Nairn:Druim DCNN 1009 – Unreliable readings, covert re-locations, bonded datasets and invented numbers, all par for the course.
57.59273 -3.82238 No Met Office CIMO Assessement. Installed 1/9/1998 closed 31/12/2014
The CEDA location archive indicates there has been an official weather station in Nairn since 1873, however, there has definitely been an official weather station predating that evidenced by daily weather reports including a Nairn “station” long before then. The issue with the Druim Farm site is that, despite Met Office claims, it was very short lived, despite their providing long term data, despite an unacceptably infrequent observation record and despite the simple fact it closed almost eleven years ago, it refuses to die.
The theme of Met office providing data for non existing sites will not go away. For my part in trying to identify good quality, long term sites suitable for recreating an accurate historic temperature record, I have to investigate all possible options. I feel I will ultimately have to prove the data validity of the chosen sites in order to avoid accusations of “cherry picking”. Amazingly, the Met office does not seem to feel constrained by the burden of such proof and appears comfortable with quoting such sites as Nairn:Druim that only ever existed for 16 years – the rest is their usual smoke and mirrors.
As with Newton Rigg, Nairn:Druim is shown as an “OPEN” “Historic” station with a data record stretching back to 1931 only it is neither “OPEN” nor does it have a long record – and details matter to any science.
I will reiterate the point that I consider this portrayal as misrepresentation. If any private company hid relevant details in the small print in the manner the Met Office does it would not be considered acceptable. The impression given is a continuous record from 1931 from one site that is completely false and the only clarification comes from the small print.
What this header fails to communicate is that the relocation distance was so large that the site was both renamed and renumbered to identify two distinctly different climatologies. The original site is indicated below.
The 4.2 Km/ 2.6 miles difference also included a 15 metre/50 feet elevation change and from the beach side Nairn Golf Club to an inland farm site. Bonding together different datasets is not legitimate practise and as demonstrated at Manston even a small difference can have significant effects.
Whilst data shown for Nairn:Druim continues up to present the site actually closed 31/12/2014 over a decade ago meaning it only ever operated at its farm site for less than 16 years and yet the suggestion is of 85 years contiuous reporting – clearly false. Howeve it should also be noted that even when operational the site was typical of 21st century lapse observations standards that the Met Office seems happy to “work around” by adding in estimated numbers.
In its last operating year of 2014 there were 347 days readings taken – a relatively good year. 2013 saw just 210, 2012 just 281, 2011 just 340, 2010 just 327, 2009 just 320. The overall observations record was so typically very poor it hardly seems surprising the site was closed, so quite why the pretence of the site being open is continued with is a complete mystery. Perhaps such sites offer the ability to manipulate numbers – the “estimated” numbers for this site will, after all, be used to compile the homgenised numbers for other sites such as Aviemore a mere 26 miles away and 225 metres higher elevation.
In summary Nairn hosts another ghost station which only ever existed for a short period but continues to report fiction. The Met Office is not a trustworthy information source.
Source: https://tallbloke.wordpress.com/2025/04/10/nairndruim-dcnn-1009-unreliable-readings-covert-re-locations-bonded-datasets-and-invented-numbers-all-par-for-the-course/
