Monument record MHG52816 - Mid 19th Century Gun Battery, Castletown

In 1866 under the influence of the Earl of Caithness, an Artillery Company was formed at Mey and shortly afterwards a second company was raised in Castletown. No doubt one of the company’s first tasks was to build a training battery and to apply for cannon to man it. The sketch of the batteries at Mey and Castletown shows that they are surprisingly complete and a mirror image of each other. The main difference lies in the angle of the embrasures. Bronze hinges were a safety feature of the powder-room door as they were less likely to produce sparks. <1>

Photographs of a structure on the site were taken by A Puls on site visit. This main battery building, and revetment for cannons, facing out over Dunnet Bay, is marked on modern Ordnance Survey maps, as a rifle range. The structure is not shown on the 2nd edition Ordnance Survey map, but the area is shown as a rifle range, with a target set at 400yds. <2>-<4>