This decision has been made purely on the grounds of improving the delivery of infantry training

Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram

Glencorse will continue as a selection centre for prospective recruits, but the future of the 50 civilians employed at the base is uncertain.

All infantry training in Britain will now be carried out on a six-month course at Catterick in North Yorkshire.

This will replace the current system, where Army recruits from Scotland must undergo 14 weeks of basic training at Glencorse followed by 16 weeks of combat infantry training at Catterick.

Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram said the move was part of wider plans by the Army Training and Recruitment Agency to improve the efficiency of infantry training.

"Over 24,000 MoD personnel, both service and civilian, are employed in Scotland," he said.

Training will be carried out at one base

"Contrary to speculation, there are no plans to reduce the number of brigade headquarters in Scotland.

"This decision has been made purely on the grounds of improving the delivery of infantry training and thus the output of trained infantry soldiers to the field army."

He added that the step would "help towards the objective of full manning of the Army".

Trials have suggested that combining the two stages of training into one longer course reduces dropout rates.

Glencorse has trained thousands of Scottish soldiers.

'Shocked and disappointed'

Local councillor Russell Imrie said the closure came as a particular shock after the Army had spent �7m on refurbishments at the base.

"I am shocked and disappointed at this announcement," he said.

Scottish National Party defence spokesman Colin Campbell said: "The Glencorse plan is yet another blow to the Army in Scotland."

He described it as "another example of London diminishing the Army's presence in Scotland".

We must stop subjecting our armed forces to defence cuts on one hand while expecting them to meet extra commitments on the other

Tory MP Peter Duncan

"Closing this facility will reduce the number of civilian and military jobs at Glencorse, remove the spending power of the recruits from the Penicuik area and transfer their spending power to Yorkshire," he said.

Michael Moore, the Scottish Liberal Democrats' Scottish affairs spokesman at Westminster, said he was planning to meet Mr Ingram as soon as possible to discuss the move.

"The closure of the only army training centre north of the Border is bad news for Scotland and bad news for Midlothian," he said.

"I want to hear the minister's justification at first hand.

"He has promised consultation but this smacks of a fait accompli."

Wrong message

Scottish Tory MP Peter Duncan said the move would "further undermine the morale of our armed forces".

And he added: "Spending on the armed forces is at its lowest level for more than half a century and this latest setback not only undermines our military capability, but sends out entirely the wrong message to our international aggressors.

"We must stop subjecting our armed forces to defence cuts on one hand while expecting them to meet extra commitments on the other."