The daughter of a 70s Hollywood star is suing for the right to bring her dog into a Western Isles cafe.

Claire Kellerman has brought a case against the Bernera Community Association (BCA), claiming she has been discriminated against. It is not clear if the animal is a support dog.

Her adoptive mother Sally Kellerman's portrayal of "Hot Lips" Houlihan in the Korean war comedy drama film M*A*S*H earned Oscar and Golden Globe nominations.

Great Bernera is an island off the west coast of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides with a population of about 250 people.

It is understood Claire Kellerman's case is being funded by legal aid, with local MSP Donald MacKinnon urging the Scottish Legal Aid Board (Slab) to reconsider the decision.

A Slab spokesperson said that if statutory tests are met, it must grant legal aid - but that does not mean it necessarily supports a case.

In a statement on social media, the BCA said it needed donations more than ever due to legal costs.

The charity, set up in 1973, said it was run by volunteers who managed the local community centre which houses the doctors surgery, fire station, local museum, cafe and a community hall for events.

It added: "It is the central hub for the community with numerous weekly clubs and social events."

The case called last week at Stornoway Sheriff Court, with Kellerman's case represented by legal advocacy charity the Ethnic Minorities Law Centre.

When approached by the BBC, a BCA spokesperson said: "As the matter is now before the court, it would not be appropriate for us to comment further on the allegations or issues in dispute.

"The association remains focused on serving the local community and appreciates the support it has received."

In a letter to the Slab, local Labour MSP Donald MacKinnon said Kellerman's legal action initially named the wrong community body.

He said the case was brought against the Bernera Community Development Trust, which is completely separate from the BCA and its cafe.

This was later amended after the trust wrote to the Slab to explain that it had no responsibility for the cafe.

But the Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Western Isles) MSP said the board continued to fund the legal action during this time and the trust "incurred legal costs with considerable stress".

A spokesperson for the trust said it was "incredible" that it suffered "in this way, when it has done nothing wrong and is not involved and the parties were clearly informed of this".

MacKinnon also questioned the public interest in using taxpayer money to support the case.

"Legal aid serves an important role in ensuring access to justice," he said.

"However, it is equally important that publicly funded litigation is subject to appropriate scrutiny regarding its legal basis, prospects of success and overall reasonableness."

He urged the board to consider revoking its funding for the case against the BCA, particularly given the "significant financial impact" it was having on a "small charitable organisation".

Claire Kellerman, who is believed to have moved to Scotland a few years ago, made a statement on social media about her legal action in May.

The 62-year-old said her legal team was supporting the "exposure of the normalisation of abuses on the Isle of Great Bernera in the Bernera Community Cafe".

She said these abuses included "harassing" and "illegally discriminating against incomers", and insisted the cafe did not accommodate disabled people who had support dogs.

BBC Scotland News has contacted Kellerman and her legal team for an updated statement.

A spokesperson for the Scottish Legal Aid Board said: "We decide whether the statutory tests for legal aid are met, based on information provided to us within legal aid applications.

"If the tests are met, we must grant legal aid. This does not mean that we 'support' a case: it is common for us to grant legal aid to both parties in a case.

"It is not our job to determine the facts of a case: that is for the court, as are matters relating to the conduct of a case, and awarding expenses. We note that the court considered this case recently and allowed it to continue."