Owners blocking historic buildings rescue bids

OWNERS of Scotland’s most threatened heritage are blocking attempts to rescue historic buildings from ruin, conservationists have claimed.

A report on the state of the country’s crumbling architecture published yesterday has highlighted the lack of co-operation from owners as the biggest obstacle to saving derelict properties.

The Scottish Civic Trust (SCT) said people who wanted to restore historic buildings were being rebuffed by owners seeking unrealistically high prices. The trust’s Buildings at Risk bulletin lists some of the most endangered among 1,300 properties on file, with a further 300 still to be checked.

They include more than 170 A-listed buildings, or one in 20 of Scotland’s most architecturally-important structures.

Among them are castles and mansions, churches, cinemas, and hospital buildings.

Jane Nelson, the SCT's buildings at risk officer, said only a quarter of the owners of buildings on the register were willing to sell or lease their properties, and the availability of almost half of the others was unknown.

She said: "By far the biggest problem faced by any would-be restorers is the fact property owners are unwilling to part with the property."

Ms Nelson said these included the derelict A-listed Balintore Castle, near Kirriemuir in Angus, where several attempts at purchase had been rejected in the past. There were also difficulties at Charleton House in Montrose, Balthayock House, at Kinfauns, near Perth, and at a former United Presbyterian church in Edinburgh.

Peter Hewkin, who spent 600,000 rescuing Craigrownie Castle, near Helensburgh, said his attempts to buy another ruin to restore had been rejected by ten owners.

He said: "There should be a compulsory purchase by a local authority as a test case to get owners to take notice."

Stuart Crawford, from the Historic Houses Association, said: "There are bad apples in every barrel, but there is also a lack of government funding for repairs."