“Brutal cuts” to Scottish military bases, including Fort George, should be reconsidered, according to Veterans Minister Keith Brown.
His comments came as UK Defence Secretary Michael Fallon visited Penicuik yesterday.
Mr Brown said the 20% cut to Scotland’s defence estate, which would see eight bases closed, must be looked at again as the rationale was “questionable”.
He said: “It is now 10 months from these closures being announced, yet we still have no clarity on what this means in terms of personnel numbers, unit movements, or the economic impact of the UK Government’s proposals.
“I urge the UK Government to reconsider all these brutal cuts in Scotland and to engage properly with the Scottish Government, local authorities and communities before any cuts go ahead.
“I would wish to remind Mr Fallon of the promises his government has made to reverse the decline in Scotland’s defence footprint and increase regular personnel numbers to 12,500 by 2020. I urge him to provide evidence of how this will be honoured.”
But a Ministry of Defence (MoD) spokesman said there were no plans to change course.
He said: “We are one of the biggest landowners in Scotland, with an estate more than eight times the size of the City of Glasgow.
“Every penny made from the sale of sites will be invested back into defence, transforming the estate into one that will better support the needs of a modern fighting force.
“While no final decision about future sites has been made, the Government is committed to having an enduring defence presence in Scotland, where it continues to invest heavily.”
He added Fort George was not considered fit for purpose with significant annual running costs of £1.6m per year.
Fort George will remain owned by Historic Scotland and will remain open to the public and the 3 Scots will remain in Scotland.
