A HUGE four-day festival showcasing Dumbarton’s rich heritage is being planned to capture the world’s attention.

Dumbarton 2020 could include everything from a parade through the town, a tattoo, and a vast array of activities and spectacles – not to mention hopes for a visit from the Earl and Countess of Dumbarton.

Chairman of Dumbarton Castle Society, Paul Neeson, is spearheading the plans to bring the extravaganza into fruition, and said the idea first came about more than two years ago.

And he envisions the festival as having the potential to draw thousands of visitors to the town, putting Dumbarton firmly on the map as a tourist destination.

“We were looking at long-term strategies for how we could improve visitor numbers,” he told the Reporter.

“There are a lot of good things happening in Dumbarton.

“There’s the work going on with the pathway. The Municipal Buildings look beautiful.

“At long last there’s a realisation in Dumbarton that things are starting to happen. The town was neglected for years, but in the last few years we’ve seen a change.

“We need to up the game a bit. We’ve got great heritage, but we don’t talk about it much. There’s a rich history here.

“We’re going to get schools and clubs involved. It starts with the young people. We want everybody to have a part in it in the town.”

The event organisers are currently highlighting mid-June in 2020 as the time for the festival to take place.

And the recent announcement of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s new titles of Earl and Countess of Dumbarton are perfectly timed to be the icing on the cake, claimed Paul, who is hopeful that a royal visit will be on the cards as part of the festival, “We couldn’t have written it better,” he said.

“As soon as that happened, we thought that this was meant to be.”

Dumbarton’s MSP Jackie Baillie is also fully behind the ambitious plans, and lodged a motion last week for the festival with the Scottish Parliament last week.

Ms Baillie told the Reporter: “The plans for the Dumbarton 2020 festival are incredibly exciting. The festival has the potential to boost tourism in the area and provide lots of things to do for local people as well.

“The organisers are working really hard to make the festival a success and I will continue to help in any way that I can.”

A spokeswoman for West Dunbartonshire Council added: “We are supportive of any events which help to raise the profile of Dumbarton and attract visitors to the town. The council is supporting the Castle Society with early stage planning.”