Uncertain future puts at risk plans to base 6,000 soldiers in Scotland By David Maddox Published on Thursday 2 February 2012 00:00 THE uncertainty over Scotland's place in the UK is jeopardising plans to double the size of the army stationed north of the Border, military sources have claimed. Letters to former Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell from Defence Secretary Philip Hammond have raised doubts over whether the conclusions of the basing review last year - including increasing the size of the army in Scotland to more than 6,000 - will now all go ahead. It had been the aim to move units from Germany to Scotland, but if they were to be scrapped or replaced by volunteer Territorial Army units, then Scotland could lose out. The letters confirm that the plans put in place by Mr Hammond's predecessor, Liam Fox, are still the "intent" of the MoD, but make it clear they are subject to the review of what will happen to the size of the army, due to be reduced by 17,000, and the future of the units in Germany. It comes as military sources have let it be known that the arrival of Mr Hammond at the MoD has meant Dr Fox's plans are all being looked at again. While Dr Fox was a leading Scottish member of the Cabinet, Mr Hammond is less interested in the constitutional wrangle, it has been claimed. But Colonel Clive Fairweather, a former senior commander in Scotland, said that the effective launch of the referendum campaign last month "is now a serious factor" in reviewing whether it is worth paying for the accommodation upgrade to double the size of the army in Scotland, "given the future uncertainty." In his first letter to Sir Menzies, Mr Hammond said the detailed implementation plans for moving troops to Leuchars, which is due to be closed as an RAF base, were "complex" and had "a clear dependency on the work currently under way on the future structure of the army." He added: "Until this is complete, it is not possible to provide specifics on the future usage of Leuchars." In a further suggestion that the plans might be unravelling, he said plans to sell off Craigiehall and the Redford and Dreghorn barracks in Edinburgh to build a new HQ at Kirknewton were now subject to a "value-for-money review." In addition, doubts have also been raised over the decision to choose Lossiemouth in Moray over Leuchars in Fife as the home for the Typhoon squadrons. Mr Hammond confirmed that two Tornados flying to Lossiemouth had to be diverted to Leuchars on 5 December because of inclement weather. He also admitted in the first letter that the cost of Lossiemouth "was marginally higher," but "within the margin for error." Sir Menzies, who has Leuchars in his North East Fife constituency, has made it clear he is concerned that if it is closed as an RAF base, promises to hand it to the army may not be honoured. And he is demanding that the decision to choose Lossiemouth as the RAF base is reviewed again. On the diversion of the Tornados and weather problems, he added: "These events demonstrate that Leuchars has a superior weather record than Lossiemouth. When you take into account the available flying days at Leuchars, along with its location near to centres of population and sensitive installations like Torness power station, the case for retention was and remains compelling. Col Fairweather said: "From what I am being told, the whole lot is under review. It looks likely that there will not be any heavy armour now coming to Scotland, and the issue of what will happen to the soldiers in Germany will have an impact on whether the plans for Scotland go ahead. What has happened is that the arrival of Philip Hammond means that the everything is up in the air, and he does not have Dr Fox's sensitivity about what happens in Scotland. But I have been told that the fact the referendum campaign has effectively moved on is now a serious factor in looking at these plans again.