Mounteagle transmitting station
Encyclopedia
The Mounteagle transmitting station is a broadcasting
and telecommunications facility, situated close to the town of Fortrose
, Scotland
, in Ross-shire
. It includes a 243.8 m (800 ft) high guyed steel lattice mast. It is owned and operated by Arqiva
.
includes the areas around the Moray Firth
, in the Highland
region of Scotland
, including up to Helmsdale
in the north, Elgin
to the east, Dingwall
to the west and the northern shores of Loch Ness
to the south. This also includes the city of Inverness
.
to bring ITV
to North East Scotland for the first time. Inaugural broadcasts were from the ITV franchise holder for the area, Grampian Television
. 405-line
monochrome transmissions were on channel 12, Band III
VHF. The station was also the first in the area to broadcast television using Band III.
When colour UHF television began in 1969, the nearby BBC
owned station at Rosemarkie
was chosen over Mounteagle to carry these broadcasts. Both the UHF and VHF services continued in tandem until 1985, when VHF television was discontinued in the UK. At this point, Mounteagle ceased broadcasting television services entirely.
In 1982 Mounteagle was chosen as the site of the first commercial radio broadcasts in northern Scotland, with Moray Firth Radio taking to the air on 23 February of that year.
In 1996 transmitters for Classic FM were added, and then later in 1997 Mounteagle began broadcasting television services again, when transmitters were installed for the launch of Channel 5. Digital switchover occurred in the Inverness area in October 2010, and at this point the Channel 5 service was discontinued, and now broadcasts digitally from the nearby Rosemarkie transmitter site.
More recently the station has become the first in the area to carry digital radio broadcasts, with the addition of transmitters for Digital One
, BBC and Score Inverness
.
Analogue radio (FM
Digital radio (DAB
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
and telecommunications facility, situated close to the town of Fortrose
Fortrose
Fortrose is a burgh in the Scottish Highlands, located on the Moray Firth, approximately ten kilometres north east of Inverness. The town is known for its ruined 13th century cathedral, and as the home of the Brahan Seer. In the Middle Ages it was the seat of the bishopric of Ross...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, in Ross-shire
Ross-shire
Ross-shire is an area in the Highland Council Area in Scotland. The name is now used as a geographic or cultural term, equivalent to Ross. Until 1889 the term denoted a county of Scotland, also known as the County of Ross...
. It includes a 243.8 m (800 ft) high guyed steel lattice mast. It is owned and operated by Arqiva
Arqiva
Arqiva is a telecommunications company which provides infrastructure and broadcast transmission facilities in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. The present company, with headquarters located at Crawley Court in the village of Crawley, Hampshire, was formed by National Grid Wireless...
.
Coverage
CoverageCoverage map
Coverage maps are designed to indicate the service areas of radiocommunication transmitting stations. Typically these may be produced for radio or television stations, for mobile telephone networks and for satellite networks. Such maps are alternatively known as propagation maps...
includes the areas around the Moray Firth
Moray Firth
The Moray Firth is a roughly triangular inlet of the North Sea, north and east of Inverness, which is in the Highland council area of north of Scotland...
, in the Highland
Highland (council area)
Highland is a council area in the Scottish Highlands and is the largest local government area in both Scotland and the United Kingdom as a whole. It shares borders with the council areas of Moray, Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross, and Argyll and Bute. Their councils, and those of Angus and...
region of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, including up to Helmsdale
Helmsdale
Helmsdale is a village on the east coast of Sutherland, in the Highland council area of Scotland. The modern village was planned in 1814 to resettle communities that had been removed from the surrounding straths as part of the Highland Clearances....
in the north, Elgin
Elgin, Moray
Elgin is a former cathedral city and Royal Burgh in Moray, Scotland. It is the administrative and commercial centre for Moray. The town originated to the south of the River Lossie on the higher ground above the flood plain. Elgin is first documented in the Cartulary of Moray in 1190...
to the east, Dingwall
Dingwall
Dingwall is a town and former royal burgh in the Highland council area of Scotland. It has a population of 5,026. It was formerly an east-coast harbor but now lies inland. Dingwall Castle was once the biggest castle north of Stirling. On the town's present-day outskirts lies Tulloch Castle, parts...
to the west and the northern shores of Loch Ness
Loch Ness
Loch Ness is a large, deep, freshwater loch in the Scottish Highlands extending for approximately southwest of Inverness. Its surface is above sea level. Loch Ness is best known for the alleged sightings of the cryptozoological Loch Ness Monster, also known affectionately as "Nessie"...
to the south. This also includes the city of Inverness
Inverness
Inverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...
.
History
The station was built in 1961 by the Independent Television AuthorityIndependent Television Authority
The Independent Television Authority was an agency created by the Television Act 1954 to supervise the creation of "Independent Television" , the first commercial television network in the United Kingdom...
to bring ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
to North East Scotland for the first time. Inaugural broadcasts were from the ITV franchise holder for the area, Grampian Television
Grampian Television
Grampian Television is the ITV franchisee for the North and North East of Scotland. Its coverage area includes the Scottish Highlands , Inverness, Aberdeen, Dundee and parts of north Fife...
. 405-line
405-line
The 405-line monochrome analogue television broadcasting system was the first fully electronic television system to be used in regular broadcasting....
monochrome transmissions were on channel 12, Band III
Band III
Band III is the name of a radio frequency range within the very high frequency part of the electromagnetic spectrum.Band III ranges from 174 to 230 MHz, and it is primarily used for radio and television broadcasting...
VHF. The station was also the first in the area to broadcast television using Band III.
When colour UHF television began in 1969, the nearby BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
owned station at Rosemarkie
Rosemarkie
Rosemarkie is a village on the south coast of the Black Isle peninsula in northern Scotland.-Geography:Rosemarkie lies a quarter of a mile east of the town of Fortrose...
was chosen over Mounteagle to carry these broadcasts. Both the UHF and VHF services continued in tandem until 1985, when VHF television was discontinued in the UK. At this point, Mounteagle ceased broadcasting television services entirely.
In 1982 Mounteagle was chosen as the site of the first commercial radio broadcasts in northern Scotland, with Moray Firth Radio taking to the air on 23 February of that year.
In 1996 transmitters for Classic FM were added, and then later in 1997 Mounteagle began broadcasting television services again, when transmitters were installed for the launch of Channel 5. Digital switchover occurred in the Inverness area in October 2010, and at this point the Channel 5 service was discontinued, and now broadcasts digitally from the nearby Rosemarkie transmitter site.
More recently the station has become the first in the area to carry digital radio broadcasts, with the addition of transmitters for Digital One
Digital One
Digital One is a national commercial digital radio multiplex in the United Kingdom, owned by Arqiva. , the multiplex covers more than 90% of the populationfrom a total of 137 transmitters...
, BBC and Score Inverness
Score Inverness
Bauer Inverness, originally Score Inverness, is a local DAB multiplex broadcasting to the Inverness area. It was formed by the Scottish Radio Holdings group in order to operate one of the DAB ensembles for the Inverness area operating on 218.64 MHz...
.
Analogue radio (FMFrequency modulationIn telecommunications and signal processing, frequency modulation conveys information over a carrier wave by varying its instantaneous frequency. This contrasts with amplitude modulation, in which the amplitude of the carrier is varied while its frequency remains constant...
VHF)
| Frequency | kW | Service |
|---|---|---|
| 97.4 MHz | 6.25 | Moray Firth Radio |
| 101.4 MHz | 2.2 (H) 8.8 (V) |
Classic FM Classic FM (UK) Classic FM, one of the United Kingdom's three Independent National Radio stations, broadcasts classical music in a popular and accessible style.-Overview:... |
Digital radio (DABDigital audio broadcastingDigital Audio Broadcasting is a digital radio technology for broadcasting radio stations, used in several countries, particularly in Europe. As of 2006, approximately 1,000 stations worldwide broadcast in the DAB format....
)
| Frequency | Block | kW | Operator |
|---|---|---|---|
| 218.64 MHz | 11B | 10 | Score Inverness Score Inverness Bauer Inverness, originally Score Inverness, is a local DAB multiplex broadcasting to the Inverness area. It was formed by the Scottish Radio Holdings group in order to operate one of the DAB ensembles for the Inverness area operating on 218.64 MHz... |
| 222.06 MHz | 11D | 10 | Digital One Digital One Digital One is a national commercial digital radio multiplex in the United Kingdom, owned by Arqiva. , the multiplex covers more than 90% of the populationfrom a total of 137 transmitters... |
| 225.65 MHz | 12B | 10 | BBC National DAB |
Analogue television
| Frequency | UHF | kW | Service |
|---|---|---|---|
| 839.25 MHz | 67 | 100 | Channel 5 |
See also
- List of masts
- List of tallest buildings and structures in Great Britain
- List of radio stations in the United Kingdom