MP steps up battle over Dingwall tower access
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ROSS-shire MP Ian Blackford has stepped up a local campaign to establish Dingwall’s best-known monument as a visitor attraction.
A petition appealing to Highland Council to take action over the 100ft MacDonald Monument, which commands a stunning panorama across the town, has already been signed by hundreds of people and attracted support from community groups in Dingwall, councillors, local MSP Kate Forbes and MP Mr Blackford, who has a constituency office in Dingwall.
He said: “This issue has rumbled on for some time and as the public interest shows, needs resolved quickly. I have written to Highland Council’s director of community services, William Gilfillan, to ask that he attends a meeting with myself and other local community representatives.
“I am eager to get the community and the council round the table and thrash out the best way forward for Fighting Mac’s monument. I have also written to the ward manager to request a site visit so I can see for myself the locally disputed health and safety concerns.”
Highland Council has refused to take on liability for such a venture citing hotly disputed health and safety concerns and instead floated the idea of a community buy-out.
Petition instigator, George Murray, who is leading moves for a business improvement district in the town, said: “The council never understood the monument is more than just a local landmark with a nice view – in our area the MacDonald monument is a source of pride. The first man to ever make it from private to general in the history of the British army was a local from the Black Isle and people are proud of that history, why wouldn’t they be?”
One signatory, Iona McAuley,said: “I used to love visiting the monument with the Dingwall in Bloom group. I often take my children up to sit at the canons and tell them the story behind it. I have promised one day I’ll take them inside – hopefully in the near future.”
A Highland Council spokeswoman said: “The council has offered a community buy-out and are waiting to hear if this is a proposal the group want to progress.
“We are following the findings of the health and safety report that highlighted a number of issues.
“Our insurance section has advised us that the Council would be unable to insure the monument for this public kind of use.”
The petition can be viewed at www.change.org/p/the-highland-council-open-the-hector-macdonald-monument-to-the-public
