Sir Peter Luff, Chair of the Heritage Lottery Fund, visited the Engine Shed project in Forthside, Stirling yesterday – Tuesday 16th February – as part a two day tour of HLF grant funded initiatives throughout Scotland.
The Engine Shed, which has been part funded by the HLF, will see the realisation of a world-class facility for building conservation in Scotland. When it opens its doors later this year it will provide a central hub allowing people from within the sector and further afield to explore Scotland’s rich built heritage and the traditional skills and materials which helped create it.
As well as seeing the progress of the Engine Shed project, the group also visited nearby Forth Valley College where they discovered more about traditional skills and materials as well as meeting some of the stone masons currently on the Historic Environment Scotland apprenticeship programme.
Commenting on the yesterday’s visit to the Engine Shed project in Stirling alongside Sir Peter Luff, Chair of Historic Environment Scotland, Jane Ryder, said: “Two years ago we welcomed the creation of a ten-year strategy for Scotland’s historic environment, last year saw the coming together of two heritage bodies to form the new lead public body, Historic Environment Scotland and now the coming months will see the realisation of another exciting milestone in Scotland’s heritage sector, when the Engine Shed opens later this year.
“As a leading building conservation hub, the Engine Shed will see cutting edge conservation science, digital documentation work and innovation practices meet centuries-old skills and traditions as well as providing a centre for learning for people within the sector and further afield. Developing skills and capacity building for the future is a key focus and we are delighted that HLF and our other partners share this vision to establish such a facility.”
The £3.8 million grant awarded by the Heritage Lottery Fund in late 2014, was the final piece in the funding jigsaw for the £8.9 million Engine Shed project.
Sir Peter Luff, Chair of HLF, who was visiting the Engine Shed as part of a two day tour of HLF grant funded initiatives across the country, added: “I have been incredibly impressed by the foresight of the Engine Shed project in tackling an issue which most people are not even aware of. We need people with traditional building skills to look after our heritage. Without them, historic buildings, whether it’s the local bank or a national monument, will crumble.
“What is being done here is leading the way, not just in Scotland but in the UK. Thanks to players of the National Lottery, the Heritage Lottery Fund has been able to support this centre of excellence which will ensure that a new generation is equipped with the skills to care for the fabric of our nation.
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 Innovation, Architecture and Design 2016
2016 is the Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design (IAD). Through a series of exciting events and activity, the year will showcase Scotland's position as an "innovation nation", its outstanding built heritage, and its thriving, internationally acclaimed creative industries sector. This is a Scottish Government initiative being led by VisitScotland and supported by a variety of partners.
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