The Dowding Spitfire is a fitting tribute to an incredible individual. Air Chief Marshal Lord Dowding, who was born in the town, is honoured and remembered by a replica Spitfire that stands in the grounds of a sheltered housing scheme that operates in what was once St Ninian’s Preparatory School, Dowding’s childhood home.

The Spitfire, perhaps the ultimate symbol of the Battle of Britain, was moved to the site in September 2025 from the Moffat home of Dr Hamish MacLeod, who  generously donated his replica of the fighter aircraft that played such an important part in the RAF's victory over the Luftwaffe in 1940.

It is accompanied by a plinth supporting a bust of Lord Dowding, described by wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill as the country's "architect of deliverance" for his part in masterminding the RAF victory that kept this country free as the springboard for the D-Day landings four years later.

The replica is of Spitfire PT462, which flew in 1943, Displayed alongside the bust of Lord Dowding, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of RAF Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain, it creates an inspirational place of reflection in the grounds of Dowding House, now a Royal Air Force Association home for retired service personnel from the RAF, Army and Navy and their dependants. Thanks to Hamish's generosity, the Spitfire now belongs to the people of Moffat.

Given the setting of this unique tribute to Lord Dowding, the first of its kind in Scotland, and the narrowness of the access road, visitors are asked to park in the High Street.

We will be keeping you up to date with regular news updates on this exciting project. Follow this link, and check back regularly.