Fired with enthusiasm? Shoot off towards Cluny Clays, Kirkcaldy

LET me make one thing clear. I am not a supporter of the NRA or any other groups which think it necessary for people to keep weapons for personal safety, whether or not they are stark raving bonkers.

However, learning to use a gun in a safe environment whilst under the careful supervision of someone who is not crazy is something that I thought would be a good fun way to pass some time when Ellen had her friend Ruth over for the day.

We headed for Cluny Clays, which is very well marked off the A92 just before Kirkcaldy. There’s quite a lot on offer here, but we checked in at reception to gear ourselves up for a clay pigeon shooting session.

I have not attempted this since I was in my early teens, after a few unsuccessful attempts made my brother announce that he wasn’t going to waste any more money on his little sister.

Under the guidance of another Fiona, who obviously didn’t have the same sibling discord in her 
family, we were kitted out with sleeveless gun jackets and stuffed some cartridges in the pockets.

The guns, for those of you not in the know, come in various different sizes and weights, so the children were given small single barrel rifles and I had a ladies’ variety.

At the firing range we stood under a shelter looking out at a small site which resembled a sparse tip. Fiona explained that the clays could be shot from any of the various spots marked ahead of us, and looking at us she decided to start with the easiest.

She told us about finding the clays as they shot up, aiming and then firing just as they hovered before falling back to earth, and then she fitted us with our ear protectors.

The girls both managed to hit a few before we moved onto another spot. This time they were fired from a more tricky position so it was a bit more difficult and the results weren’t quite so positive.

However, as new experiences go it was one they certainly enjoyed and wanted to do again.

As for me, I hit eight out of 10, so that pesky brother had better watch out when I see him. I might even audition for Annie Get Your Gun next time it is in town.

Cluny Clays is off the A92. Tel: [phone] or visit www.clunyclays.co.uk; a starter session (minimum age ten) is £22 for ten shots.