Kirkcudbright
Located in the South-West of Scotland, the Dundrennan Ranges located near Kirkcudbright are used primarily for infantry training as well as the testing of military vehicles and weaponry. Established in 1942, the site has attracted controversy due to the testing of Depleted Uranium that took place between 1982 and 2013. Dundrennan is also home to an experimental railgun, developed by the Defence Research Agency.
While the burned-out hulls of countless Second World War and Cold War era vehicles litter the ranges, Dundrennan is also home to several archaeological sites including Doon Hill, an Iron Age Fort.
Two areas are completely forbidden from public access - the Controlled Impact area, which is full of unexploded ordnance, and the Depleted Uranium test ranges which contain the hazardous legacy of weapons tests.
To learn more about the complex history of the site, in 2023 Alex published a peer-reviewed paper documenting the environmental legacy of these tests. It can be read here.
“Kirkcudbright Training Centre provides opportunities for a wide variety of field fire and dry training exercises across 1,900 hectares (4,700 acres) of farmland. The range has many rare plants including populations of narrow-leaved everlasting pea and cowslips. The only known county records of 6 plants including yellow horned poppy, yellow vetch and pyramidal orchids are from the range. Most of the rare plants flourish on the untrodden coastline and cliff face.”
- Ministry of Defence
