Inverness shooting range is on target for first event this weekend
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SHOOTERS from across Scotland will become the first to take aim at a new range which has been built in Inverness this weekend.
Inverness club Target Technique have built a new shooting range at Bunker Mackintosh Road which is located at the Raigmore Estate.
Owners say the facility is one of a kind in Scotland as it is fully electronic and state of the art for 10 metres air rifle and pistol shooting.
To celebrate the opening of the facility, Target Technique are holding an open event tomorrow and Sunday called Baptism of Fire with shooters of all abilities visiting.
Target Technique coach and director Maria Maoileoin says it will be the first time that the facility will be used and looks forward to seeing it in action.
She says people from all over Scotland will be travelling to the shooting range this weekend.
“This will be our first all-electronic event as the range was built during the latest lockdown,” said Maoileoin.
“Unusually, athletes are travelling from the central belt to compete in Inverness and from as far north as Halkirk.
“In the shooting world this is a great win as normally we are expected to travel south to compete.
“The event encourages shooters of all abilities. Some in wheelchairs, newbies and squad athletes will be converging to shoot alongside each other and will be compete according to ability offering winning opportunities to all.”
Target Technique had been forced to shut down during the lockdown period and have only managed to restart again in the past few weeks.
Scottish Target Shooting have approached them to hold a national competition in October.
But Maoileoin wanted to hold an open event before hand to give everyone a chance to see the facility for themselves.
“We wanted to hold the first competition ourselves and it is something that we have decided to push forward,” she said.
“It took us three months to complete the facility which involved taking walls down and creating a much bigger room to put up the electronic targets.
“It has been interesting learning how everything works. There are shooters coming who have represented Scotland and Great Britain and they are keen to see how we have set up the range.”
n The event takes place on Saturday and Sunday, 9am to 4pm.
