£7 million investment to transform Scottish town and city centres through heritage
Today, Tuesday 17 February, The National Lottery Heritage Fund has announced an investment of over £7 million to help revitalise the historic town centres of Airdrie, Girvan, Tarbert and Glasgow’s Sauchiehall Street.
The funding will breathe new life into historic buildings in need, helping boost local economies while strengthening connections between communities and the heritage on their doorstep.
The new funding will deliver a breadth of benefits: saving significant built heritage, revitalising high streets, improving shopfronts, creating sustainable tourism opportunities and increasing heritage skills.
A place of rich social, cultural and architectural heritage, filled with memories for generations of Glaswegians, Sauchiehall Street: Culture and Heritage District has been awarded £2.3m. This is part of a long-term National Lottery-funded programme Heritage Places, which is supporting the vital role of heritage in making local areas better places to live, work and visit across the UK. This is the second phase of funding to Sauchiehall Street from the Heritage Fund, with initial support of £350,000 awarded in 2024 to develop plans for the Sauchiehall Street: Culture and Heritage District.
The street is internationally famed for its history of entertainment, music, theatre, retail, socialising and built heritage. This investment will preserve the historic McLellan Galleries, one of Glasgow’s earliest purpose-built gallery spaces and a key cultural landmark of Sauchiehall Street. It will enable new and creative uses of the Galleries with The Scottish Ensemble as one of three cultural partners already committed to using the new flexible space alongside Glasgow Film and youth charity Articulate.
Other creative heritage initiatives will thread through Sauchiehall Street, restoring the Victorian Cameron Memorial Fountain, exploring housing and greenspace opportunities, buildings improvement programme, artist residencies and community archiving alongside a community grants scheme.
The National Lottery funding announced today is also supporting heritage regeneration at the heart of three town centres creating vibrant, sustainable places that celebrate history and share their unique stories, while building opportunities for now and future generations.
Airdrie
The town of Airdrie, North Lanarkshire has received £1.4m. Central to the project is the restoration and redevelopment of the historic Airdrie Library – Scotland’s first library under the Public Libraries Act and home to the UK’s smallest public observatory. A shopfront improvement scheme will also boost the town centre.
Girvan
Girvan, South Ayrshire has received £2.5m. With a rich history of weaving, shoemaking, fishing, and boat building, the town is set to benefit from a series of heritage-led projects to restore pride and vibrancy to this historic coastal town. These include Stair Park Bandstand, the iconic Stumpy Jail steeple, the former Dalrymple Street Bank and McKechnie Institute – Girvan’s cultural hub and home to its museum and gallery. The investment will improve accessibility, enhance biodiversity, and increase local heritage learning and skills.
Tarbert
Tarbert Heritage Regeneration Scheme, Argyll and Bute has received £850,000. Plans include returning 10 vacant properties to residential use, repairing historic fishermen’s store buildings on the quayside, restoring shopfronts and delivering community heritage events and traditional skills training for young people. There will also be a programme of community events celebrating the rich heritage and traditions of the town.
Eilish McGuinness, Chief Executive, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “This marks an exciting moment, with fantastic investments in places that connect communities with their heritage gems. From Glasgow’s iconic Sauchiehall Street, a place woven into decades of shared memories, to transforming the oldest public library in Scotland to celebrate the stories, people and places that shape us.
“Understanding how communities feel about their heritage is vital to meaningful regeneration, and we’re proud to invest in four exceptional places where historic buildings will be restored and repurposed for everyone to enjoy, now and for generations.
“Thanks to National Lottery players over the last 30 years, we’ve invested over £1bn in 5,100 projects in Scotland ensuring heritage is valued, cared for and sustained. These projects will boost wellbeing, create learning opportunities for young people and make heritage a powerful driver of local pride and prosperity.”
Katie Duffy, Head of Arts and Music at Glasgow Life said: “We’re very grateful for this £2.3 million National Lottery investment, which allows us to renew several of the street’s historic and cultural assets.
“Through careful regeneration, community-focused projects, and cultural programmes, we hope to bring new life to Sauchiehall Street while respecting its heritage and the role it plays in people’s everyday lives. This funding supports us in working with communities and partners, to ensure the significant value and contribution of the street to the city is realised over the coming decade and that it continues to have an impactful role in Glasgow’s cultural landscape.”
North Lanarkshire Council Leader Jim Logue said: “Our Rediscovering Airdrie project is helping to regenerate the town by protecting and celebrating its history, and the fantastic support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund will allow us to continue to promote the people and places of Airdrie for the future.
“Airdrie was the site of the first public library in Scotland and a key part of our project is the development of the current Airdrie Library, which is also home to the only public observatory held in a public library in Europe. The project will create a resource for all our residents, offering facilities and services at the heart of the town.”
Councillor Alec Clark, South Ayrshire Council’s Depute Leader and Policy Lead for Commercial,Operational Services whose remit includes tourism and rural communities said: “This is fantastic news, and I would like to thank the Heritage Fund. Their contribution is going to make a huge difference!
“Funding for the Girvan’s Story project gives us the opportunity to transform the town centre. We’re set to deliver significant improvements to landmark buildings and in tandem introduce traditional skills workshops to help boost employment opportunities. Community engagement has been key; we will continue to put the community at the heart of this long-term regeneration project.”
Argyll and Bute Council Leader, Councillor Jim Lynch, said: “I am delighted that we have been successful in securing this funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. We are committed to protecting Argyll and Bute’s historic built environment and this project places our heritage at the heart of community renewal, helping our local spaces thrive while protecting the character that makes Tarbert so special.
“By restoring and safeguarding these historic buildings, we’re not only preserving our past but also creating new opportunities for the community to flourish. Enhancing these much‑loved landmarks will support local pride, encourage sustainable use of our shared spaces, and strengthen the village’s appeal for both residents and visitors. I look forward to seeing this project bring lasting benefits for people across the area - now and for future generations.”