Blackdog is a hamlet approximately 2 miles north of the limits of the Aberdeen City council area in Scotland.

Blackdog
Houses at Blackdog with the North Sea in the distance
OS grid referenceNJ958141
Council area
Lieutenancy area
CountryScotland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townABERDEEN
Postcode districtAB23
Dialling code01224
PoliceScotland
FireScottish
AmbulanceScottish
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament
List of places
UK
Scotland
57°13′08″N 2°04′08″W / 57.219°N 02.069°W / 57.219; -02.069

The nearby area serves as a shooting ground,[1] and is used by the British Army for training.[2]

In WW2, the beaches near Blackdog were mined in response to fears of a German invasion, resulting in several fatalities. 10 March 1941 at North Beaches of Blackdog, Sapper Leslie Alfred Whitney - Royal Engineers (age 23) when a "toadstool" he was arming detonated. 17 March 1941 at Millden Links, Corporal Charles Crowe - Gordon Highlanders (age 24) and on 18 March 1941 at Millden Links, Private Colin Innes - Gordon Highlanders (age 22) were all killed by landmines.

The minefields were cleared in 1944 by 11th Company Royal Engineers Bomb Disposal, during the clear up a Wasp (converted Bren gun carrier) used for flamethrowing to burn off vegetation was blown up when it hit a mine. One person lost a hand and several were injured.

A public house called The Black Dog can be found in the nearby suburb of Bridge of Don, Aberdeen.

It is the location of the onshore substation of the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre.[3]

An interchange at Blackdog marks the northern end of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route, a bypass around Aberdeen.[4] A four-mile (7 km) stretch between Parkhill and Blackdog opened in June 2018.[5]

References edit

  1. ^ Classic Shooting Archived 30 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ British Army shooting grounds Archived 9 January 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ "Donald Trump-opposed wind farm in Aberdeen Bay connected to grid". The Scotsman. 3 April 2018.
  4. ^ Transport Scotland Archived 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ "First main part of £745m Aberdeen bypass opens". BBC News. BBC. 27 June 2018. Retrieved 27 June 2018.