Overview of 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 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).