Public inquiry into plans to widen A9 at Killiecrankie

● Anger over new route through site of famous battle

A public inquiry is to be held into controversial plans to widen and re-route one of Scotland’s busiest roads through the site of a major 17th century battle.

The Battle of Killiecrankie in 1689 is thought to be the first in Britain in which hand grenades were used – a fragment of a grenade was found on the site in 2004.

Immortalised in the song The Braes o’ Killiecrankie, Killiecrankie was also the first battle in which the plug bayonet is recorded as being used by British troops.

The Jacobites won a stunning victory over forces supporting the new government of William III but at a high price. Nearly a third of the Jacobite force were killed including their leader John Graham, Viscount Dundee.

Transport Scotland has revealed the Killiecrankie to Glen Garry stretch of the £3 billion A9 dualling project is now “subject to statutory process” and an inquiry will take place in due course.

The move follows pressure from the Killiecrankie 1689 group set up to protect the designated battlefield.

The campaigners say Trans- port Scotland has been sent nearly 200 objections.

George Maclean, of Killiecrankie 1689, said: “At first, Transport Scotland refused to tell us how many objections had been received but now, 14 weeks after the objection period closed, they confirmed the number. The process has been flawed from the start. The area of the designated battlefield should have been central to the plan so that the sensitive part of it is not damaged.”

Mr Maclean said Historic Environment Scotland (HES) had highlighted “gaps” in Transport Scotland’s assessment methodology.

He said: “HES says that far too little research and fieldwork has been done on archaeological and physical remains relating to the battle of Killiecrankie and Transport Scotland has not understood the relevance or importance of the battlefield’s topography and landscape.

“Transport Scotland is now considering what extra metal detecting, geophysical studies and trial trench work needs to be done to satisfy HES’S demands. Exactly who will be responsible for archaeology studies still seems moot.”

A Transport Scotland spokesperson confirmed the public inquiry would now go ahead, adding: “This section of the A9 is now subject to the statutory process and evidence will be heard at a public local inquiry in due course.”