£1m to spruce up Scotland's historic attractions

A £1 million repair job will begin at properties owned by National Trust for Scotland.

More than £1 million will be spent on protecting Scotland’s built heritage – from a thatched roof at Culloden Battlefield to stonework at a castle first built in the 13th century.

National Trust for Scotland (NTS) has been awarded £1.06m from Historic Environment Scotland (HES) to carry out a round of repairs and conservation work at its properties.

Thatch repairs at Culloden and conservation of inset stonework at Fyvie Castle in Aberdeenshire are among the jobs to be carried out, along with a broad programme of maintenance at glasshouses, garden structures and walls across NTS properties.

Leanach Cottage at Culloden Battlefield. Thatched roof work is among the jobs to be included in the £1m repair programme at National Trust for Scotland.

The towerhouse at the House of Binns in West Lothian, the seat of the Dalyell family and former home of Tam Dalyell MP, which dates from the early 17th century, will also be repaired. Last year, the property’s lead roof was upgraded as part of a wider project to reopen the house to the public for the first time since the Covid pandemic.

Sarah MacKinnon, head of building conservation at NTS, said: “As set out in the trust’s ten-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.”

The award from HES’s Partnership Fund will also afford a “deeper understanding” of structures within NTS care. Technology will be used to create detailed assessments of the properties, with further investment due in training and skills to allow the charity to look after their assets into the future.

Recent priorities for repairs and maintenance have included major refurbishment of the large glasshouse at Malleny Garden on the outskirts of Edinburgh, home to four 100-year-old yew trees known as the Four Apostles and one of largest rose collections in Scotland. HES funded the work and will support the restoration of a second glasshouse.

Meanwhile, more than £100,000 has been spent on repairing the stonework at Falkland Palace, with conservation of the 17th-century painted ceilings at Crathes Castle in Aberdeenshire undertaken and limewashing of the exterior of 18th-century Balnain House in Inverness completed.

HES is also set to support a training programme for NTS staff in conservation and maintenance of the charity’s buildings.

Susan O’Connor, head of grants at HES, 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.”