Fort George closure fears ahead of a UK Government defence spending review to be completed this year
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Fort George army base near Inverness may close sooner than planned as part of UK Government defence cuts.
According to The Sunday Times newspaper, up to 1700 soldiers could be axed across Scotland as the Ministry of Defence looks to reduce spending and create a leaner army to meet modern demands.
Fort George would be one of three of Scotland’s seven garrisons facing closure in a spending review to be finalised by the end of the year.
The fort, which is home to home to the Black Watch regiment, has already been marked for closure in 2032, along with the Glencorse and Redford barracks in Edinburgh.
If such a plan was implemented, the number of regular soldiers based in Scotland would be cut from 3700 to 2000.
In March, a Westminster defence review committed to trimming the size of the army from 77,820 soldiers to 72,500.
A recommendation is expected to be given to government ministers by the end of the autumn, the Ministry of Defence said, with a final decision to be returned by the end of the year.
Fort George was built to control the Highlands in the aftermath of the Jacobite rising of 1745.
It replaced a previous structure built in the wake of the 1715 rebellion, and has since remained in continuous use as a garrison.
In November 2016, the Ministry of Defence announced that the site would close in 2032, with Defence Minister Sir Michael Fallon commenting that it was no longer needed because the Highland rebellions were over.
