No.30 The Square

Huntly & District Development Trust

A community-owned historic multi-purpose venue in the heart of Huntly town centre

Category B and C

No.30 the Square comprises two buildings situated directly on the square of this small market town in rural Aberdeenshire. Dating from 1875, it was occupied by local department store Cruikshanks, which over time expanded operations from a shop unit to fill the two buildings. The main heritage merit lies in the exterior, with a return gable comprising angle turret and conical slate roof. Interior features have mostly been lost, but in terms of reuse, the building offers the only open-plan accommodation in the town centre.

Huntly & District Development Trust was formed in 2009 to work collaboratively towards building a resilient, inclusive and enterprising community. The town centre had suffered with vacant units, unable to attract passing trade. Community consultation with many local groups indicated the need for a multi- purpose community facility. In 2019, a year after its closure, the Trust acquired No.30 with funding provided by the Scottish Government’s Town Centre Fund. Having been restored and brought back into use, the completed building now accommodates flexible and accessible event spaces, including a 60- seat cinema, co-working space, meeting rooms, a café and retail space, as well as a changing places facility.

Thanks to support from the local authority, plans for this project were fairly advanced by the time the Trust sought assistance from the AHF. A Project Development Grant was awarded to plug a funding gap by contributing towards design team fees, which then enabled the Trust to progress with capital funding bids. With a funding package of seven funders, capital works completed in spring 2024, and the building opened to the public in late summer. As a result of the Trust’s achievement in bringing this large-scale property back into productive use, further investment is now coming into the square.

https://www.huntlydt.org/what-we-do/number-30

AHF Funding

Project Development Grant - £16,029 (2019)

Photo Credits

Huntly Development Trust

Jo Robertson