About
Cultybraggan Camp Museum occupies part of a former prisoner-of-war camp near Comrie, in Perth and Kinross, at the edge of the Scottish Highlands. Known during the Second World War as Camp 21, the site later served a Cold War role and is now owned and managed by the local community following a landmark land buyout led by the Comrie Development Trust, making it one of the most complete surviving examples of a British POW camp and a rare instance of a former military installation passing into community ownership.
During the Second World War, Cultybraggan operated as a camp for German prisoners of war, and was specifically designated to hold prisoners classified by British authorities as committed National Socialists, considered a security risk if housed among the wider prisoner population. The museum presents this history factually, including the camp's most notorious wartime episode: the murder in December 1944 of a fellow prisoner, Feldwebel Wolfgang Rosterg, by a group of hardline Nazi inmates who suspected him of collaborating with British interrogators. The subsequent British military trial resulted in the execution of five German prisoners in October 1945, in what remains the only mass execution of German prisoners of war carried out in Britain, and the museum presents this difficult chapter honestly, without sensationalising the events or losing sight of the human tragedy involved on all sides.
The camp's history continued after 1945, when Cultybraggan was retained by the British military and later adapted during the Cold War to include a hardened regional government bunker, built to house local administration in the event of nuclear conflict, reflecting the site's ongoing strategic significance through the mid-twentieth century civil defence planning that shaped many former military sites across Britain.
Following the site's decommissioning by the Ministry of Defence, the surrounding land and many of its original Nissen huts were acquired by the Comrie Development Trust in a community buyout, and the site today combines the museum's historical displays with wider community use of the former camp buildings, presenting visitors with both a significant piece of Second World War and Cold War history and an example of successful community land ownership in rural Perthshire.
Categories:
Plan Your Visit
⏱️ Recommended Visit Duration
💡 Visitor Tips
- Check current opening days before travelling, as museum displays follow a seasonal schedule while some outdoor camp areas may be more widely accessible.
- Allow ample time to explore both the POW camp history and the Cold War bunker, as this is a larger and more complex site than a typical small heritage centre.
- Consider joining a guided tour if available, as staff can provide deeper context on the camp's difficult wartime history.
- Combine your visit with a walk into Comrie village and the nearby Deil's Cauldron waterfall.
- The site includes a café, making it a comfortable stop for a longer visit.
- Be prepared for the camp's history to include a serious and sometimes difficult wartime episode, presented factually by the museum.
- Photography is generally welcome; check with staff regarding specific restrictions, particularly within the bunker.
- Combine a visit with Crieff and Strathearn Museum for a wider look at the region's history.
Highlights
Camp 21: A POW Camp for Committed Nazis
The museum's core exhibit explains Cultybraggan's Second World War role as Camp 21, specifically designated to hold German prisoners of war classified by British authorities as committed National Socialists, considered a security risk if housed among the wider, more cooperative prisoner population, and covers the camp's physical layout and daily operation as a high-security facility.
The Murder of Wolfgang Rosterg
The museum presents, with appropriate care and historical honesty, the camp's most notorious episode: the December 1944 murder of fellow prisoner Feldwebel Wolfgang Rosterg by hardline Nazi inmates who suspected him of collaborating with British interrogators, and the subsequent British military trial that resulted in the execution of five German prisoners in October 1945, the only mass execution of POWs carried out in Britain.
Nissen Hut Camp Architecture
Visitors can explore surviving Nissen huts from the original camp, offering a rare and largely intact example of British POW camp architecture and layout, illustrating the spartan living conditions experienced by prisoners held at Cultybraggan during the war.
The Cold War Regional Government Bunker
A dedicated exhibit covers the hardened regional government bunker built at Cultybraggan during the Cold War, designed to house local administration and civil defence functions in the event of nuclear conflict, illustrating mid-twentieth century British contingency planning for nuclear war.
Collections
The collections comprise surviving Nissen huts, the Cold War regional government bunker, and interpretive displays documenting Cultybraggan's history as a Second World War prisoner-of-war camp, including the 1944 murder of Wolfgang Rosterg and its aftermath, and the site's later Cold War and community ownership history.
The museum focuses on presenting the site's own physical fabric and documented history.
Camp 21
The museum's core exhibition on Cultybraggan's Second World War role as a POW camp for committed National Socialists, including the Rosterg case.
Cold War Bunker
A display on the hardened regional government bunker built at Cultybraggan during the Cold War.
Current Exhibitions
No current exhibitions. Please check the museum website for updates.