The Crowe road to Duncarron: Gladiator star visits Stirlingshire fort

By Elizabeth McQuillan A tribe of large, barbate and rather daunting Clanranald men – along with a mushy big mastiff my daughter nicknames Fang – stand sentinel around the 500-metre stretch of palisade that forms the fortifications of Duncarron village. Dwarfing the security team employed to keep Mr Russell Crowe safe from pests and stalkers, these guys look like they might be straight off the set of one of his films, each with a broadsword secreted somewhere about their person. Which is quite possibly the case, since it was on the set of Gladiator that Crowe met the chief executive of the Clanranald Trust for Scotland, Charlie Allan, who was playing the part of chief of the barbarian hordes. They shared an interest in all things connected to motorbikes, and Crowe became intrigued in his new buddy’s idea to build a 12th-century fortified village in the heart of the Scottish countryside. As far back as 1994, Allan dreamed of a living, breathing museum where Scottish children could learn about their own culture and history. “Hands-on history”, as he calls it. Since gaining planning permission for the site in 2000, the Clanranald Trust for Scotland has worked tirelessly to bring this to fruition. The Scottish landscape and weather being what it is, this has involved masses of preparatory work to drain the land, clear it and generally do a lot of heavy graft. Then there was the small matter of erecting the 4,200 larch and wooden logs to form the palisade. Just as well they have pool of brawn within the clan to utilise. It will take a lot of hands, and a lot of money, to make the project progress to its ultimate goal. A living village with two gatehouses and two 50-metre long-houses – one of which will always be in a state of construction/deconstruction so that the building process is ongoing and can be seen by visitors – and with a working blacksmith's and with Scottish artisans. Allan also plans to hold battle re-enactments at the site. Allan’s posse of clansmen who were so effectively patrolling the fort, and preventing undesirables hassling Crowe, are part of his company, Combat International. Need a huge hairy Scotsman who can wield a three-kilogram claymore for a Hollywood film? These are the boys you want. To date they have featured in over 100 productions, including Gladiator, King Arthur, Valhalla Rising and – more recently – Robin Hood. They will be well placed to provide some realistic theatre to visitors when the site opens to the public next year, but currently they help raise funds for Duncarron Fort. Despite being surrounded by some in-character barbarians, Crowe did not come dressed as Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, and instead embraced a more conservative jeans-and-anorak look.

"On June 5 I'll be at Duncarron to view the Clanranald Trust Medieval Fort," Crowe had tweeted. "Scottish heritage in my family, first time in Scotland, special." He has also used Twitter to bring the Duncarron project to the attention of his followers, and even tweeted @Alex Salmond, inviting him to come along and support the project. But unless the first minister was the one with the plaited beard and kilt, I didn’t see him there. Crowe's low-key visit to the site has raised the profile of the project internationally. Allan is appreciative of his friend’s support, saying “I am really pleased that someone as busy as Russell Crowe could make the time to come and visit myself and the fort”. The Oscar-winning actor has also shown support in the shape of a humungous battering ram. The prop – used in Robin Hood – is valued at over £60,000 and was donated by Crowe to be the centrepiece when the site opens to the public. During the visit, Crowe enthused about the role the fort would play for children learning about their heritage – but the fort could also bring Hollywood actors to rural Stirlingshire on a regular basis. Intended as a permanent structure, crafted in the traditional way using local materials, the medieval village will be unique in the UK and would provide a perfect, ready-made film set. With Allan’s contacts in the film industry, this looks to be a certainty. According to the Clanranald Trust for Scotland: "The Village will be the physical base for the Trust. We will work closely with local education authorities, community and theatre groups, film-companies and other groups who share our vision and objectives to bring history alive and into people's lives."

Duncarron Fort is near to the east end of the Carron Valley reservoir, off the B818 between Denny and Fintry. It is still under construction, but the Clanranald Trust for Scotland is opening the site to the public for two days on 16/17 July 2011, 12–4pm. There will be a field hospital, kitchens, an armoury and smithy. Better still, the big hairy Scots lads (who successfully protected Russell Crowe from your correspondent) will cause a serious ruckus with their Hollywood-standard battle re-enactments.

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