Levelling Up Scotland: £122 million given to 'transform' Scotland's towns and rural services

The investment comes as part of the UK Government’s announcement to give £1 billion to 55 projects across Britain.

Ayrshire is to receive a £37 million investment to improve its towns, transport and rural services as part of a new multi-million pound funding injection for Scotland.

The money will go towards developing new commercial buildings, better cycling and walking routes and more electric vehicle [EV] charge points.

The investment comes as part of the UK Government’s announcement to give £1 billion to 55 projects across Britain as part of its Levelling Up fund.

Ayr is best known for its miles of sandy beaches and ancient harbour. Better cycling and walking routes and more electric vehicle charge points will be funded across North and South Ayrshire thanks to a new round of UK Government grants. Picture: Shutterstock

Scotland will receive a total of £122m from this fund, which will be split between six regions in total.

The new funding announcement is in addition to the £343m already awarded to Scotland in previous funding rounds, bringing the country’s total Levelling Up Fund to £465m.

Other areas to benefit under the latest funding round include Moray, South Lanarkshire, Glasgow, Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders.

More than £22.8m will go towards renovating historic buildings in Annan and Peebles and to improve cycling and walking routes along the Clydesdale Way.

Some £18m will be injected into Elgin in Moray – in the heart of the seat held by Scottish Tories leader Douglas Ross – to develop the town’s centre.

Glasgow City Council will receive almost £15m to invest in Drumchapel town centre, improving connectivity into and around the town and to encourage more retail opportunities to boost the local economy.

South Lanarkshire will see an injection of £14.6m to regenerate the Shawfield National Business District to prepare the site for future development, as well as the nearby Polmadie Burn, so the Glasgow Riverside Innovation District Campus can be relocated there.

And £13.7m will also be invested to improve transport connectivity in Dumfries and Galloway, including new EV charging for cars, electric buses, improvements to walking and cycling routes, and new transport hubs in five towns in the region.

Levelling Up projects already underway include a £16m investment in the restoration of Edinburgh’s Granton gasholder. The historic structure is at the heart of wider plans to regenerate the whole Granton waterfront area.

Some £20m has also been given towards construction work along the River Ness to improve sustainability and tourism in Inverness. It involves three projects, which will create a new Castle Energy Centre in Castle Street, refurbish and preserve the Victorian grandstand in Northern Meeting Park and improve sporting and events infrastructure at Bught Park’s grandstand.

Scottish secretary Alister Jack hailed the funding allocations made north of the border as “fantastic news”, adding: “Sharing £122m in UK Government funding, they [these grants] will transform communities through improvements such as better, greener transport infrastructure and connectivity, regeneration of buildings and land, and creation of education, business and employment opportunities.

"Our levelling up commitment to communities across Scotland so far stands at almost £2.7bn. We are focused on working with local partners to deliver the change that the country needs to put the UK on the right path for the future."

Levelling Up secretary Michael Gove said: “Levelling Up means delivering local’s people’s priorities and bringing transformational change in communities that have, for too long, been overlooked and undervalued.”