Seven projects will receive a share of funding through Historic Environment Scotland’s (HES) Partnership Fund.
Historic Environment Scotland (HES) has announced over £3.9 million in funding to seven organisations with a track record of making a significant contribution to Scotland’s historic environment through its latest round of Partnership Fund grants.
The Partnership Fund was created in 2021, replacing HES’s Organisational Support Fund, to better help Scotland’s third sector promote, celebrate and enhance the country’s rich and diverse heritage. It funds organisations that engage with communities and make a national impact on Scotland’s historic environment through targeted activity, national programmes and financial support.
Alison Turnbull, Director of External Relations and Partnerships at HES, said: “Community engagement is at the heart of our work, and what better way to involve communities than by supporting the organisations that serve them?
“Our Partnership Fund has awarded grants to seven projects which reflect our commitment to strengthening the resilience of Scotland’s historic environment in different ways.
“These projects support investment into traditional skills and retrofitting, encourage communities to engage with their local archaeology and places of worship, and help communities adapt historic buildings for social and economic benefit.
“At their core, these initiatives embody the principle of heritage for all, ensuring that everyone can access, participate in, and benefit from Scotland’s rich historic environment.
“And this is just the beginning. We expect the benefits of these projects to have a long-lasting and sustainable impact on the historic environment and communities across Scotland for years to come.”
The largest single award, £1.9 million, was granted to the Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) to support its ongoing efforts to help community-led groups across Scotland find sustainable new uses for historic buildings in ways that directly benefit local people and places.
The AHF’s ‘Heritage Developed & Sustained’ project enhances community engagement with historic environments and its use as a catalyst for climate action which supports key HES priorities in supporting Scotland’s journey to net zero.
AHF has a particular focus on supporting groups with developing projects that serve areas of multiple deprivation or involve a building’s energy efficiency or environmental sustainability.
HES has previously provided grant funding for this project through the Organisational Support Fund, the predecessor to the Partnership Fund. Through advice and the financial support that it can offer as a result of the grant, the AHF has helped repurpose buildings to be used as affordable housing, community centres, workspaces and childcare facilities.
Matthew McKeague, CEO of the AHF, said: “We are immensely grateful to Historic Environment Scotland for this renewed and increased investment in our grants and support programme.
“It will extend our valued long-term strategic partnership and will enable us to continue providing funding and guidance over the next three years to support communities across Scotland, to take control of and adapt historic buildings for sustainable social and economic impact.”
The announcement took place at Gracemount Mansion in Edinburgh, a community-led repair project supported by both HES and the AHF.
Further information on the Partnership Fund is available on the HES website. Organisations who are interested in applying to the Partnership Fund can submit an expression of interest no later than 15 August 2025.
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