A Dundee councillor has welcomed plans to upgrade the lighting at Broughty Castle but warns the future of its museum must be secured.
Dundee City Council are seeking permission from Historic Environment Scotland to improve external lighting on the centuries-old castle which is not in operation.
The new lighting will be mounted in the same locations on existing concrete plinths and will be low energy.
Broughty Ferry councillor Craig Duncan is among those in support of the plans and hopes the improved lighting might draw in more visitors.
However, he also called for more for clarity over the future of the castle museum which is currently under threat of closure.
He said: “I have long felt that lighting the iconic castle at night would be an appropriate thing to do and would add to the appeal of Broughty Ferry for visitors and residents alike.
“This has been received very favourably by residents but there has to be certainty of a positive future for the castle’s museum.
“The Liberal Democrat Group has strongly maintained the position that these facilities must remain open for the benefit of the Dundee public and visitors to the city.”
Consultation to close museum
Leisure and Culture Dundee, who operate Broughty Castle Museum, have proposed shutting multiple attractions across Dundee in a cost-saving measure.
They say falling visitor numbers and rising costs are among the reasons behind the closure proposals.
Council figures show visitors to Broughty Castle have fallen by 9% compared to pre-pandemic levels.
And local authority chiefs say closing the castle would save LACD £80,000 a year.
A six-week public consultation was launched earlier this year seeking people’s views on the proposals.
A spokesperson for Dundee City Council said: “The future of services delivered by Leisure and Culture Dundee at Broughty Ferry Castle have been the subject of a recent public consultation, the results of which will be reported to committee in due course.”
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