Exclusive: Nick Ede says a visit from the Earl and Countess of Dumbarton to the Scottish landmark as it reopens its doors this spring could ‘put the venue on the map again and bring in the tourism that it needs’
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Ancient Dumbarton Castle is preparing to open its doors in March after 12 gruelling months under the hammer for essential conservation work.
Royal experts and local politicians are now calling for Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, whose Scottish titles are the Earl and Countess of Dumbarton, to be invited to visit to mark the occasion.
Nick Ede, the Scots PR guru and philanthropist who worked with Meghan in London before she met Harry, said it would "put the venue on the map again and bring in the tourism that it needs" after its doors have been closed to the public over the last year.
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He said: "With the reopening of Dumbarton Castle this March after a lengthy refurbishment of 12 months it would be of great significance to have the current earl and countess attend the opening.
"Harry has always loved Scotland and Meghan has not been to the castle so it would be a great touch if they did attend. Dumbarton is far enough away from London to allow them some space and I am sure they would be welcomed with open arms."
He added: "To have them there would also put the venue on the map again and bring in the tourism that it needs as it has been closed for so long."
However, Ede acknowledged that as a "climate-conscious couple" they would probably have to decline the offer of flying from LA to the UK for a one-off event.
Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labour's deputy leader and Dumbarton constituency MSP, said: "I am absolutely delighted, as are the people of Dumbarton, that the jewel in our crown, Dumbarton Castle is to reopen.
"Unfortunately the town will have missed out on vital tourism while the castle has been closed and I am keen to make sure that everything is done to encourage people to return and to attract more tourists to the area.
"I am sure that Harry and Meghan, the Earl and Countess of Dumbarton, would be made most welcome should they choose to visit this magnificent, historical attraction."
Historic Environment Scotland (HES) told the Scottish Express there were not currently any plans for a grand reopening event for the 800-year-old castle.
It was closed at the start of last year as part of an ongoing programme of risk assessments and repairs across many of the historic sites managed by HES.
Craig Mearns, Director of Operations, said: "We are working as quickly as we can to reopen our historic sites, and we appreciate the public's patience while we undertake these necessary inspections and subsequent repairs.
"We look forward to welcoming visitors back to the iconic site as soon as we have carried out the final checks and implemented any additional safety measures."
A spokesperson added: "The castle has been closed for essential conservation work rather than a refurbishment so there are no plans for any formal reopening event however we’ll be sharing further information on reopening dates once tickets go back on public sale."
Meanwhile, although Harry and Meghan retain the Earl and Countess of Dumbarton titles, they controversially ensured it would not be passed on to their son Archie.
A source told the Telegraph in 2021: "They didn't like the idea of Archie being called the Earl of Dumbarton because it began with the word 'dumb'. They were worried about how that might look."
The word 'dumb' is commonly used as a slang word in the US, where Harry and Meghan are now based, meaning 'stupid' or 'daft'.
The snub caused some controversy in Dumbarton, with Ms Baillie saying at the time: "There is no greater honour than being named after the town."
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