The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Tough tower would be bomb-proof investment
Former observation point now a £350,000 home
The UK’s toughest home – designed to withstand the blast from a 2,000lb bomb – has gone on sale for £350,000.
Rosehearty Tower was constructed to observe RAF bombing practice off the north-east.
It has since been converted into a family home featuring four bedrooms, two kitchens, a triple garage, spiral staircase – and the original bombproof windows.
Built in 1994, the 45ft tower allowed military observers to watch in relative safety as jets bombed targets being towed off shore.
A Mark 84 bomb dropped by an RAF Tornado can make a crater 50ft wide and spray lethal fragments up to 356 metres away.
So the building, which cost £750,000 to construct, had to be able to withstand the effect of an occasional stray bomb.
When the bombing practice ended in Aberdeenshire in 2002, the tower was bought for just £75,000 and converted into a family home.
The upper part of the structure, which once allowed military observers to watch the fall of deadly weapons, now affords 360degree views of breathtaking coastal scenery and wildlife, including dolphins.
Sellers Doorstep Agents said: “The area boasts lovely walks, plenty of outdoor pursuits such as bird, whale and dolphin watching, bowling, cycling, sailing and is a well-known fishing and scuba diving spot.
“The property is set in around 0.529 hectares (1.3 acres) of grounds with commanding views over the Moray coastline and North Sea.”
The property has an electric gate and drive, which leads up to a triple garage.