Scotland’s newly formed lead public body for heritage, Historic Environment Scotland, has announced grants of £1.7 million worth of funding to repair historically important buildings across the country.
The funds are being divided between five different projects as part of the body’s Building Repair Grants Scheme.
The is part of a wider commitment to invest around £14 million annually in the historic environment, through initiatives such as the successful Conservation Area Regeneration Schemes, Building Repair Grants, and archaeological excavations and surveys. In the preceding five-years of grants of £62 million have levered in a further £230 million of investment in Scotland’s historic environment sector.
Among the recipients announced today is the Edwardian Govan Hill Baths in Glasgow, which is to be refurbished in a phased scheme to facilitate full community usage for three pools, a steamie and Turkish Baths suite. That project received an award of £500,000 to pay for repairs to halt water ingress and refurbish the interior of the building.
A new use for the Old Achintore School in Fort William has also been found, following years of discussions around the building’s potential demolition. Following a grant award of £269,750 it will now be refurbished to act as a Civic Centre for the town, and offices for Highland Council staff.
The former Dumbarton Academy, which on completion will be utilised as the new West Dunbarton Council HQ, housing over 500 council staff, is expected to bring much needed additional trade to town-centre businesses. The former Davidson Cottage Hospital in Girvan will receive funding for conversion to an Enterprise Centre for business space, childcare facilities, and office accommodation. Finally, the former British Linen Bank is to get a major restoration, as part of a wider scheme to regenerate the surrounding area by the Southside Housing Association, and to provide additional social housing units.
Jane Ryder OBE, Chair of Historic Environment Scotland said: “As the new lead body in Scotland’s historic environment, one of our key drivers is to facilitate and enable others to help protect the country’s built heritage. These five grant recipients are a fine example of that collaboration working in practice, where the building owners are drawing on finance and expertise from us, as well as working with partners - which usually include local authorities, community groups, and other investment bodies - in order to bring these important historic buildings back into reuse.
“The scheme isn’t just about repairing old buildings which have fallen into disrepair though: the end use of each of these projects is something which will greatly benefit the communities living around it. Not only directly by using the buildings for their new purpose, whether that be leisure, business, education or the arts, but by the impact which high-quality conservation and restoration works can have in the regeneration of an area.”
Martin Fairley, Head of Investment, Historic Environment Scotland said: “These are five great projects which we only too happy to be given the opportunity to contribute to. In most cases it takes a great deal of time, effort, and working together constructively just to get to this stage - and that’s before the restoration and repair work even begins. There is no doubt that these efforts are ultimately well worth it, as the end result will be the restoration of five very important historic buildings, not to mention a variety of initiatives which will be of enormous benefit to the communities they serve for many years to come.”
This follows grants awarded in August 2015 through the same scheme, with grants at that time being awarded to high profile projects such as the renovation of Moat Brae House in Dumfries, where JM Barrie wrote the children’s classic Peter Pan; repairs to the Jewish Enclosure of the Glasgow Necropolis; the conversion of the Calton Hill Observatory in Edinburgh into a public arts space; and the restoration of one of Britain’s three surviving train turntables, to name just a few.
Historic Environment Scotland is the new lead public body established to investigate, care for and promote Scotland’s historic environment. The organisation is a Non Departmental Public Body and a registered Scottish Charity which incorporates and will build on the strengths and expertise of Historic Scotland and the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS) who have been managing and recording the historic environment for over a century.
Full list of grant recipients
Former Dumbarton Academy and Burgh Hall - £500,000
Built in 1865, the Category A listed former Dumbarton Academy and Burgh Hall on Church Street, Dumbarton, has been awarded £500,000 worth of funding to refurbish the building, which has lain unoccupied for decades. Parts of the building, which was designed by renowned Scottish architect William Leiper, have already been demolished as a safety measure, but repair work will allow the important façade to be retained. Once complete it will be utilised as the new West Dunbarton Council Headquarters and associated civic space, housing over 500 council staff as well as creating new training and meeting rooms. The influx of staff is expected to bring much needed additional trade to town-centre businesses.
Former Davidson Cottage Hospital, Girvan - £66,940
The B listed, single storey building, which was built in the 1920s is set to be repaired as part of a project by social enterprise Ailsa Horizons in order to convert it into an Enterprise Centre, which will comprise a lettable business space and childcare facilities.
Former British Linen Bank, 162-170 Gorbals - £345,000
The former British Linen Bank in the Gorbals is due to undergo a major restoration, as part of a wider scheme to regenerate the surrounding area by the Southside Housing Association, and to provide additional social housing units. The property on Gorbals Street is a Category A listed building built around 1900 for the British Linen Bank, which ceased trading as a public bank around 1969 but still existed as a private commercial bank till 2000. That project has been awarded £345,000 to carry out essential repair work.
The project is being led by the Southside Housing Association, in Partnership with Glasgow Building Preservation Trust.
Govanhill Baths, 99 Calder Street, Glasgow - £500,000
The much-loved B listed, Edwardian Baths in Calder Street, Govanhill is also set to be refurbished in a phased scheme to facilitate full community usage for three pools, a steamie and Turkish Baths suite. The project intends to convert the former steamie into a theatre venue and arts space. That project received an award of £500,000 to pay for repairs to halt water ingress and refurbish the interior of the building. The building is an integral part of the history of the local area.
Old Achintore School, Fort William - £269,750
The Category B listed building built around 1876. The former senior secondary school on Achintore Road in Fort William has been awarded a grant of £269,750 for its repair and conversion into a civic centre for the town, and office space for Highland Council staff.
About Historic Environment Scotland (HES)
- As of the 1st October 2015, Historic Scotland and RCAHMS came together to form a new lead public body charged with caring for, protecting and promoting the historic environment. The new body Historic Environment Scotland (HES) will lead on delivering Scotland’s first strategy for the historic environment, Our Place in Time.
- Historic Scotland is a sub brand of HES.
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Year of Food and Drink 2015
2015 is the Year of Food and Drink, a celebration of Scotland’s natural larder and the role that food and drink plays in shaping our economic success. Scotland generates over £2.5m per day through food and drink tourism. A series of themed months will create an appetite for key areas of Scotland’s food and drink industries – from seafood and whisky to berries and high-quality meat.
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For further information
Iona Matheson
Historic Environment Scotland Media Office
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