Mid-Scotland and Fife MSP Murdo Fraser has welcomed the opening of the refurbished Black watch Museum in Perth by lodging a motion in the Scottish Parliament. The motion has already attracted the signatures of 23 fellow MSP’s.
The Black Watch has been a centrepiece of the British Army for nearly 300 years and the newly refurbished museum aims to draw together several elements of their rich and varied history.
The project has cost £3.5 million pounds and has lasted nearly a year, with the end result being a museum complete with new toilets, café, education room, retail store, new display cases, interactive features and an archive office.
Commenting Murdo Fraser MSP said:
“Perth is proud to play home to one of Britain’s most decorated and renowned regiments, the Black Watch.
“This project has been an inspiring example of what can be done through the combination of hard work and a detailed vision. The work of the Black Watch Museum Trust has also been central to this project’s success.
“The refurbished museum looks fantastic and has all the modern features required to make it a top-drawer attraction. Old and new combines seamlessly, which is never an easy task, and the museum will no doubt attract tourists from Scotland and around the world, helping boost revenue in the city.
“The regiment still recruits heavily from this region which is testament to the high regard in which Perthshire people hold the regiment.
“Soldiers from the Black Watch have seen serious action in all of the major conflicts of the past hundred years and I’m sure that they will play a key role in next year’s activities to commemorate the start of the First World War.”