The UK Defence Secretary has announced that eight military sites in Scotland will close over the next sixteen years.
Sir Michael Fallon said Craigiehall, near Edinburgh, Condor Airfield at Arbroath, Forthside in Stirling, MOD Caledonia at Rosyth, Redford Cavalry (pictured) and Infantry Barracks in Edinburgh, Fort George, near Inverness, and Glencorse Barracks in Penicuik will shut.
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon.
Across the UK 91 sites will be closed by 2040.
The Better Defence Estate strategy is a review of Ministry of Defence land headed up by military leaders to deliver a more efficient, modern and capability-focused Defence estate.
Every penny from the sale of sites will be reinvested back into Defence, creating areas of military expertise to support these capabilities in primary hubs, including HMNB Clyde, RAF Lossiemouth and Leuchars Army Barracks.
HRFCA will work closely with all parties to ensure that implications for the reserve and cadet estate are factored into all the planning needed to achieve the Government’s aim of making the estate fit for the needs of modern armed forces.
The Defence Secretary also confirmed that the units based at these sites will have a future in alternative Scottish locations, and that Kinloss Barracks will continue to be retained and used by the Army.
Nationally, over £4 billion will be invested across the UK to create a better Defence estate.
For Scotland, this is on top of the £100 million investment already being made at RAF Lossiemouth, and £500 million at HM Naval Base (HMNB) Clyde.
The 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) announced that by 2020 Scotland would be home to all of the Royal Navy’s submarines, one of the Army’s engagement and resilience infantry brigades, one of the RAF’s fast jet main operating bases and all the new P8 Poseidon Maritime Patrol aircraft.
