A PUBLIC appeal has been launched to help preserve the memory of one of Scotland’s great Highland regiments which traditionally recruited from Alloa.

The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Museum at Stirling Castle kickstarted a drive to secure its future, seeking to raise £200,000, under the patronage of Prince William, The Earl of Strathearn.

It has been named the Thin Red Line Appeal and refers to the regiment’s most celebrated feat of valour when it defied a Russian cavalry charge at the Battle of Balaklava in 1854.

In a message released in support of the move, the prince asks the public to donate to the redevelopment fund.

In the appeal letter, he wrote: "The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Museum needs your help.

"This project has already received substantial donations and pledges but we still need to raise more.

"We need to ensure that future generations will discover for themselves what we owe to the Argylls Memory.

"This ambitious project will ensure that this great historical legacy will survive, engaging and educating the visitors of tomorrow."

Volunteers throughout the regimental heartland, from Argyllshire to Kinross-shire, are already making plans and organising teams and sponsored events for fundraising activities to boost the project.

Their efforts will enable the completion of the ground-breaking museum project which honours the achievements and sacrifices of The Argylls in war and peace.

Based in Stirling Castle, the regiment’s spiritual home for over two centuries, The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Museum is planning a major redevelopment and reinterpretation of its nationally recognised collection of militaria, art, and archives.

Designed by consultants PLB and architects LDN, it aims to set new standards of presentation for UK military museums, and boost visitor numbers from the current 215,000 a year.

Supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, Historic Environment Scotland and Museums Galleries Scotland, and scheduled to open in the summer of 2019, the £4million visitor attraction will also feature enhanced retail and corporate entertainment facilities that will help it secure a sustainable future.

The Thin Red Line Appeal is encouraging museum supporters to organise sponsored events and activities to raise fund for the appeal, as well as making personal donations, small or large.

Supporters of the project include former Colour Sergeant Adam McKenzie, 90, who joined the regiment in 1945 and served for 35 years, including engagements in Palestine, Korea and Aden.

He said: "Without The Argylls’ Museum the history will be lost as The Argylls no longer exist as a regiment in their own right.

"We have to keep the memory alive of what The Argylls have contributed to history. I am proud to support The Thin Red Line Appeal to preserve this great collection for future generations."

For more visit the museum’s website at argylls.co.uk