An Iron Age home, Scotland’s oldest ship and a listed harbour are some of the community projects sharing almost £200,000 from Historic Environment Scotland (HES).
The £194,349 will be split between 18 projects as part of Scotland’s Year of Coast and Waters.
All the projects are community-based programmes to protect, promote or engage with Scotland’s coastal or waterway heritage.
The grants, from £3,000 to £20,000, have been awarded to projects that deliver benefits to the local community through outreach and educational activities, by making repairs to stabilise historic or marine structures and in developing traditional skills and increasing understanding of Scotland’s coasts and waters heritage.
One such project is the Scottish Crannog Centre in Perthshire, where a reconstruction of an Iron Age house sits on stilts at the edge of Loch Tay.
The project will be awarded £18,723 to help repair the walkway and decking surrounding the crannog, as well as creating an outreach project for local schools.
The Cromarty Harbour Trust in the Black Isle has been awarded £20,000 to improve the safety and access to the Smeaton Mole, which is the outer pier of the A-listed Cromarty harbour.
The Unicorn Preservation Society in Dundee has been awarded £19,045 to help preserve the UK’s oldest still afloat ship, the HMS Unicorn.
The funds will be used to create a structural modelling of the ship, which is at risk.
It will provide a way to test the resilience of the ship to the effects of climate change.
The project will also provide group sessions to develop educational material and improve access to the HMS Unicorn collection.
Come on in the water’s lovely 🌊 Next year, Scotland will celebrate its Coasts and Waters with a year-long programme of events and activities, making a huge splash about all that our waters have to offer 💦👏 #YCW2020 #ScotlandIsNow pic.twitter.com/93UZnmI5yl
— Scotland Is Now 🏴 (@Scotland) April 10, 2019
Amy Eastwood, head of grants at HES, said: “This funding will support a wide range of community outreach activities as well as crucial repairs to historic maritime structures, which not only encourages people to engage with our coastal and waterway heritage, but helps to ensure it is protected for future generations.
“These projects showcase the fantastic work that goes on within communities across the country to help to place a spotlight on Scotland’s diverse coastal heritage.”
Alex Paterson, chief executive of HES, said: “The Coasts and Waters Heritage Fund was launched to empower communities to protect, promote and engage with Scotland’s coastal and waterway heritage as well as adapting to the effects of current challenges such as climate change.
“I am confident that these projects will deliver significant benefits to local communities throughout Scotland.”
The full list of projects receiving funding are:
- Cromarty Harbour Trust, Highland: £20,000
- Urras nan Tursachan, Western Isles: £19,920
- The Unicorn Preservation Society, Dundee: £19,045
- The Whithorn Trust, Dumfries and Galloway: £19,000
- The Scottish Crannog Centre, Perth and Kinross: £18,723
- Climavore CIC, Highland: £13,816
- The Glasgow Canal Co-op, Glasgow: £13,416
- Seven Lochs Partnership, Glasgow: £13,250
- Kilcheran, Oban, Argyll: £9,250
- Portsoy Community Enterprise, Aberdeenshire: £8,625
- The Papay Development Trust, Orkney: £7,950
- Seafield Seafront Trust (SCIO), Shetland: £6,283
- Swan Trust, Shetland: £5,000
- Urras Sgire Oighreachd Bharabhais Community Company, Isle of Lewis, Western Isles: £5,000
- Room 8 Studio, East Lothian: £4,988
- Friends of St Ninian’s, Orkney: £4,083
- The Historic Assynt, Highland: £3,000
- Old Torry Community Centre Association SCIO, Aberdeen: £3,000
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