The facility was built between 1962 and 1966. As of 1989, it served NATO as a pre-positioned wartime ammunition depot, storing around 40,000 tons of missiles, depth charges, and conventional shells. It is now used only by the UK. The depot lies in Glen Douglas, a glen through which the Douglas Water flows east to Loch Lomond. The depot itself is near the glen's head, less than a mile from Loch Long. Arrochar is the nearest village. In the 1970s, a jetty was built at Glen Mallan on Loch Long, linked to the depot via an Ministry of Defence road. It was known as NATO Armament Depot Glen Douglas and was used for munitions storage by the Royal Navy, the United States and the Netherlands. In 1993 the US withdrew from the site and the capacity was taken up by Royal Air Force munitions which were previously based at RAF Chilmark in Wiltshire, the RAF's last munitions depot prior to its closure in 1995. In January 2003, the aircraft carrier docked at the Glen Mallan jetty to stock up on supplies ahead of the impending invasion of Iraq. With the tacit backing of trade unionASLEF, Motherwell based EWS drivers working on a MoD contract refused to transport munitions to the depot, in opposition to what they branded a "rush to war". The drivers' action was supported in an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons signed by 25 MPs.
Facilities
The depot covers and area of and contains 56 magazines built into a hillside, capable of storing 40,000 cubic metres of conventional weapons, typically bombs, various types of ammunition, explosives and pyrotechnics.
Glenmallan Jetty
The Glenmallan Jetty is located on the edge of Loch Long, around 3 miles south of the main depot, to which it is connected by a military road which climbs along the western flank of Craggan Hill. The jetty is capable of accommodating a variety of Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels so that they can be loaded and unloaded with munitions as well as other provisions such as food and spare parts. The explosives license for the jetty allows up to 440 tonnes of explosives to be handled there. The jetty is being upgraded to serve the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers.
