Sheriff Muir

NN80SW 23.04 8350 0370

The positions from which the defensive works (NN80SW 23.01) were fired on lie immediately to the W of the public road, although fire may also have been directed from further afield. At least six gun emplacements (NN 8349 0364, NN 8359 0373, NN 8360 0381, NN 8354 0404, NN 8370 0386, NN 8354 0362) survive as hollows measuring up to about 10m in diameter. A marked break of slope within some of the hollows may mark the original position of the revetment around the interior. The main focus for artillery firing on the range appears to lie along a graded access track, which is clearly visible on a vertical aerial photograph (RAF 106G/SCOT/120 frame no. 4250, 20 June 1946), leading from the public road and running roughly parallel to the Atlantic wall and trenches. Aerial photographs (ibid.; RCAHMSAP 1997) show the ground at the SSW end of the track churned up by tracked vehicles, possibly tanks. Spaced along the W side of the track are a series of low turf tumps, mostly occurring in groups of three, some 5m to 8m apart. The tumps, which measure about 1.5m in length by 0.5m in breadth lie at right angles to the track, orientated towards the defensive works and may have been markers to position field artillery. Some tumps lie beside rectangular platforms, measuring about 5m by 8m across, and are also orientated towards the defensive works. The tumps are most clearly visible on aerial photographs and may have provided level stances for tanks or other artillery firing on the defensive works.

Visited by RCAHMS (DCC), 27 November 1998.