Mounteagle transmitting station

Mounteagle

Mounteagle mast
Mounteagle transmitting station (Highland)
Location	Fortrose,Highland
Mast height	243.8 metres (800 ft)
Coordinates	57.591667°N 4.276667°W/57.591667; -4.276667
Grid reference	NH639580
Built	1961
ITV region	Grampian Television(1961-1985)

TheMounteagle transmitting stationis abroadcastingandtelecommunicationsfacility, situated close to the town ofFortrose,Scotland,inHighland(grid referenceNH639580). It includes a 243.8 metres (800 ft) highguyed steel lattice mast.It is owned and operated byArqiva.

Coverage

Coverageincludes the areas around theMoray Firth,in theHighlandregion ofScotland,including up toHelmsdalein the north,Elginto the east,Dingwallto the west and the northern shores ofLoch Nessto the south. This also includes the city ofInverness.

History

The station was built in 1961 by theIndependent Television Authorityto bringITVtoNorth East Scotlandfor the first time. Inaugural broadcasts were from the ITV franchise holder for the area,Grampian Television.405-linemonochrome transmissions were on channel 12,Band IIIVHF.The station was also the first in the area to broadcast television using Band III.

When colourUHFtelevision began in 1969, the nearbyBBCowned station atRosemarkiewas 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, withMoray Firth Radiotaking 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 ofChannel 5.Digital switchoveroccurred in the Inverness area in October 2010, and at this point the Channel 5 service was discontinued, and now broadcasts digitally from the nearbyRosemarkietransmitter site.

More recently the station has become the first in the area to carrydigital radiobroadcasts, with the addition of transmitters forDigital One,BBCandScore Inverness.

Channels listed by frequency

Analogue radio (VHF FM)

Frequency	kW		Service
	H	V
97.4 MHz	1.25	5	MFR
101.4 MHz	2.2	8.8	Classic FM

Digital radio (DAB)

Frequency	Block	kW	Operator
218.64 MHz	11B	10	Score Inverness
223.94 MHz	12A	10	Digital One
225.65 MHz	12B	10	BBC National DAB

Analogue television

30 September 1961 - 3 January 1985

Frequency	VHF	kW	Service
209.75MHz	12	50	Grampian

30 March 1997 - 20 October 2010

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

External links

• Entry for Mounteagle at The Transmission Gallery
• Mounteagle Transmitter at thebigtower