Tri-Service

Where To Home Scotland's Baseless Troops

With the dust still settling from last week's base closures announcement by the Ministry of Defence, rumours have already begun to emerge in Scotland about what happens next.

Troops leaving places like Fort George or Glencorse Barracks will need to be relocated, and politicians have begun to back Leuchars Station in Fife as an alternative.

For decades, Leuchars Station was a Royal Air Force base, though it has since become a barracks housing the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, 2 Battalion REME, and the Royal Military Police, among others.

Since last year, it's adapted to become home to its new residents, and now could soon welcome some more.

Leuchars Station

The bases now scheduled for closure are Fort George near Inverness, Condor Airfield near Arbroath, Forthside Barracks in Stirling, MOD Caledonia in Rosyth, Craigiehall and Redford and Cavalry Barracks in Edinburgh, and Glencorse Barracks in Penicuik.

The number of military personnel based in Scotland are, however, due to stay the same.

Thus, the next question is where they will all go when these bases close in the next six to 16 years.

Michael Fallon has yet to outline plans, but many are beginning to question whether Leuchars could play a bigger role.

It's certainly something that the leader of the Scottish Lib Dems wants to see.

The historic Fort George

MSP Willie Rennie says he's backing a campaign to get 3 SCOTS to Leuchars when their base, Fort George, closes:

"Because Leuchars has been welcoming the military that's already returned from Germany and other places... I think it's probably a good place to bring more of the Army to as well".

But the decision to close Fort George and the other seven Army and Navy bases in Scotland has been controversial.

Fort George is currently home to the Black Watch

The SNP say they were shocked to see over half of the Royal Regiment of Scotland moving base under the plans, and say they'll fight them.

The MOD say that as the basing closures were only announced last week it is too soon to say where troops will be relocated to, especially with some closures 16 years ahead.

But locals in Leuchars have said they'd welcome the business that more troops would bring.