Great RAF Dog-Friendly Museum
4
4
Date of visit: July 2026
I am a disabled person. I have experience of challenges around: accessing toilets and moving around.
I use or have experience of: disabled toilet, powerchair
Overall Rating
Good
Open museum in Montrose showing the history of the RAF in Montrose. The museum is most accessible throughout which is impressive with it be older buildings. It is also a fantastic dog friendly venue too and carers get in free too.
Disabled Access In and Around
Good
It is level access into the reception and gift shop building, I’d also say the door is wide enough for most wheelchairs to get through. Inside this building it is spacious to look around the gift shop. The reception desk is very tall for a wheelchair user to be able to speak to the volunteer that is there, but if you go around the corner of the reception desk, there is a lowered down area for wheelchair users or children to speak to someone. At the back of the gift shop area there is a old fashioned living room and kitchen area that is part of the museum that you can have a look around. There is a small ramp leading up to here and it is then quite spacious to get into. You only really need to sit in one area though and spin around a 360-degree angle to see everything. Once we paid for our tickets at reception we first got directed to a hanger area down the road from the main museum, I’d say it’s just a minute walk away though. There is a slight lip to get into this area, and I didn’t want to chance struggling to get out again, so I just waited outside with my carer and dog whilst my boyfriend had a look around. This was called hanger 1b, I have included a photo for people to make their own assumption if they would be able to enter. To get into the HQ building you have to go around to the other side and up the platform ramp, which if I being honest was really fun zooming up and down. Within the HQ building there are a few rooms to explore. It is a bit tight to get around, but there was only one room that I fully couldn’t get into because the door was narrow. The corridor was narrow and I struggled to see the pictures on the wall because I can’t turn my head. Most displays were at a good height for me to see things in my wheelchair. I couldn’t get in to see the bunkers, but one was open so I could peep inside. I could get into all the other bunkers except from the Renovation building as there was a step. The doors are open though so I could see inside it. I loved seeing all the old war vehicles and my favourite bunker was the Robertsons building as this was a remembrance area, although I did get stressed out here because there was fake grass and that is what I have in my garden for my dog to do her business. I didn’t notice a lot of seating around the museum and there is a lot of walking so it’s best to keep that in mind when visiting. I also didn’t notice any audio tours or large prints available for the map you are given or information on items that are on display. Overall, I was very impressed with how wheelchair accessible they have managed to make this museum with it being older buildings.
Accessible facilities: Step-free entrance, Single-level venue, Step-free access to most areas
Parking & Transport
Good
I travelled to this place by personal vehicle
We drove to this venue and parked right outside the reception and gift shop building of the museum. We didn’t see the disabled parking space at first, so we just parked in a standard parking space, but I did notice it before we left. Some guests I noticed also parked on the street right outside the museum because the car park did look quite tight to drive in. There are no EV charging stations at the museum, but this museum is a 2-minute drive away from the Starbucks that I have also reviewed in Montrose and there are EV charging stations there. The ground in the car park is all tarmac and there are no pavements that you need to get up on to so no dipped kerbs are needed. I am not from this area so I cannot comment on the public transport nearby.
Accessible facilities: Dedicated on-site parking
Accessible Toilets
Good
I could only see 2 toilets whilst exploring the grounds of the museum. There was one in the reception and gift shop building and there was one in the HQ building. The toilet in the gift shop building was the more accessible toilet with grab rails at the toilet and plenty of space for a wheelchair user to get in and get assistance from someone else. You are only able to transfer on to the right-hand side of the toilet though because it is against the wall at the other side. See image within review for reference. The sink may be too high for some wheelchair user and the only main negative thing I have to say about this accessible toilet is that there is not an emergency red cord for someone to pull if they fall and need assistance. The other toilet in the HQ building isn’t classed as an accessible toilet as there isn’t a lot of space in it, no grab rails, not a lot of space near the toilet to transfer and the sink is built into a chest of drawers so a wheelchair user couldn’t get into it. I did like the vintage look to the toilet though. The closest Changing Places toilet is at the Montrose Playhouse which is a 3 minute drive away.
Facilities: Accessible toilet
Staff
Excellent
All the staff that are at the Montrose Air Station Museum are volunteers and they were all very friendly when we visited. They were very helpful with explaining the accessibility of the museum and answering any questions we had.
