National Museum of Flight East Fortune

If you want to see a Concorde up close in Scotland, there is no way around East Fortune. The National Museum of Flight sits on an old military airfield in East Lothian, east of Edinburgh, and is Scotland’s national aviation museum. Four exhibition hangars hold the British Airways Concorde G-BOAA, Vulcan XM597 from the Falklands War, the oldest surviving Harrier and a civil collection that says a lot about aviation in the north of Britain. Add grounds where aviation history was already being made in 1919.

A museum on historic airfield ground

The museum belongs to National Museums Scotland, the group of Scotland’s national museums. Its roots reach far back: as early as 1909, what was then the Royal Scottish Museum acquired the glider Hawk by aviation pioneer Percy Pilcher. According to Wikipedia, it was the first aircraft ever taken into the collection of a British museum. In 1971 the Ministry of Defence handed over a Spitfire, and on July 7, 1975, the museum opened to visitors at East Fortune airfield. The Wikipedia article on the airfield gives 1976 as the start of museum use – so depending on the source, you’ll find both years.

The place was well chosen. RAF East Fortune is an airfield with history from both world wars. Since 1990, the site has been protected as a Scheduled Monument, an archaeological site. Walking back and forth between the halls here means walking over real airfield ground rather than through a purpose-built museum.

For comparison with the big houses in England: according to Wikipedia, the ALVA association counted around 70,000 visitors for 2025. The RAF Museum Cosford is well above that. East Fortune is therefore a quieter museum – on normal days you have good chances of photos without crowds.

From airship R34 to night fighter school

The history of the airfield is almost as exciting as the collection. East Fortune was designated in 1915 as a site for fighter aircraft and airships and from August 1916 was used by the Royal Naval Air Service, the air arm of the British Navy.

In July 1919, the British airship R34 departed from here on a voyage to Mineola near New York. According to Wikipedia, it took 108 hours and 12 minutes. It was the first crossing of the Atlantic from east to west, and the return trip made it the first round-trip crossing ever. If you’re interested in the era of rigid airships, read the article on the history of zeppelins.

As early as February 1920, the airfield was closed, and many buildings disappeared. It took World War II to bring East Fortune back: from 1940 the field was reactivated, and from June 1941 No. 60 Operational Training Unit trained night fighter crews here – first on Defiants, then on Blenheims and Beaufighters. Later the focus shifted to Coastal Command, and by the end of 1944 the training unit mainly flew the Mosquito.

After the war, East Fortune was assigned to the US Air Force in 1950 as an alternate field for strategic bombers. The main runway was lengthened for this, but the Americans never used the field. In 1960 the site was sold. There was a brief comeback in 1961: while Turnhouse was being built up, East Fortune temporarily served as the airport for Edinburgh – the forerunner of today’s Edinburgh Airport.

Hangar 4: the Concorde Experience

The centerpiece of the museum is Hangar 4. Since March 16, 2005, “The Concorde Experience” with G-BOAA has been here. The aircraft wears the colors of British Airways.

Its history in brief, according to Wikipedia:

By its last flight, G-BOAA had accumulated 22,768 flight hours according to Wikipedia. After the crash in Paris in July 2000, it did not receive the subsequent modifications and never flew again. The journey to Scotland was spectacular: by road to the Thames, by ship up the coast to Torness in East Lothian and from there by road again to the museum. The full story of the supersonic airliner is told in the article Concorde history, and you’ll find technical details in the type profile of the Aérospatiale/BAC Concorde.

In the same hangar, “The Jet Age” shows jet engines. Since 2018, the BAE Hawk T.1A XX308 in Red Arrows colors has also stood here – a reminder of the aerobatic team that flies the BAE Systems Hawk. Exhibits you can walk through or look into include the forward fuselage of the former BOAC Boeing 707 G-APFJ and the cockpit of the Hawker Siddeley Trident 1C G-ARPH. Together they show how jets changed flying from the 1950s and 1960s on. Background on the 707 comes from the article on the Boeing 707.

Hangar 2: military aviation from the Spitfire to the Tornado

Hangar 2 shows military aircraft, engines and weapons. According to Wikipedia, the exhibition includes these aircraft, among others:

• Supermarine Spitfire XVI TE462 – the aircraft the Ministry of Defence handed over in 1971. More on the type in the profile of the Supermarine Spitfire.
• Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet – the rocket-powered interceptor is considered the fastest aircraft of World War II.
• Hawker Siddeley Harrier XV277 – according to Wikipedia the oldest surviving Harrier. On the type: Hawker Siddeley Harrier.
• English Electric Lightning F.2A XN776 – the British supersonic interceptor.
• Panavia Tornado F.3 ZE934 – the interceptor version of the Tornado.
• SEPECAT Jaguar XZ119 named “Katrina Jane.”
• Aero S-103 – a MiG-15 built under license in Czechoslovakia.
• Plus Meteor NF.14, Sea Hawk, Sea Venom, Avro Anson and the Bolingbroke.

According to Wikipedia, a Bristol Beaufighter TF.X is being restored – fitting for the history of the field, where Beaufighter crews trained during the war.

Vulcan XM597 and its trip to Rio

The largest military aircraft in the museum is the Avro Vulcan B.2A XM597. It has a story every spotter should know. In the Falklands War in 1982, it flew two missions of Operation Black Buck, those extremely long bomber missions from Ascension Island.

On Black Buck Five on May 31, the crew fired Shrike missiles at an Argentine radar. On Black Buck Six on June 3, it destroyed a fire control radar. On the way back, the refueling probe broke – without aerial refueling, the fuel did not last to Ascension. The Vulcan diverted to Rio de Janeiro, was intercepted by two Brazilian F-5Es and, according to Wikipedia, landed at Galeão with less than 2,000 pounds of fuel. Crew and aircraft were held until the Vulcan was allowed to fly back to Ascension on June 10. In 1984 it came to East Fortune.

Hangar 3: civil aviation with a Scottish accent

Hangar 3 is devoted to civil aviation, with a focus on aircraft with Scottish connections. For airliner fans, it is often the most interesting hall, because it holds types you hardly ever see anymore.

The Loganair Beech builds a bridge to the present: Loganair still flies many of Scotland’s island routes today. You’ll find more on the type in the profile of the Beechcraft Model 18, and on the Jetstream under BAe Jetstream 31/32. If you want to experience island flying live, head to the beach runway at Barra – everything about it is in the Barra guide and on the spot page Barra Airport.

According to Wikipedia, a Vickers Viscount 701 (G-AMOG) is also part of the collection, but it is not on display.

Outside: the Comet and the end of the One-Eleven

Not every aircraft fits in a hangar. Standing in the open air is the de Havilland Comet 4C G-BDIX in the colors of Dan-Air. The Comet was the world’s first jet airliner, and the 4C is one of the later, larger versions. The article De Havilland Comet tells the story of the type, and the type profile of the DH.106 Comet covers the technology.

For a long time, a BAC One-Eleven, G-AVMO, stood next to it. Its condition deteriorated over the years. According to Wikipedia, it was scrapped in March 2026. If you see a One-Eleven next to the Comet in older photos: that shot no longer exists.

Hangar 1 and the other exhibitions

Hangar 1 is the restoration and storage hangar. According to Wikipedia, it is not always open, but there are regular guided tours. Aircraft that are not currently on display or are being worked on stand here – according to Wikipedia, for example a Buccaneer, an F-4 Phantom and the nose of a Nimrod. If the work behind the scenes appeals to you, read the article on volunteering in aviation museums.

There are also exhibitions in other buildings of the old airfield:

• Fantastic Flight – an interactive hands-on exhibition about flying in a wartime building.
• Fortunes of War – another exhibition on the grounds.
• The Parachute Store – another exhibition on the grounds.

The hangars themselves have their own history. Two of them date from 1940 and received heating and insulation in a £3.6 million project completed in 2016. That is an advantage on cold days in East Lothian.

Photography at East Fortune

The hangars are classic aircraft halls, not built for photographers. Even so, you can get good pictures here if you keep a few points in mind.

How to plan the sun position for outdoor subjects in advance is explained in the article Planning the sun position at a photo spot. Practical tips on locations and angles are on the spot page National Museum of Flight at East Fortune.

Getting there and planning

The address is East Fortune Airfield, North Berwick, East Lothian, EH39 5LF. The museum is in rural East Lothian, east of Edinburgh. Getting there is easiest by car. If you want to come by public transport, check current connections beforehand with National Museums Scotland or the regional transit operators – the location away from the main towns makes spontaneous trips difficult.

You book tickets through the website of National Museums Scotland. That is also where you’ll find opening hours, prices and notices about special events. We deliberately don’t list hours and prices here because both can change with the season.

And the airshow?

For many years, East Fortune was the venue of Scotland’s National Airshow. According to Wikipedia, it took place every July, usually on the third Saturday. In 2020 and 2021 it was canceled because of Covid-19, and in early 2022 it was suspended indefinitely. So if you read in travel reports about flying displays over the old runways: you can’t count on that at the moment.

Smaller events continue, according to Wikipedia for example “Wartime Experience” in May and “Wheels and Wings” in September. You’ll find dates at the museum. For flying displays in Britain, the overview of airshows in Europe for plane spotters helps.

Combining it: museum and live traffic in Scotland

East Fortune fits well into a trip to Scotland. A sensible plan: one day at the museum, one day at the airport.

• Edinburgh Airport is the nearest major commercial airport – with scheduled and leisure traffic, including from easyJet and Loganair.
• Glasgow Airport rounds out the program in the west.
• For a real adventure, you drive or fly to Barra, where Loganair lands on the beach.

If you collect museums, you’ll find a dense landscape further south. The RAF Museum Cosford shows all three V-bombers, the RAF Museum London at Hendon the big RAF collection, the Imperial War Museum Duxford flying warbirds and a Concorde. Aerospace Bristol shows the last Concorde built at Filton, the Shuttleworth Collection historic aircraft in the air and the Brooklands Museum also a Concorde. On the way south lies the Yorkshire Air Museum at Elvington.

Conclusion

The National Museum of Flight at East Fortune is Scotland’s most important aviation museum and a rewarding side trip for any spotter in the region. Concorde G-BOAA is the crowd magnet, and Vulcan XM597 with its Falklands story is a real piece of contemporary history. Add the oldest Harrier, the Me 163, a civil collection with the Loganair Beech and the ambulance Islander, and an airfield from which the airship R34 departed for America in 1919.

Plan half a day to a full day, book tickets in advance and check whether all hangars are open. The One-Eleven is gone by now, the big airshow is on pause – but the visit combines well with a spotting day in Edinburgh.