Saxa Vord

The hill of Saxa Vord is located on the northern coast of the island of Unst in Shetland, to the east of Burra Firth. It rises to a height of 285m (935 feet) and its summit is marked by an Ordnance Survey primary triangulation pillar installed 1948-49. Communications masts and a dome relating to the early warning station of RAF Saxa Vord lie on its slopes. It was on Saxa Vord that gusts of wind briefly reached a record speed of 177 mph (285 kph) in 1962 before the measuring equipment blew away. In the winter of 1991-92 the RAF radar station was badly damaged by a storm, during which the wind may have reached 197 mph (317 kph).


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