The range is located to the north west of the B709, approximately 4.3 miles to the north of Eskdalemuir.
The range has been operating successfully since 2017, under the provisions of the 28 day rule, which meant that planning was not required as set out in Class 15 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Scotland) Order 1992.
The range provides an important national training base for those representing the UK at various world championship competitions.
The range is operated by FCSA (UK), a Home Office Approved rifle club. The club uses the range once a month, normally on a Saturday. The range briefing is typically held at 0900 following which the range goes live and shooting commences. Firing is usually completed by 1600 at which point the range is closed and the range safety flags taken down.
Farm Diversification Upland hill farms, such as Over Cassock, have been under considerable pressure for many years. With the ongoing reform of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy and the UK’s departure from the EU, farms are going to lose significant financial support and it has therefore never been so important for such farms to diversify. If these farms do not diversify to secure alternative forms of income, they will fail and families will move out of the area. The farmland would then be managed remotely and ranch farmed as bare land with the “farm base” many miles away. The buildings will no longer be required and are likely to become derelict and ruined. The loss of farming families would clearly have a knock on effect on local services and the very way in which land is managed. The Over Cassock farming operation is loss making and the establishment of the range could help subsidise the farming activity which may have to cease without it.
This type of use has the particular advantage of retaining most of the land concerned in agricultural condition capable of farming use outwith the rifle range hours.