War memorials refit for WW1 anniversary
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WAR memorials in Ross-shire are in line for refurbishment as the 100th anniversary of World War 1 looms.
Councillors will be asked to back a recommendation next week to carry out repairs to 23 memorials across the Highlands which will include plaque cleaning, re-lettering, fixing railings and gates and general restoration.
In a report to Highland Council’s transport, environmental and community services committee, senior official Ricky McNab said the estimated cost of the work was £250,000.
The anniversary of the war’s start is only two years away but councillors have been warned it is important an early "one-off" grant bid to organisations like the Government War Memorials Trust and Heritage Lottery Fund is submitted as quickly as possible, as the competition from other local authorities could be intense.
The four-year conflict claimed the lives of almost 150,000 people in Scotland alone and Mr McNab said the memorials played a huge role in keeping alive their memory.
"They stand at the heart of almost every community in the Highlands, where the numbers lost were disappropriate to most of the rest of the United Kingdom," he said.
Stone, granite, marble and sandstone are among the range of materials used at the 165 memorials which the authority is responsible for.
Some of the memorials which are need of refurbishment are listed and permission will have to be granted from Historic Scotland before any repairs can start, the committee will be told on Thursday.
