Scotland’s largest conservation charity, the National Trust for Scotland, has been awarded £1,062,000 from Historic Environment Scotland’s (HES) Partnership Fund to allow it to conduct vital conservation work across its built heritage properties, while gaining a deeper understanding of the structures and their requirements.
With over 100 places across Scotland, through the support of the funding the charity will undertake a programme of conservation maintenance at numerous sites around the country, utilise technology to delve more deeply into its built structures, and invest in further training and skills development.
This will include a variety of work throughout Scotland – from thatch repairs at Culloden, through to repairing glasshouses and garden structures, property maintenance, structure repair works, such as the tower at the House of the Binns, repairs to garden walls and structures, and more.
The funding will cover works up to a value of £75,000, focussing on the most urgent repairs and conservation of the Trust’s buildings, and will contribute to larger projects, for instance, the conservation of inset carved stonework at Fyvie Castle.
Over the past year, the buildings team at the Trust has undertaken a range of work to conserve and protect its built heritage, in part funded through a £250,000 Annual Repair Grant secured from HES last year.
This included replacing the lead flat roof covering on the House of the Binns, as part of a wider project team working to reopen the property to the public earlier this year, for the first time since before the Covid 19 pandemic; an investment of over £100,000 in a number of projects at Falkland Palace to restore the stunning Renaissance building’s stonework and undertake decorative conservation work; careful conservation of 17th century painted ceilings at Crathes Castle; and limewashing the exterior of Balnain House.
The buildings team not only focus on the castles, houses and palaces in the Trust’s care, but also the built structures in the many gardens it looks after.
In the last year the charity has invested over £57,000 in a major refurbishment of the large glasshouse at Malleny Garden, on the outskirts of Edinburgh, with further investment planned through the Partnership Fund grant to restore the second glasshouse within the grounds.
The Partnership Fund will also provide support for a training programme that the National Trust for Scotland will deliver to upskill members of staff across the Trust, providing a wider understanding of how the team can contribute to the conservation and maintenance of the charity’s buildings.
Sarah MacKinnon, Head of Building Conservation at the National Trust for Scotland, (above, left)said: “As set out in the Trust’s 10-year strategy, Nature, Beauty and Heritage for Everyone, we are committed to the conservation, repair and maintenance of our historic buildings.
“Through funding from organisations like HES we can continue to carry out the vital work we do and invest the time, care and expertise required in our buildings. Looking after over 100 places throughout the country means there’s no shortage of work to be done to care for and preserve the assets in our care.
“We are incredibly grateful to our supporters, donors, volunteers and members, who allow us to carry out our vital work and ensure we can continue to safeguard some of Scotland’s most important and valued historic buildings for generations to come.”
Susan O’Connor, Head of Grants at HES, (above, right)said: “I am delighted that our Partnership Fund will help to support the Trust’s ambitions.
“Scotland is home to a vast amount of heritage assets – from castles and palaces to historic houses – which are hugely important to communities up and down the country. We welcome the Trust’s efforts to explore new ways to understand and care for these places and I very much look forward to seeing the work unfold as the project progresses.”
For more information on the National Trust for Scotland, please visit: