The National Rifle Club of Scotland

The National Rifle Club of Scotland was instituted in 1872, ten years after the first Elcho Match, with the purpose of “promoting Small-bore* or scientific rifle shooting and aid in securing the best Rifle representatives for Scotland in the Elcho Shield and other matches”. The second purpose was probably more to the forefront in the minds of the founder members. The first Captain had been Horatio Ross, a fine and knowledgeable shot, who was always ready to advise and help any Scot. Unfortunately he was also autocratic, and would take no advice or any interference in the way in which he ran the Eight. He resigned after the Elcho Match of 1873, and since then the Club has had fourteen different Captains, whose tenure has varied from one to thirty years. To start with there was long range shooting in Scotland at Irvine, Darnley, Cowglen, and Tillicoultry, but all the long ranges were closed during the first World War, and thereafter any Club shooting was at Bisley. During the Fifties and Sixties, the Club was in a parlous state, often struggling to raise an Eight. Then in 1977, the splendid Jubilee range at Blair Atholl, along the valley of the Tilt, was opened. At first it only went back to 1000 yards, but a few years later was extended to 1233 yards.

* Match-rifle was called small-bore in the early days.

With the establishment of the range at Blair Atholl, both the most difficult and the most beautiful in Britain, Scottish match-rifle shooting has gone from strength to strength and the club is in better heart than it has ever been. The Range has now been fitted out with Electronic Targets, one for each of the six target frames. Electronic monitors, one per target, can be arranged on any of the firing points via a radio link from the Butts.