overlooking the Sound of Kerrera. The location was critical to the tower's function, intended to remotely detonate a minefield installed within the sound below it in the event of an attack by enemy ships. This minefield, along with an anti-submarine boom across the sound slightly further to the northwest, was part of a network of defences designed to protect the strategically valuable harbour of Oban. In addition to its inherent strategic value as a transportation hub providing road, rail and sea connections, Oban played an important role in the Battle of the Atlantic, with a flying boat base (RAF Oban, NRHE ID 95330 and 95359) conducting long distance maritime operations such as convoy escort and submarine hunting duties. The monument's strategic relationship to both the Sound of Kerrera immediately below it and Oban further to the northeast remain recognisable today and add to the significance of the monument.

Associative characteristics (how a site or place relates to people, events, and/or historic and social movements)

The minefield control tower, as part of the nationwide network of maritime defences constructed in the early years of the Second World War, is a visible reminder of the scale and variety of this network and of the war itself, one of the defining events of the 20th century.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

Trove: https://www.trove.scot/ National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE) ID: 185071 (accessed on 15/01/2026).

National Heritage List for England: World War II minefield Control Tower 940m and Pillbox 980m south east of Holliwell Farm, Burnham-on-Crouch – 1020997. Historic England. Available at: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1020997 (accessed on 15/01/2026).

Oban (Ganavan Sands) Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Available at: https://www.abct.org.uk/airfields/oban-ganavan-sands/ (accessed on 15/01/2026).

trove.scot

https://www.trove.scot/place/185071/

Source: Historic Environment Scotland