An Army veteran has been granted permission to build a memorial to around 50 local people who were killed in World War I.
Old soldier Donald Monro started fundraising for the monument at the end of last year and was surprised at the speed and generosity of donations.
Mr Monro, who was a captain in the Queen’s Own Highlanders, discovered there was nothing to commemorate the people from the Moidart area killed fighting for their country in the two world wars.
The 71-year-old said: “I had been aware of this for some time and the approach of the centenary of the outbreak of World War I seemed like an appropriate time to do it.
“We put out an appeal for funds and achieved our target of £5,000 quite easily.
“The response has been overwhelming. People have really warmed to the idea and many have said why didn’t we think of this a long time ago.”
He is hoping work on the memorial, which will be a 10ft cairn of local stone with a specially designed carved stone cross on top, will start next week.
It is to be erected to the west of the A861 at the summit known as Bealach Carach, between Loch Moidart and Glenuig, with the permission of the landowner.
A commemorative plaque on the cairn will bear the inscription – In proud memory of the men and women of Moidart who gave up their lives in two world wars 1914-18 and 1939-45. For your tomorrow we gave our today.”
Mr Monro, who lives in Kinlochmoidart, working on the project with Angus Maclean, of Glenuig, who lost two uncles in World War II, one of whom served with the Cameron Highlanders.
He added that they had considered putting names on the plaque but had been advised by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission that it was safer to go for a more general inscription as there was risk that some names could be missed.
The pair are planning an opening ceremony for the monument on August 17, at which the honours will be performed by Lord Lieutenant of Inverness-shire Donald Cameron of Locheil.
Mr Monro served with the Queen’s Own Highlanders from 1962-70 and his father, Sandy Monro, commanded the 5th Cameron Highlands in the invasion of Sicily in 1943 and in the Normandy campaign in 1944.