Historic Environment Scotland (HES) is marking a milestone of spending more than £77 million in grants over the last six years by inviting communities across the country to apply for funding to help unlock Scotland’s history.
Grants of up to £500,000 are available for communities, charities and heritage organisations to explore funding opportunities for projects ranging from conservation works to archaeological research and community-led initiatives.
The HES grants programmes play a vital role in supporting communities by helping them to transform places, create jobs, improve wellbeing and support climate action. In the last year, it has invested £1.74million in projects in Scotland’s most deprived communities to unlock local history.
This year’s investment builds on more than 350 organisations that have benefited over the last six years. The most awarded projects were places of worship (22%), community assets (17%) and monuments (13%), as well as thatched buildings (13%). Theatres and a wide variety of listed buildings also benefited from the heritage grants.
Recent research conducted by HES highlights the organisation spends £2.26 on heritage for every person in Scotland. The report also shows that every £1 of grant funding awarded by HES generates an additional £5.24 of investment into Scotland’s historic environment - multiplying huge benefits across local economies, jobs and communities.
Dr Susan O’Connor, Head of Grants at Historic Environment Scotland, said: “Our historic environment is one of Scotland’s greatest assets, but it needs care, investment and collaboration to thrive. Through our grants programmes, we want to empower communities to unlock history, knowledge and progress.
“Over the last six years we’ve spent more than £77 million to support over 350 incredible heritage projects – from local trusts to national institutions. These projects reflect the rich diversity of Scotland’s history and heritage. They also show how investment can deliver real benefits for the future – protecting communities, boosting local economies and supporting skills development.”
To highlight the impact of their grants, HES is placing a spotlight on the people that help maintain Scotland’s treasured landmarks and the difference that grants and investing in the historic environment can bring.
HES will feature recently funded projects including iconic places such as Glasgow’s Citizens Theatre, which reopened its doors after seven years of redevelopment, Linlithgow’s St Michael’s Church of Scotland, which repaired its famous ‘Crown of Thorns’ spire, and Ellisland Farm, the first marital home of national bard Robert Burns and his wife Jean Armour.
This year HES awarded a grant of £24,492 to Work of Iron, a Community Interest Company (CIC) blacksmith forge in The Pitt, part of a cluster of community projects leading the regeneration of Edinburgh’s Granton Waterfront. Work of Iron teaches traditional blacksmithing techniques and encourages people to explore the heritage craft at its North Edinburgh Forge.
Jack Waygood, founder and blacksmith at Work of Iron, said: “There’s a skills shortage in traditional ironwork and we’re tackling that whilst giving people from all walks of life the chance to try their hand at blacksmithing. We’re really excited to launch our community projects at The Pitt in Granton, offering an accessible way for people to give it a go, and to gain an insight into the industry. We want the forge to be completely self-sufficient and grant funding from Historic Environment Scotland is helping us kickstart that.”
For full details on how to apply for Historic Environment Scotland grants, please visit historicenvironment.scot/grants-and-funding/.
Meet the people behind some of HES’s previously funded projects and the impact of grant funding in their new photo series with exciting video content to follow on their social channels.
About Historic Environment Scotland (HES)
- We are the lead body for Scotland’s historic environment, a charity dedicated to the advancement of heritage, culture, education and environmental protection. It is at the forefront of researching and understanding the historic environment and addressing the impacts of climate change on its future, investigating and recording architectural and archaeological sites and landscapes across Scotland and caring for more than 300 properties of national importance. We are also the lead on delivering Scotland's strategy for the historic environment, Our Past, Our Future.
- Historic Scotland, trove.scot, The National Collection of Aerial Photography (NCAP), The Engine Shed, Stirling Castle, Edinburgh Castle and Stòr are sub-brands of HES.
- View our press pack and keep up to date by registering to receive our media releases. Already registered? You can unsubscribe at any time by following the unsubscribe link, included in every email.
Follow HES
Facebook: @HistoricEnvScotland | @VisitHistoricScotland
Instagram: @HistEnvScot | @historicscotland
Blog
LinkedIn
For further information, please contact:
Historic Environment Scotland Media Office
07721 959 962
communications@hes.scot