Tir an Airm - The Land of the Military

The Scottish landscape is one which is heavily utlised by the military, with the Ministry of Defence one of the largest landowners in the country. In this new exhibition, Boyd explores the largely unseen places used to train our armed forces and those of our NATO allies. From the remote bombing ranges of Cape Wrath and Tain Air Weapons Range, to the tank and infantry training areas of Kirkcudbright in the South West, Boyd has walked and documented several hundred miles of a land often hidden behind red flags.

Here in the vast stretches of open countryside, relics from a century of conflict from World War One through to the Cold War, Bosnia, Northern Ireland, and the recent failed campaign in Afghanistan stand as monuments and reminders of Scotland’s and Britain’s role on the world stage. Working with archaeologists, ecologists and conservationists, another more complex narrative also begins to emerge – a place where nature thrives among burned-out vehicles and shell craters.