The Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) is pleased to see that three groups across Scotland have recently secured ownership of key historic buildings at the heart of their communities, allowing them to develop their heritage as vital assets for the future.
The buildings acquired include:
All of these assets are recognised as being of high heritage significance and are situated in deprived or remote places; crucially, they are also highly valued by local people, who are now responsible for their long-term management and care, with thanks to previous AHF support.
Securing ownership of a building is a major achievement in developing regeneration projects, as community groups move from looking at what might be possible to taking forward a preferred option and developing plans in detail. Securing ownership, either outright or under a long lease (25 years+), represents a significant milestone on the path to securing funds and progressing with restoring or reusing a historic building for a sustainable new use.
Image: Alison Turnbull (left), Director of External Relations and Partnerships at Historic Environment Scotland, with Audrey Carlin (right), AHF Scotland Trustee and Chair of AHF Grants Panel, at the historic Gracemount Mansion in south Edinburgh. Image courtesy of Historic Environment Scotland.
The Category B listed Gracemount Mansion in Edinburgh dates from circa 1780 and was originally built as a country villa. Since 1964, it was home to a popular youth and community centre, which sadly closed in 2018. It was subsequently made available for Community Asset Transfer by the local authority. The new owner, Gracemount Mansion Development Trust, is now progressing a first phase of emergency works to make the building safe, before embarking on repairs to allow an initial partial use by the community, while longer-term project planning and fundraising continues.
Image: Campsie High Kirk in Lennoxtown. Credit - Ronnie Shephard.
The Category A listed Campsie High Kirk was designed by David Hamilton, the renowned Scottish architect responsible for the National Gallery of Modern Art and Nelson Monument in Glasgow. This former church was closed for worship in 1976 and became subsequently ruinous due to a devastating fire in 1984. A technically ‘ownerless property’, local group Friends of Campsie High Kirk has recently secured ownership under the new Ownerless Property Transfer Scheme, which supports communities to acquire redundant buildings via the King & Lord Treasurer’s Remembrancer (KLTR). This is a major hurdle overcome in developing plans for its future use as a community space and open-air venue.
Image: The site of the Tomb of the Eagles on Orkney (left) and the entrance to the Tomb of the Eagles (right). Images courtesy of South Ronaldsay and Burray Development Trust.
The scheduled Tomb of the Eagles is an early Neolithic chambered cairn, some 5,000 years old. It was excavated over 20 years from 1958 and, utilising nearby buildings, had been open as a popular visitor attraction. With the site closing during the pandemic, and the owner wishing to sell, the opportunity arose for acquisition by South Ronaldsay and Burray Development Trust. This new ownership will sustain this highly significant Scheduled Monument for the public to access for years to come, as well as create new employment and training opportunities for young people on this island.
The AHF has supported these groups with early-stage grants to assist with project development. These grants were made possible thanks to funding provided by Historic Environment Scotland and the William Grant Foundation, and the AHF gratefully acknowledges their support.
Lindsay Aitken, Chair of Gracemount Mansion Development Trust, said: "The early support and guidance from AHF was really useful, and a fantastic boost for our project, for which we're very grateful."
Craig Brooks, Chair of Friends of Campsie High Kirk, commented: “The Architectural Heritage Fund played a vital and proactive role in helping us reach the historic milestone of taking legal possession of Campsie High Kirk on behalf of the community. Their early belief in the project — and their support through funding, guidance and encouragement — was pivotal in unlocking the Kirk’s potential.”
Joe Horrocks from TotE Community Development Group, added: "The Tomb of the Eagles Community Development Group greatly appreciates AHF's initial support with the initial feasibility study. This led to several members of the local community taking forward the suggested option of a possible community buyout. This is now fully funded, and once the purchase is completed, it is hoped to reopen this fantastic resource as soon as possible."
