Funds secured for Victorian soldier memorial revamp

Maj Gen Sir Hector MacDonald died in 1903

Highland Council has approved more than £162,500 of funding to help reopen a 117-year-old tower dedicated to a Victorian soldier.

Maj Gen Sir Hector MacDonald, who was nicknamed Fighting Mac, fought in wars in Afghanistan and was an aide to Queen Victoria.

He took his own life in a Paris hotel in 1903 after fellow officers spread rumours about his sexuality.

The 30m (100ft) MacDonald Monument in his hometown of Dingwall has been closed for a number of years, but the new funding is expected to lead to the memorial's restoration and reopening.

The tower has been closed for a number of years

The money comes from the Scottish government-backed Community Regeneration Fund.

Highland Council will work with Dingwall Community Development Company on the project.

Sir Hector was the son of a Ross-shire crofter but rose through the ranks of the military, from teenage soldier to senior officer.

He was regarded as a brilliant military strategist by his peers, and known for leading his soldiers from the front.

Rumours about sexual activity with young men led to threats of a court martial.

However, his supporters, including members of the Clan Donald Society, believe the rumours were the result of class snobbery and spite among fellow officers.

The monument overlooking Dingwall was opened in 1907.