Askernish

57°11'13"N 007°24'58"W

Runway: grass flying field

Askernish airfield (in Gaelic: Aisgernis) was an airfield on South Uist, 295 kilometers northwest of Edinburgh.
Although it was not yet an official airfield yet (it was part of a golf course at what is today the Askernish Golf Club), it appears the first recorded flight landing near Askernish was piloted by Captain Ed Stewart of Midland and Scottish Air Ferries from Renfrew on 1 June 1933 undertaking the third air ambulance flight in Scotland. It is said that the second air ambulance flight to ASKERNISH took place on 13 September 1933, this time by DH Dragon G-ACCZ piloted by Captain Jimmy Orrell (UKAirfieldGuide.net). In Dec 1935 Northern & Scottish Airways inaugurated a twice-weekly service to this airport from Renfrew.
In 1936, the Royal Air Force (RAF) took over part of Askernish to build an emergency airstrip at the golf course. The sixth fairway became a landing strip. Only nine holes remained, but what was left became overgrown and largely forgotten. The air service continued until 1938, by which time Benbecula had become the main airport for the islands. Askernish was then used only "on demand" or for landings by the newly formed Air Ambulance service.


No photos of the airfield while in use were located.

During the war, the site served as an emergency diversion airfield for RAF Benbecula, but appearantly it was not used as such very often. In any case it did not act as an operational airfield during those days.

After the war the field continued to serve as an uncontrolled airstrip for a while. Lack of maintenance however ultimately caused the airstrip to be closed.


Location of the airstrip according to a (undated) map on the Askernish Golf Club.

In 2006 the full 18 hole golf course was landscaped again after 60 years of neglect. The airstrip can no longer be traced. The 6th hole at the golf course is called 'Runway' however.