The case to save the Fort George army barracks has been strengthened after a watchdog criticised the Ministry of Defence's (MoD) cost-cutting decisions, says an SNP MP.

Drew Hendry, whose constituency includes the barracks in Ardersier near Inverness, has called on defence minister Michael Fallon to reverse his decision to close the base after a report by the National Audit Office.

Fort George is one of eight military bases in Scotland which the MoD will close by 2032. It is feared around 1600 jobs could be lost after its closure.

The watchdog's report criticised the MoD for making poor decisions over its estate for short-term financial gains.

It said: "The constraints on funding for its estate are leading the department to make decisions that are poor value for money in the longer term....

"To manage the estate within its budget, the department has made decisions that subsequently offer poor value for money in the longer term, including the 1996 decision to sell and lease back the majority of service family accommodation, which is now limiting the department's ability to manage this element of the estate cost-effectively".

The report also highlighted that since 2009 the MoD "has carried out only essential maintenance on its estate".

When announcing the base's closure, Fallon told MPs: "Fort George is a very old barracks, costs £1.6m a year to run, is extremely expensive to upgrade and is not appropriate for a modern infantry unit."

Hendry believes the report shows the cost-cutting measures implemented by the defence secretary will not provide long-term financial benefits and they should be reversed.

He said: "All this time we have been told these MoD defence reviews are predicated on the need to reduce costs and now we are told, their-money saving exercise won't actually save money.

"This type of ill thought out decision has become a staple of this Tory government.

"It is as ridiculous as it is harmful and is yet another example of this government's failure to make the right decisions for the military need or to understand Highland's communities.

"Instead of closure, the right decision for military reasons, as well as value for money, would have been to commit to improving the accommodation."

He added: "It's not too late for them to see sense, do the right thing and reverse this decision and I will be writing to the minster to urge him to reconsider.

"We already know that Fort George is one of the most cost-effective bases and now this report confirms that its closure won't even save the UK Treasury any money.

"Meanwhile, here in the Highlands, we will have a £16m black hole in our economy.

"They can't tell us what the value for money of this exercise is and apparently, even after these closures there will still be a funding gap of at least £8.5bn.

"The minister must provide immediate answers and halt these failed 'cost-saving' plans, which, in fact, only cost the affected military communities."

A spokesman for the MoD said:"This is an important report and we are determined to deliver a better defence estate.

"That's why we've outlined a long-term, military-led strategy, to invest £4bn in: training facilities fit for our strong and modern armed forces and better accommodation to deliver more stability for military families."