Civic leaders in the Highlands are compiling a dossier of evidence to show why Fort George must be saved – amid fears a decision to close the historic base could be taken within weeks.
Local authority head Margaret Davidson hosted a summit in Inverness yesterday as the region’s representatives drew up a strategy to force defence chiefs into a rethink.
Fight For Fort George: Sign Our Petition
Mrs Davidson, along with local MP Drew Hendry and MSP Fergus Ewing, have demanded an urgent meeting with Mark Lancaster, the defence under-secretary of state.
They intend to present him with a document outlining the huge economic, social and historical importance of retaining the 250-year-old base as an operational garrison.
The Press and Journal revealed last month that the barracks, built after the Battle of Culloden and home today to the famous Black Watch battalion, has been earmarked for closure.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) had been expected to announce its decision this autumn – but Mrs Davidson fears its closure could be confirmed at the end of next month.
More than 900 people have now signed the P&J’s Fight for Fort George petition to try to save it from closure.
Mrs Davidson said: “We very much support the Fight for Fort George campaign being run by the Press and Journal and would encourage people to get behind this campaign and sign the petition.”
She added: “We’re going to go down and promote Fort George and try to explain why it is so important for the Highlands.
“Fort George is unique and has some of the best training facilities around.
“People come from all over to use it and people stay in the area after leaving the military. They will lose that link if they are not careful.”
Mr Hendry, meanwhile, has raised concerns that the decision to renew the UK’s Trident nuclear missile programme could increase the threat to Fort George’s future.
He said: “Fort George is on a Ministry of Defence list of sites considered for closure because there is no money.
“That is the benefit of MoD spend, but it will be taken away from conventional, hard-working and valuable service personnel to pay for useless weapons of mass destruction.”
