David McKay is a former Cold War special forces officer and author of Bubbleheads, SEALs and Wizards: America's Scottish Bastion in the Cold War.

His book highlights the Scottish bases' significant role in supporting the US military over three decades.

David brings his expertise into play, examining this intriguing story by reaching out to more than one hundred veterans and expert witnesses. Their contributions reveal the personal stories of history, not high-end diplomacy.

We also delve into the espionage efforts mounted by the KGB against these bases through trawlers and agents on the ground.

Among the many stories that David details are the nuclear missile submarine operations from Holy Loch, the large radio spy stations and reveals for the first time one of America’s most bizarre intelligence gathering activities of the early Cold War.

Episode extras here https://coldwarconversations.com/episode345/

Buy the book and support us here https://uk.bookshop.org/a/1549/9781849955546

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00:00  Introducing Cold War Conversations and David Mackay

01:54 David Mackay: From Paratrooper to Cold War Historian

05:30 The Strategic Importance of Scottish Bases in the Cold War

08:32 Project Genetrix: Balloons, Espionage, and Cold War Ingenuity

16:49 The U.S. Submarine Base in Scotland: Strategic Decisions and Local Impact

26:55 Espionage and Security: Spies, Spetsnaz, and Surveillance

33:20 The Soviet Presence in Scotland: Trawlers, Spies, and Local Encounters

41:25 Close Encounters of the Naval Kind

42:09 The Cat and Mouse of Cold War Submarines

42:53 Espionage and a High Seas Emergency

44:13 Gathering Intel

46:21 Signals Intelligence and the Scottish Connection

56:14 The Strategic Importance of Machrihanish

01:04:56 Prestwick Airport: A Cold War Crossroads

01:08:29 Reflecting on the Cuban Missile Crisis

01:11:37 Personal Anecdotes and Cold War Reflections

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