Gentlemen,
You will all have seen the recent articles in the Press both National and Local concerning Home Office plans to house asylum seekers, with demonstrations taking place in Inverness and Crowborough.
The situation has been rumbling in the background for some months after the Afghan refugees finally left. The Home Office is taking over Cameron Barracks lock, stock and barrel with all military personnel from the Royal Army Physical Training Corps, DIO and LANDMARC who manage the Barracks on behalf of the MOD all being told to leave for at least a year.
This includes the Association who have been in the Barracks since the early ‘60’s and as a Regiment for 144 years. Several items of furniture are being put up for sale at Frasers of Dingwall Auctions on the 5th of December with the remaining pictures, magazines and journals being placed in a secure storage unit in Inverness. This comes at a cost which the Association is attempting to get the Home Office to take on but we strongly suspect that they will not. This will have an impact on future spending.
The Association will continue to function as before, with the Chairman working in Saudi Arabia, the Treasurer in Perth and the Secretary based at home in Tomatin.
Please bear with us as things may take a little longer to get done, being a virtual organisation for the foreseeable future. The future is also not rosy. We have been told that it is very unlikely that we will return to our ancestral home in the future. With the removal of SCOTS Home HQ from Cameron Barracks earlier in the year the golden thread has been severed. That said there remains a strong case for our reoccupation should we wish to pursue that. It will inevitably in the future come with costs which will need to be weighed into the decision-making process. We will not however rush into that just yet. We intend to minimise costs meantime and see how virtual living and working deliver for the Association.
It’s been a hectic 2 or 3 months with the uncertainty, lack of direction, lack of official notifications and inevitable press speculation. What is clear is that the Regimental spirit remains alive and well, with Trust, Association, Museum and individuals all pulling together to do what we (QOHLDRS) do best; deliver a coherent, professional solution to a dog’s breakfast of a problem.
Original signed
D Hay
Chairman
Chairman – chairman@cabarfeidh.com
Treasurer – treasurer@cabarfeidh.com 07732 248366
Secretary – secretary@cabarfeidh.com 07786 436176