A MILITARY history museum would be created in the old Royal High School under new plans aimed at bringing the building back into public use.
The story of Scotland's famous regiments and individual war heroes would be told at the major new visitor attraction. The ambitious plans have been drawn up by the military history group, the One O'Clock Gun Association.
Among their supporters is
Falklands war veteran Major Iain Dalzel Job, president of the Scots Guards Association Club.
They hope that around £20 million can be raised to renovate the building and create gripping displays that will bring the country's military history to life for another generation.
The One O'Clock Gun Association, which counts the city's master gunner Jamie Shannon 'The Cannon' among its members, wants to tell the personal stories of bravery of the men who fought at war. Their campaign is aimed at winning influential support to make their vision a reality.
They are confident of winning support of senior figures within the controversial new "super regiment", the Royal Regiment of Scotland, which was created by the merger of historic regiments, including Edinburgh's Royal Scots.
George Robinson, secretary of the Association, said: "We want it to be a museum telling the whole story of the history of Scotland's regiments. We only have two regiments now and the rest of the history is just being swept away. We can't just let that happen.
"I honestly think we can get the money together. So many people would be interested in this.
This wouldn't be like a museum, it would be the whole story of the regiments of Scotland and the men within them."
The Association is adamant the exhibition would not clash with Edinburgh Castle's three existing museums - the National War Museum, Royal Scots Museum and the Dragoon Guards Museum.
Rather than being filled with artefacts, like the other museums, the new venue would focus on telling the stories of the regiments in a multimedia way that would appeal to tourists.
It believes that the exhibition would help encourage more tourists to visit Calton Hill, which is also an area of historic military interest due to the presence of the Nelson Monument.
Mr Robinson believes that a range of American foundations set up for the study of military history may help support the project. He is also going to approach the Scottish Executive, the Army and the city council for help and apply for funding from the National Lottery.
Major Dalzel Job is also enthusiastic about the campaign and has thrown his weight behind it. He said: "I would have thought that there will be a lot of support for this in the country.
"There are individual regiments that are supported by museums but the older regiments, especially pre-1650, are not really represented at all. That's why something like this would be fantastic.
"It is very important that stories of the bravery of individual people in regiments is remembered and this would help do that.
The Scottish National Photography Centre has already earmarked the old Royal High School building as a venue, although it has recently run into financial difficulties.
A source close to the project said that they are still continuing to push for their centre to be housed at the Regent Road site. They said: "We are still getting quite a lot of support from the council and it is still a very active project. It may be that the people behind this are not aware of the status of the photography centre but we are still pushing ahead with it and are still optimistic about it."
A proud roll of courage and honour
AMONG those with military backgrounds likely to be celebrated in the new exhibition would be:
• JOHN PAUL JONES, the Scottish crewman born near Dumfries who founded the American navy. He became notorious in Edinburgh in 1779 when he sailed up the Forth planning an attack on Leith. It was only diverted by a change in the wind.
• PRIVATE WILLIAM ROY, of the 24th Foot, who was Edinburgh-born and a baker in the Grassmarket. He won a Distinguished Conduct Medal from Queen Victoria for his role in The Battle of Rorke's Drift in South Africa in 1879, on which the film Zulu was based.
• SIR WALTER SCOTT, born in Edinburgh in 1771 as the New Town was being developed. He was a member of the Yeomanry, the military reserve of his day.
• ENSIGN EWART, of the Royal Scots Greys, the man who captured the French flag at the Battle of Waterloo, is buried in the Castle Esplanade and has a pub named after him on the Royal Mile.
• SIR SEAN CONNERY, the Edinburgh-born actor who served in the Royal Navy.
• RONNIE CORBETT, the city-born comedian who was an officer in the RAF.
• MASTER GUNNER JAMES FINDLAY, the first man to fire the One O'Clock Gun.
• COLOUR SERGEANT DONALD McNAB SCOTT, one of the forgotten heroes of the Greyfriars Bobby story, who used to buy meals for the stray dog whenever he was paid his wages.
• ELSIE INGLIS, Edinburgh medical pioneer, who was a First World War nurse.
The full article contains 881 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
