Lentran House stands in wooded grounds abut five miles west of Inverness on the south side of the old A9 road. 

The former hotel, now used as an old people’s home, seems an unlikely base for an RAF camp, particularly a Maintenance Unit (MU).

Why Lentran was chosen as a site for an MU is not known although the presence of a Signals unit nearby at Bunchrew may have had some influence on the decision. On 1^st July 1941 two officers and eight airmen arrived to set up a HQ in Lentran House.  It was noted that the MU would be used by the RAF stations at Lossiemouth, Kinloss, Invergordon, Wick, Castletown and Skaebrae. More personnel arrived in August 1941 and excavations were started for a Bellman hangar.

Camp defence was not overlooked as the Station Operations Record book for 7^th August 1941 noted that wooden clubs were to be issued for this job!

By 1^st September 1941 the strength was two officers and 91 airmen, and preparations were started on a hutted camp.

The Bellman was completed on 30^th November 1941 and the huts in June 1941. Airmen now moved into the huts from billets in Inverness. The MU was apparently a storage unit for spares of various aircraft such as Hurricanes, Spitfires, Catalinas and Hampdens.

With the increasing work load more storage space was required and in the spring of 1944 three Blenheim and four Spitfire packing cases arrived and were converted into huts by local labour. In June 1944 there were 79 RAF and 50 WAAF on the strength. 

The autumn of 1944 saw a lot of improvements on the camp. A new Nissen hut was erected and radios were supplied for the recreation hut which was decorated and furnished by the camp personnel. A dance band of two RAF and a WAAF was formed and dances were held regularly. A field behind SHQ was used for games and the unit football team joined the Inverness League.  In May 1944 another hangar was erected.

With the run down of the European War in the spring of 1945 a more relaxed atmosphere prevailed.  Rambling and Cycling Clubs were formed and ENSA shows visited regularly. A VE day picnic was washed out but the disappointed airmen and women got free tickets to an Inverness cinema. Peacetime procedure was now in operation with Wednesday afternoon games, 36 hour weekend passes and one church parade a month. The VJ picnic was also cancelled by rain and again everyone got free tickets to the cinema. On 15 August 1945 a farewell concert was held.  September saw a gradual posting out of all personnel and 79 MU disbanded officially on 27^th September 1945.

Although only a small unit 79 MU was obviously very busy storing and issuing aircraft spares (mostly engines) for just about every type of aircraft operating throughout the Moray Firth and further afield. A couple of ex RAF huts are still in use behind Lentran House but a few if any of its present occupants will know of its busy wartime role.