Barry Buddon Training Centre

The Barry Buddon Training Centre lies approximately one mile west of the well known Carnoustie golf club.

The land was sold to the War Office by Lord Panmure in 1897 for use as a military training area, and has served in this role ever since. Prior to this, in the mid-19th century, the area was used for some 30 years by the Forfarshire Rifle Volunteers, the Panmure Battery of the Forfarshire Artillery Brigade, and a Royal Naval Reserve Battery. Earlier still, it hosted a salmon fishing enterprise, a horse racecourse and a lifeboat station. Further history can be traced back to the 11th century.

The area features some 20 ranges, used mainly for infantry training, with small arms, light and medium mortars, and anti-tank weapons being fired. The site covers 2,300 acres (930 hectares), with 600 acres (240 hectares) of foreshore and a similar area of sea included in the danger area. The camp itself is relatively new, and has accommodation for 507, with an annual throughput of up to 30,000 personnel arriving from the three services, cadets, plus a number of civilian sources.

Most of the area is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and an EU Special Area of Conservation (SAC), as well as a Special Protection Area (SPA) for birds under the European Birds Directive. As with many similar facilities, the area benefits from the absence of development and intrusion, and many species survive that would otherwise be lost if it were to be developed commercially. The coast has been subject to significant erosion in recent years, with 150 m being lost in the past 20 years, threatening the site and ranges. In 1993, a major project saw a rock defence wall being installed, the long term effect of which on the surrounding shore is to be monitored closely.

Hazards

Due to its long history of military use, there is a danger from unexploded ordnance, and public access is restricted to metalled roads, and the beaches when the flags are down and the red lights extinguished.