Hugh Grant backs appeal to refurbish Scots army museum

• Hugh Grant is endorsing a 3m appeal to refurbish the military museum at Fort George, which is currently the home of the Black Watch Picture: AFP/Getty Images

The Highlanders' Museum, based at Fort George, near Inverness, is being redeveloped to upgrade facilities for its collection of 20,000 artifacts and an estimated 10,000 documents and photographs.

The largest regimental museum in Scotland outside Edinburgh celebrates the history of the Highlanders Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland which incorporates the Seaforth Highlanders, The Gordon Highlanders, The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders and the Queen's Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons).

The individual regiments are represented - apart from the Gordon Highlanders who have their own museum in Aberdeen - as well as the Lovat Scouts and other Allied Regiments from Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the Ghurkas.

Hugh Grant, the star of films such as Four Weddings and a Funeral and Bridget Jones's Diary, is endorsing the project in recognition of his family's link with the regiment.

His grandfather, Major James Murray Grant, from Inverness, received the Distinguished Service Order for bravery and leadership at St Valery during the Second World War. He went on to command the regimental depot at Fort George for many years after the war.

Hugh Grant's father, Captain James Murray Grant, also had a distinguished military career. He was trained at Sandhurst and served with the Seaforth Highlanders for eight years in Malaya, Germany and Scotland.

The museum, founded more than 60 years ago, is looked after by Historic Scotland and is visited by more than 60,000 people annually.

It is housed in the fort's former Lieutenant Governors' House and features more than 5,000 gallantry awards and campaign medals won by the regiment, including 16 Victoria Crosses.

It also has a set of colours carried at the Battle of Waterloo, King Edward VIII's regimental uniform and even a box used by Adolf Hitler for his personal papers.

Fort George, which was built in the aftermath of the Battle of Culloden, is still used as a military base and is currently the home of the Black Watch.

It was recently rumoured that it was to be a casualty of the defence cuts. But the museum supporters say the refurbishment project will not be affected by military savings or the economic downturn.

Peter Guthrie, development officer for the project, said: "This is a long-term project for which much of the funding is already in place and we are confident that a facility of this quality will bring in visitors despite the economic circumstances.

"There was nothing new in the recent Ministry of Defence announcements to suggest that Fort George would be downsized, and even if the army moved out Fort George would still be run as a visitor facility."

The museum last had any significant work carried out in the early 1980s and is said to be in "desperate need" of upgrading to conserve its collection and attract more visitors.

The redevelopment will take two years to complete and will transform the museum into a heritage centre for schools, universities and individuals.

An appeal to members of the regiment, individuals and government agencies has already raised more than 200,000.

A charity, the Highland Heritage Appeal, has already been established to spearhead the new fundraising campaign, aimed at turning the attraction into the best military museum in Scotland.