SCOTTISH

2014

Thursday 20 Feb Departure

Fly (EDI 06:35 / LON 10:55 to SFO, arr. 14:00)

Friday 21 Feb Coalinga Settle in; zeroing & practice; buy provisions

Saturday 22 Feb Coalinga California State Fullbore Championship (individual)

Sunday 23 Feb Coalinga California State Fullbore Championship (individual)

Monday 24 Feb R&R

Las Vegas / Grand Canyon

Tuesday 25 Feb R&R

Las Vegas / Grand Canyon

Wednesday 26 Feb R&R

Las Vegas / Grand Canyon (party B arrive LAX 14:55)

Thursday 27 Feb Coalinga Team Training alongside Brick-Martin Match @ 3,6,9,1000x

Friday 28 Feb Coalinga IVs @ 8, 9, 1000x (U25s, Vets, SRA vs. California etc.)

Saturday 01 Mar Coalinga California State Palma Championship (individual)

Sunday 02 Mar Coalinga California State Palma Championship (individual)

Monday 03 Mar R&R

Sequoia & King's Canyon NPs / skiing @ China Peak

Tuesday 04 Mar R&R

Yosemite National Park / skiing @ Badger Pass

Wednesday 05 Mar R&R

Yosemite NP & Gold Country / skiing @ Kirkwood

Thursday 06 Mar Sloughhouse Team Training alongside Folsom Club matches @ 3,6,9,1000x

Friday 07 Mar Sloughhouse VIIIs Scotland vs. USA & Canada @ 3,6,9,1000x (+ IVs)

Saturday 08 Mar Sloughhouse American/Canadian Match (individual)

Sunday 09 Mar Sloughhouse American/Canadian Match (individual)

Monday 10 Mar R&R

Napa & Sonoma / skiing @ Heavenly/Sierra-at-Tahoe

Tuesday 11 Mar R&R

San Francisco / skiing @ Heavenly/Sierra-at-Tahoe

Wednesday 12 Mar Sloughhouse Team training (or Plymouth wineries R&R)

Thursday 13 Mar Sloughhouse Folsom Club matches: 8, 9,1000x (individual)

Friday 14 Mar Sloughhouse VIIIs Scotland vs. USA & Canada @ 8,9,1000x (+ IVs)

Saturday 15 Mar Home

Fly home 17:15, arr. LHR 10:45, EDI 16:40 on 16 Mar

ACCOMMODATION

Shooting R&R - Harris Ranch, Coalinga - Hilton Grand Vacation Suites, Las Vegas 24505 W.Dorris Ave, CA 93210 +1(559)935-0717 - Wuksachi Lodge, Sequoia National Park - Cedar Lodge, El Portal (Yosemite) - Shenandoah Inn, Plymouth (for Sloughhouse) - Chablis Inn, Napa 17674 Village Drive, CA 95669 +1(209)245-4491 - Basecamp Hotel & Blue Jay Lodge, S.Lake Tahoe

TOUR ITINERARY

For more information about the tour: www.scotland2014usa.com

As Chairman of the Scottish Rifle Association I am very pleased to wish our Scotland

Shooting Team an enjoyable and successful tour to the United States of America in

February and March. This is not the first time we have sent an official Scotland team

to the USA - the first Scotland team to go was in 1876 for the inaugural Palma Match

at Creedmoor which was won by the USA. The next visit was 100 years later in 1976

when a Scotland team visited Washington State and Oregon and this year’s Scotland

team includes one member from that 1976 team. In Scotland we use the Blair Atholl

range in the Highlands for most of our international matches and in 2011 we were

pleased to welcome the USA F/TR team for a long range international match which

was shot on the 4th

of July. On that occasion the match was won by Scotland,

benefitting from local knowledge of the tricky wind conditions that prevail at Blair

Atholl.

I am sure the team will enjoy their visit to the USA and make new friends when

shooting at Coalinga and Sloughhouse and there is a very full programme of events

including international matches against the USA and Canada. The team will also have

the opportunity to see some of the iconic sights at Yosemite National Park and the

Grand Canyon, as well as a rare chance to go skiing while on a shooting tour.

I must thank Matt Charlton, Captain of the Scotland Team, for recommending the

team visit to the USA and for all the work he has done in organising the tour which I

am sure will be an enjoyable and memorable time for all the team.

Tim Kidner

Chairman, Scottish Rifle Association

SRA CHAIRMAN’S FOREWORD

Follow the team at: www.scotland2014usa.com

USA Rifle Team

On behalf of the US Rifle Team it is with the greatest pleasure that we welcome the Scottish Rifle Team to the great State of California! The Scottish people played an important role in settling California beginning before the Gold Rush of 1849. Approximately 1.5 million Scots have immigrated to America — they have been settling here since the earliest Colonial days. The number of Americans who have some Scottish heritage is enormous. The surnames of Scots can be found throughout the United States on our maps and gazetteers. There are more than 100 place names that begin with "Mac" or "Mc" and you'll find eight Aberdeens, eight Edinburghs, seven Glasgows and eight places that bear the name Scotland. Competition will be will be fantastic with three team matches and a whole lot of individual matches including the California Fullbore Championships, California Palma Championships, the American-Canadian Rifle Matches, and the Zinsmaster Long Range Regional. We are planning on having a great time with you and hope that our hospitality and the riches of California’s scenery, fine restaurants and vineyards will bring you back soon. Very best regards, Dennis Flaharty, Captain US Rifle Team

Team Captain: Dennis Flaharty 4785 Bullard Drive Shingle Springs, CA 95682 Email: dflaharty@smi.tv

USA CAPTAIN’S WELCOME

WHO AM I? 1. Which team member has a titanium heart implant?

I am deeply honoured to have been asked by SRA Council to lead the Scottish team to the USA, and very

grateful to our friends in California for having invited us to join them in some convivial competition.

Thanks are due in particular to Dennis Flaharty and Jim O’Connell for all their help, to Bob Pitcairn of

Canada for his enthusiasm for some keen team competition, to Mick Barr for his advice (from the point

of view of a Brit shooting in California), to the SRA and our sponsors (see page 22) for their support, and

to the team - especially Adjutant Iain Thomson - for all their work so far.

There will be much that is “new” about this tour. We are greatly looking forward to shooting in a new

environment, on unfamiliar ranges, and to trying to master their particular challenges. We will also be

shooting at, for us, an unusual time of year, and hope that making such an early start to our season will

stand us in good stead in the summer, as well as allowing us to combine skiing with shooting for the first

time!

Among the sixteen team members that we are taking to California, who range from four “veterans” to

four Under 25s, there are no fewer than eight who have yet to represent Scotland at senior level. My

main hope for this tour is that it should help them develop their team shooting skills such that they can

win full caps and contribute to Scottish successes in the near future. I have no doubt that being tested

by such strong US and Canadian teams will be very beneficial to all of us.

We greatly look forward to the beauty of California, to renewing acquaintances and to making a lot of

new friends among the Californian, other American and Canadian competitors, all of whom will be very

welcome to join us on our own lovely range at Blair Atholl (below) when they next visit the UK.

Matthew Charlton

Captain, Scottish Rifle Team to the USA (California) 2014

SCOTLAND CAPTAIN’S MESSAGE

2. Which team member has a left big toe longer and fatter than the right one?

Captain

Vice Captain

Adjutant

Coach/Treasurer

Shooters

Matthew Charlton

Richard Scott

Iain Thomson

Hamish Hunter

Jamie Campbell

Stephanie Dick

Niall Duncan

Jonathan Ford

Sandy Gill

Claire Halleran

Will Hanley

Iain Hindshaw

Kenny MacDonald

Euan Maclean

James Shepherd

Henry Watson

Great Britain, Scotland & London

Scotland

Scotland & West of Scotland

Great Britain, Scotland & West of Scotland

Sussex

East of Scotland RC

West of Scotland

Scotland & Gloucestershire

Scotland & London

West of Scotland

Northants, Leics & Rutland

West of Scotland

Scotland

East of Scotland RC

Oxfordshire

Scotland & West of Scotland

The “California Match” claret jug and the Caledonian Quaich are to be presented by the Scottish Rifle Team for the

international VIIIs matches on this tour and to promote future international/VIIIs matches in California.

The Quaich (right), originally made of wood, is a traditional cup of friendship or welcome. It may be offered with a dram

of whisky (or lots of drams, in such a huge quaich) within and the recipient should, on accepting it, drink the contents and

(in the inimitable words of the late David Hossack) “turn it over and kiss it on its bottom!”

TEAM LIST

3. Which team member went through Checkpoint Charlie

in Berlin without a passport during the Cold War?

4. Which team member has played the bagpipes underwater?

This team follows in a long line of Scots, who have been coming to America for over 1000 years! The first Scots in North America are believed to have come with the Vikings: a Hebridean bard is said to have accompanied Bjarni Herjolfsson on his voyage around Greenland in 985 which sighted the mainland, and the sagas suggest that slaves Hake and Hekja, who scouted for Thorfinn Karlsefni's expedition in 1010, were the first to set foot on the American continent, gathering wheat and grapes from Vinland.

The earliest Scottish communities in America were formed by traders and planters, with many in Virginia, whose tobacco was exported to Glasgow in defiance of English trade restrictions (until the Act of Union in 1707). Soon after, Presbyterian Dissenters fled persecution to settle in South Carolina and New Jersey, where they retained their distinctive culture. Population growth and the commercialization of agriculture in Scotland led to mass emigration to America after the French and Indian War, in which Scottish Highland regiments had served as Indian fighters. More than 50,000 mostly west coast Scots settled in the Thirteen Colonies between 1763 and 1776, the majority in their own communities in the South, especially North Carolina.

The Scottish Enlightenment contributed enormously to the intellectual germination of the American Revolution. According to the historian Arthur Herman: “Americans built their world around the principles of Adam Smith and Thomas Reid, of individual interest governed by common sense and a limited need for government.” No fewer than nineteen of the fifty-six delegates who signed the Declaration of Independence came from Scotland or Ulster or, like the Scottish-tutored Thomas Jefferson, had ancestors there. Scottish Americans who made major contributions to the revolutionary war included Commodore John Paul Jones, the "Father of the American Navy", Generals Henry Knox and William Alexander, and George Washington’s friend General Hugh Mercer, who fought for Charles Edward Stuart at Culloden.

Most Scottish Americans, though, had commercial ties with the old country or clan allegiances and stayed true to the Crown. The Scottish Highland communities of upstate New York and the Cape Fear valley of North Carolina were centres of Loyalist resistance. A small force of Loyalist Highlanders fell at the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge in 1776, and Scotch-Irish Patriots defeated Scottish American Loyalists in the Battle of King’s Mountain in 1780. A lot of Scottish American Loyalists emigrated to Canada after the war.

Among the most famous Scottish American soldier frontiersmen were Davy Crockett and Sam Houston, the founding father of Texas. Another Sam, Samuel Wilson whose parents sailed to America from Greenock, provided the army with beef and pork in barrels during the War of 1812. The barrels were prominently labeled "U.S." for the United States, but it was jokingly said that the letters stood for "Uncle Sam" – he was (officially) the original Uncle Sam. Scottish immigration peaked in the 19th century, when more than a million Scots left for the United States, taking advantage of regular Atlantic steam-age shipping, itself largely a Scottish creation.

Scottish immigrants have had a huge influence on American life:

- 23 US Presidents have claimed Scottish descent, including Monroe, Jackson, Ulysses S. Grant (President when the Scottish Rifle Team first shot in the USA!), McKinley, Wilson, Truman, Nixon and every President since Jimmy Carter!

- In US motor, air and space: Winton, Buick, the Loughead brothers (Lockheed), Douglas (maker of the DC-3), McDonnell which merged with Douglas to develop jet aircraft, missiles and spacecraft, including the Mercury and Gemini capsules. The first Americans in space (Shepard), in orbit (Glenn), to spacewalk untethered (McCandless) and to land on the moon (Armstrong and Aldrin) were all of Scottish descent. Armstrong paraded through Langholm in a kilt in 1972;

- In food: Scottish settlers introduced fried chicken into the Southern Colonies, Campbell started his soup business in 1869, Kellogg changed breakfast cereal from 1906, and Glen Bell and Arch West introduced Taco Bell and Doritos - Jonny Borland would be proud!

- Scottish inventions the telephone, television, pneumatic tyre, overhead valve engine, radar, penicillin, ATM, PIN and golf club have all been more commonly used in America than anywhere else; and

Even African American Gospel singing was introduced and encouraged by Scottish Gaelic speaking settlers from North Uist as early as 1740!

The number of Americans of Scottish descent today is estimated to be 20-25 million, dwarfing the 4.5 million ethnic Scottish in Scotland’s own census. And of course the US state with the largest “Scottish” population is California, with 519,955 – attracted, no doubt, to places such as Ben Lomond, Bonny Doon, Inverness and Irvine (there’s also a California - an old pit village - in Scotland!). California also has its own tartan (as featured on this brochure’s cover) and hosts USA’s biggest Highland Games at Pleasanton in August. There’s even a Scottish Games & Festival in the Sacramento Valley in April! Perhaps some of the local Scots will come out to watch us...

THE SCOTS IN AMERICA

5. Which team member once climbed Mount Kilimanjaro… by mistake?

MATTHEW CHARLTON (Captain)

Matthew started shooting at RGS Guildford when

he was 13 and still hopes to learn to do so

tolerably well. Wind coaching is his main strength

and was his role on previous GB, Scotland and

club tours to Canada, Australia, South Africa,

USA, New Zealand and the West Indies. This is

his 4th Scotland tour and his 3rd

trip with a rifle to

the USA, following the 2012 beard-growing trip

to Camp Perry and stops at Pinehurst and LA on

the way to Scotland's 2000 tour to Australia!

Matt has 39 “Big Five” appearances under his

belt, including 35 in the National and Mackinnon.

He is very proud of Scotland's 2010 and 2011

National wins - their first back to back victories

for 110 years - and would love to build on recent

performances to achieve something similar in the

Mackinnon. The California tour promises to

develop a number of shooters into strong

contenders for both matches this summer.

An Oxford graduate, Matt has an institutional

stockbroking background but aims to start using

some of his seven languages more fully in the

near future. He rows (competing until recently)

and enjoys cycling, skiing and snowboarding

when there’s time... which there will be on tour!

RICHARD SCOTT (Vice-Captain)

Richard was born in Yorkshire, brought up a

Lancastrian, and is now an adopted Scot living in

Perthshire. He took to target rifle later in life than

most, following interests ranging from pistols to

muzzleloaders. On the Altcar range in Lancashire

he was introduced to target rifle and he shot with

Altcar RC and the county team for many years.

On moving to Scotland eleven years ago for

“quality of life”, the only important criterion for

finding a property was accessibility to a local rifle

range. West Atholl’s range in Glen Tilt fitted the

bill. It has to be one of the most scenic ranges in

the world, although the shooting season is

somewhat restricted due to the Scottish climate

(albeit augmented during the shorter days with

some fur and feather). Richard is still not sure if

he will ever get to grips with the vagaries of the

Blair Atholl winds...

At home in Perthshire, Richard’s wife Susan

tolerates his sport, while his dogs sit patiently,

wondering why with all the shooting there is

nothing to retrieve. Instrumental in the

introduction of electronic targets to Blair Atholl,

Richard is also kept occupied by maintenance

during the winter months.

THE TEAM

6. Which team member has shot in North and South America,

Asia, Africa and Oceania but never continental Europe?

IAIN THOMSON (Adjutant)

Iain started shooting at Kelvinside Academy in

Glasgow when he was 12. A Glasgow University

Electronics and Electrical Engineering graduate,

he worked for Rolls-Royce for three years before

joining the Royal Navy as a submariner,

ultimately becoming the weapons engineer

looking after the Trident system in HMS

Victorious.

Iain was a member of the Scottish team to Canada

(British Columbia & Connaught) in 2005, and this

tour will be his third visit to California. The first

was by road – Boston to San Francisco and back

in 14 days, much to the surprise of the rental

company! The second visit was for his

honeymoon – that time travelling by air.

Iain is now retired and lives in Portsmouth with

his wife June. He fills his time organising Royal

Navy target shooting, walking his two

Labradoodles, travelling and drinking wine.

During the tour he hopes to drink some

Californian wine and visit parts of the state he

missed on his previous visits.

JAMIE CAMPBELL

Jamie first took to shooting on the farm in the

Scottish Borders where he was brought up. The

country estate, which his father managed,

provided the perfect backdrop to develop his

passion and, as soon as Jamie started at

Glenalmond College, he joined the school target

rifle team, leading to his first exploits at Bisley.

After leaving Glenalmond, Jamie went on to

Aberdeen University where he shot with and

eventually captained the university team as well

as the Scottish Universities team. After

graduation, Jamie’s career abroad meant he was

unable to continue with his shooting until he

settled back in the UK.

After a 14 year gap from shooting, Jamie found

himself living close to Bisley and propelled

himself back into the target shooting world by

joining the NLRC. He has not looked back since

and is delighted to have been included in this tour

to California after only three years back in the

fold. This will be his first tour with Scotland.

Jamie is a mechanical engineer by background

and, after pursuing an MBA, moved into the

world of corporate strategy and change

management. He currently lives in Sussex with

his wife and two black labradors.

THE TEAM

7. Which team member was once arrested by Serbian border guards (over a woman!)?

STEPHANIE DICK

Steph started shooting seven years ago at Dollar

Academy, starting with smallbore before

progressing to fullbore. Steph took to it quickly

and knew that it was going to be a sport she

enjoyed and wanted to continue. She was in the

UK Cadets squad in 2011 and then a member of

the GB U19 team in 2013 for a first touring

experience in South Africa - a big eye opener.

Steph is very excited to go on only her second

tour and to gain experience in a new country and

hopefully to improve her shooting to the point of

being selected for Scotland and the GB U25 team.

Outside shooting, Steph has a strong interest in

farming and cattle as well as being a keen hockey

player and horse rider.

THE TEAM

NIALL DUNCAN

Niall first began shooting in 2006 when he joined

the Oratory where he shot .22, cadet GP, cadet

target rifle and 12 gauge shotgun (with the

Oratory Clay Club). In his final year he shot with

the UK Cadet long range team and he has also

represented West of Scotland. He is also a

founding member of the Oratory Cardinals RC.

Niall loves the outdoors, participating in sailing,

rugby, hiking, climbing, abseiling, canoeing,

kayaking, skiing and snowboarding (which he

hopes to do at Lake Tahoe while on tour, having

done a season in Austria as a ski instructor).

Niall also plays the bagpipes, which he will be

taking to California with him (to Hamish’s and

Henry’s relief). Soon after the tour, Niall will be

looking to join the forces, specifically the Royal

Marines where he hopes to fit right in.

8. Which team member was once trapped in a bathroom by two lions?

JONATHAN FORD

Jonathan is 26 and started his shooting career

whilst at school in Cheltenham before going on to

set up the Birmingham University Rifle Shooting

Club during his time there. He has spent most of

his life in Gloucestershire, although he now

travels further afield in his job as a pilot.

Jon has shot for his county since the age of 16 and

for the GB Under 25 team on numerous

occasions. His first Scotland cap came in the

National in 2012, followed by further caps in the

National and the European Long Range. This will

be his first overseas tour representing Scotland.

Other than shooting and his passion for flying,

Jon is also a keen rugby player when time allows!

ALEXANDER GILL

Sandy is 31 and lives in London. He is a Captain

in the Army and, although Scottish, is serving

with The Royal Welsh (and has a GSOH).

Sandy has toured South Africa with the Army in

2005 and Australia with Scotland in 2010, but this

is his first target rifle shooting visit to the USA.

In another guise he is Captain of the British Army

Combat Shooting Team and has shot with the US

Army Marksmanship Unit as well as taking tours

to Canada in 2011 and 2012. He will take the

Army team to Australia later this year and is

trying to visit all continents courtesy of the Army

but feels he may struggle to justify shooting in

Antarctica (unlike the team Captain)!

Outside of shooting Sandy has been known to

hack his way around a golf course and play a very

ropey game of bridge and backgammon.

CLAIRE HALLERAN

Claire began shooting at Mary Erskine’s School

for Girls, where it seemed a fantastic thing to do,

being one of the few activities where the girls

could join with boys’ school Daniel Stewarts and

Melville College. At age 14, these things are

important.

The shooting and socialising continued until the

end of student life when, after graduating from

Glasgow School of Art, she disappeared for

several years to travel around the world. A few

years passed before there was a serious return to

shooting. Claire now shoots with the West of

Scotland and is looking forward to her first

Scotland tour and first trip to California.

When not shooting, Claire is a self-employed

freelance theatrical set and costume designer,

which mostly keeps her out of trouble, but there is

always time to squeeze in some snowboarding

and wine appreciation, for which California will

be perfect!

THE TEAM

9. Which team member had to get quickly to grips with

a .45 Desert Eagle the last time he shot overseas?

WILLIAM HANLEY

Will began shooting when at Wellingborough

School from 1998, progressing to full bore in

2000. He has represented Northants,

Leicestershire & Rutland (that’s all one team!)

since 2007 and toured the Channel Islands with

the NRA team in 2009. Last year he shot for the

record-breaking Surrey RA team in the Purples

Match and came second with Northants in the

KGV final (a competition for which he hopes not

to be eligible for much longer!).

Outside of shooting, Will’s main pursuits are in

politics and the restaurant industry. He helped

establish a new political think tank in 2012, which

has fortunately gone from strength to strength

thus far. His passion, however, lies in food; in the

past he has been a broadcaster and freelance

journalist on the subject, based in London, and he

intends to get back in the saddle as soon as

possible by undertaking an intensive diploma at

one of the UK's leading facilities.

This will be Will’s first national tour and his first

visit to the west coast of the USA. He is very

much looking forward to the high standard of

competition and, of course, the gastronomic

opportunities along the way.

HAMISH HUNTER

Hamish is a past Captain of Scotland and has also

served as Chairman of the Scottish Rifle

Association. He was born and still lives near

Glasgow and is an accountant, hence his position

as Team Treasurer which means he’s got all our

money.

Hamish started shooting in 1964 while at school

and has been on numerous trips, including GB

Target Rifle teams to Australia and New Zealand

and also the GB Match Rifle Team to Australia in

2004, as well as Scotland tours to Canada,

Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, and

GB Goodwill Teams to the Falkland Islands,

Trinidad and Barbados. He has represented

Scotland for over 40 years in TR and over 25

years in MR.

Hamish’s individual results include 10 Queen’s

Final badges, including a second place in 1992, as

well as wins in both the Scottish Championship

and the Caledonian Shield. He has been

developing an interest in golf and hopes to play

more often... and hopefully improve!

THE TEAM

10. Which team member is a 2nd Dan judo black belt and won national medals at school?

THE TEAM

11. Which team member broke a brother’s nose…… with a rifle?

IAIN HINDSHAW

Iain began shooting at The Glasgow Academy and

competed in a variety of interschool smallbore and fullbore

competitions. Despite spending most of his time during

university days at the University of Strathclyde, he was an

active member of the Glasgow University Rifle Club thanks

to a degree in Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering

given jointly by the two universities. Iain held committee

positions, starting as club secretary before taking on the role

of fullbore captain and finally club President.

After leaving university, Iain moved to London to work.

Despite a demanding travel schedule, Iain does his best to

fit in skiing, mountaineering and occasionally some

shooting in his spare time!

KENNETH MACDONALD

Kenny is 65 and lives in Cairngorm National Park in the

Highlands of Scotland. Having retired from the coach

building business he owned, he spends much of his time

enjoying smallbore at the local Dulnain Bridge club and

fullbore at West Atholl RC in Blair Atholl, where his eye

is kept mostly on the wind flags! Kenny also enjoys

indoor and outdoor bowling.

Kenny started shooting at an early age and has gone on to

win a range of trophies. He has toured Australia, the

Channel Islands, Canada and Northern Ireland (six times)

and has shot twice in the National, as well as for the

Scottish smallbore team. He will return to the USA and

Canada later this year on his first Great Britain tour.

Kenny is married with three daughters, four

grand-daughters and one grandson.

EUAN MACLEAN

Euan first started shooting when he was 13, with the cadets

at Dollar Academy, showing some early promise. His only

touring experience was to Canada in 2011 with the

Athelings, which he loved; it showed him exactly how

much fun touring can be. He is very proud to be selected to

tour with Scotland and can’t wait to get his royal blue

touring blazer and to shoot against the Americans.

Scotland’s National wins inspired Euan to strive to be able

to contribute to future victories.

In life away from shooting, Euan studies Architecture in

Aberdeen and is currently in his 3rd year, hoping to move to

London next year for his placement. He also enjoys a

variety of sport, especially rugby and football, and loves to

watch football on Saturdays when his team are playing.

THE TEAM

12. Which team member once was a promising figure skating prospect?

JAMES SHEPHERD

James began shooting both smallbore and fullbore at

RGS Guildford at the age of 15, and continued to do so

whilst at university. This is his first ever tour and he is

greatly looking forward to gaining experience on the

different ranges in California (as well as getting in a

touch of decidedly average skiing).

James's previous team shooting appearances include the

Inter-Counties for Oxfordshire, the U25s National for

Scotland and the Chancellors, Humphry and BUCS for

Oxford University. He is very proud to have captained

Oxford to the BUCS team fullbore gold medal last

summer. He hopes the experience gained in California

and in the Channel Islands later in the year will help him

to develop the skills required to compete for a place in

one of the big Scottish team matches in the summer.

James studied Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at

Oxford and has recently started working as a Finance

Consultant at Deloitte.

HENRY WATSON

From ‘plinking’ at tin cans with a .22 air gun on the

seashore at the age of 10, through full bore rifle in his

mid-teens, with diversions into semi-automatic small

arms, 4.5 inch guns, and to a variety of missiles as a

Naval Warfare Officer in his 20s, 30s and 40s, Henry has

maintained an interest in accurate shooting throughout

his school (Glasgow Academy), university (St.

Andrews), and Armed Forces careers, and has

concentrated on target rifle shooting and coaching skills

now that he is a masseur and sports therapist in Guildford

(conveniently close to the splendid ranges at Bisley).

Henry has represented Scotland on an occasional basis

since 1968 and has very much enjoyed team tours to

Jersey, Australia (twice), and Canada. He is looking

forward to the California tour being even bigger and

better in all respects.

Very appreciative of the finer things in life, Henry has

prudently curbed his appetites for beer, fine wine and

good food since coronary artery by-pass surgery in 2007;

he now revels in the company of his friends, maintains

an interest in malt whisky and enjoys travel and a very

wide variety of music. Alas, his team colleagues seldom

acknowledge his noise-making efforts on the Great

Highland Bagpipe as being “music”.

13. Which team member once took a live tiger to

Switzerland in the back of a Range Rover?

Coalinga, unusually, began as a

mining town but survived. It

started with coal, but oil

provided over 100 years of

relative prosperity

There was a

minor oil rush in

1865 but limited

need for

petroleum at the

time meant it was

the coal

discoveries that

convinced the

Southern Pacific

Railroad to

extend its tracks

from Huron in

1891

There were three coaling

stations: “A”, “B” and

“C”. The name Coalinga

derives from “Coaling”

and Station “A” – the

railroad sign will have

read “COALING A”

Legendary bandit Joaquin

Murrieta was killed in 1853

at Arroyo de Catuna, near

Coalinga. Known as the

“Mexican Robin Hood”, he

could easily have been a

McGregor!

Since 1933,

Coalinga has

run a Horned

Toad Derby

In the early 1990s, because

of weather, GB fired a single

shot MR match (one shot by

each captain) against the

USA at Coalinga

Coalinga’s

motto is “The

Sunny Side of

the Valley”.

Let’s hope so!

Although the Portuguese

were in California by 1542,

Sacramento Valley wasn't

discovered until 1808

John Sutter, in exchange for

taking Mexican citizenship, was

granted the right to establish

"New Helvetia" (complete with

private army) in the Sacramento

Valley in 1839

After the Bear Flag Revolt, the Mexican-

American War ended with New Helvetia under

U.S. control. Sutter's empire crumbled when

gold was found: prospectors over-ran his land,

divvied it up and slaughtered his cattle

Plymouth was originally

named Pokerville, then

Puckerville and started a

mile downstream of its

present location

Plymouth is a top wine producing region of

the Sierra foothills but formerly revolved

around the Plymouth gold mine

Plymouth is

the official

home and

physical HQ of

the Band of

Miwok Indians.

Shenandoah

was the name of

Duval's starship

in Star Trek:

Enterprise

Sacramento Valley has a Caledonian

Club, a St. Andrew's Society, a

Scottish American Military Society

post, a Daughters of Scotia lodge and

a Clan Gunn Society branch!

In 1976, Alistair Munro's team

went to BC, Oregon & Washington

where shooting was on a golf-

green-like 300m range and at a

huge camp used for training and

flying soldiers to Vietnam

The unofficial 1979 team to

South Africa presented the

Scottish Sword

Hamish’s 1992 Scotland team beat

Great Britain in one match! Now there

are rules to stop that happening...

The 1992 team to New

Zealand wrote, and

performed, a Scottish

version of the Maori

"haka" for their hosts

A lady in Canada asked members of "the famous Scottish rifle

team" in 1995 if they could please repeat the previous night's

skinny dip in the river!

In 1998 in Germany, Scotland

earned the nickname

"Cross-Schottland"

David Hossack's 2000 team to Australia came 2nd in a

karaoke contest, danced an eightsome reel to "The

Teddy Bears' Picnic" and dropped one point at the last

range to win their big match by a single point

Bill Sharman's

2005 team

spent a week

on a coach in

BC and Alberta.

Happily much

of that was to

wineries!

The 2010 team to Australia

dressed up as Victorians for

a "Night in the Museum"

Scottish teams have also toured

Canada (1981), Kenya (1983),

South Africa (2009), Devon, the

Channel Islands & Northern

Ireland (many times!)

Scotland’s first tour to the USA

was to Creedmoor in 1876

INTERESTING...

COALINGA

SLOUGHHOUSE

The California State Tartan shown here and on the cover features

Pacific blue, meadow green, redwood, charcoal and gold seams

PREVIOUS SCOTLAND TOURS

14. Which team member once was a champion weightlifter?

Tel: 0845 123 5571

McKay Law Solicitors & Advocates, First Floor, Zurich House, Canal Wharf, Leeds, LS11 5DB

Email: info@mckaylaw.co.uk

McKay Law Solicitors & Advocates is a niche practice specialising primarily in criminal law, human rights, regulatory work and public law. Within these areas of work we have particular expertise in dealing with cases involving covert policing, intelligence or terrorist related issues, witness protection and other Article 2 issues such as fatal shootings by the State and prosecuting child protection relat ed cases.

The practice has a unique list of prestigious public authorities and private clients including Police Forces and government depart ments, National Sports Regulatory Bodies, Premiership Football Players and other celebrities.

In addition, the firm provides advice and representation for a number of traditional areas such as family work, personal injury, licens ing, insolvency and civil and commercial litigation.

As part of our commitment to excelling at what we do, the practice organises a number of specialist conferences and seminars for those working within the criminal justice system and produces a number of peer-reviewed publications.

The firm prides itself on giving each of its clients first class representation whether it’s a national newspaper or a private individual.

TOUR MAP

15. Which team member received his earliest speeding

ticket on his first trip to California?

Coalinga range

Sequoia &

Kings Canyon

Grand Canyon

Las Vegas

Yosemite

National Park

Heavenly

Kirkwood

Badger Pass

China Peak

Sloughhouse range

Napa Valley

San Francisco

SCOTS ARE BRITS TOO! (FOR NOW)

A recent missive from one international rifle team captain to his squad, referring to the opposition at a series of matches, mentioned “England (the Brits)”, as well as Wales and Northern Ireland. We’re not quite sure what the others had done to be classed implicitly as non-Brits, but equating “British” with “English” is a common mistake. The French, although they possess a word for “British”, barely use it, preferring “anglais” which makes their understanding of the distinction harder. The Spanish and Portuguese, likewise, use “ingles”. No such excuses for English speakers though! Having said that, we non-English Brits don't mind at all when any negative ex-colonial thoughts are directed at the English rather than the rest of us; but it can be a bit of a drag to have tourists (who are trying to be nice) come to Edinburgh or Cardiff and say "Gee I love it here in England" – akin to saying that San Francisco’s a lovely bit of Canadia!

Believe it or not, there are Englishmen who equate the two things. The English will (almost) always cheer for both their own home nation (England) and Great Britain in international competition – many because they are lovely people, and because it makes sense to do so, but some because they think England and GB are the same thing. The Scots and the Welsh (and Ulstermen when it's "Great Britain and Northern Ireland" at the Olympics) do too, but only for the former reason; and sometimes they don’t, just for fun (or if they’re secessionists or have simply had enough of being thought of as English when they’re not). Scottish Wimbledon champion Andy Murray, for example, famously joked when he was younger that he would root for “anyone that’s playing [against] England” and has never been able to live it down... until, that is, he won Gold and Silver in Great Britain colours at the 2012 Olympics, an event that did help greatly with the “Team GB” sporting identity.

Outsiders’ confusion is understandable though. After all, Brits do have a tendency to field joint and separate teams in various sports – often (like in shooting, rugby or other Commonwealth Games sports) in the same sport! Why is that? Well, largely it's an accident of history. You see, a great number of the world's sports were invented in Britain (in fact in England, let's face it), and the Brits were playing them long before others did because the English exported them across their land borders first. The first international matches tended mostly to be between England and Scotland

(e.g. association football in 1872, and the National Match at Bisley in 1864), before Ireland and Wales would join in (in 1865 and 1881 respectively in the National). Eventually other countries would tend to join in with something that was already established, and in those days people were polite enough not to seek to change the way things were. Additionally, of course, allowing the constituent states of the UK to compete separately meant more teams for the others to play against as well as an ego massage for the creators of the sports – let’s not forget that the British teams declined to enter the first three soccer World Cups because they thought (erroneously) that the Home Internationals were of a vastly superior standard… and Uruguay was far too far to travel for the first one! There were exceptions to the pattern described: the first “international” cricket match was, quite bizarrely, between the USA and Canada in 1844!

So sometimes you will shoot against us as Scots and sometimes as Brits! There are two members of this team, and four Scots in total, who will travel to Camp Perry and Connaught this summer as part of the Great Britain team, but we’re still Scots too! For now at least... there’s a Scottish independence vote later this year, so – improbable though it may be - perhaps those will be the last Scots to shoot for GB!

N.I

16. Which team member didn’t quite get round to providing

an interesting fact about himself?

17. Where in this brochure can you find someone whose birthplace, residence and shooting nationality cover all three of USA, Canada & Scotland ?

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

For photos, results and diary: www.scotland2014usa.com

A big thank you from the team goes to all of the following for their help and support:

SCOTLAND – WINNERS OF THE NATIONAL MATCH 2010 & 2011

If you live in Scotland, or if you or any of your parents or grandparents were born in Scotland,

and you would be interested in joining the Scotland squad, e-mail mjjcharlton@gmail.com

All our families

and “other halves”

Mick Barr

John Carmichael

Doosan Babcock

Dennis Flaharty

DPS March

EGJ Design

ERA Energy

Forbes Lawson

Tom at Godfrey Sports

Harris Ranch

Bruce Logan

JJ Jackson at

LoneStar Accuracy

McCabe Associates

McCallum Bagpipes

McKay Law

Mckenzie Intelligence

Jim O’Connell

The Oratory School

Lindsay Peden FX

Bob Pitcairn

Scottish Rifle Association

Shenandoah Inn

TPI