Dalmuir Park in West Dunbartonshire has been awarded a confirmed grant¹ of £859,600 by HLF and initial support² has been given for the revitalisation of Belleisle Park, South Ayrshire. Both projects seek to upgrade park amenities and introduce a range of volunteering and training opportunities.

Dalmuir Park was established in 1906 from the former landscape of Dalmuir House to provide the local community with an essential green space in the industrial town. Built on a hill top, the park still reflects its 18th-century heritage: the fountain and former bandstand were constructed in 1907 and turned the park into the focal point of social activity including a number of political rallies between 1945 and 1963.

HLF’s grant will help restore and repair this historic park including the ornate Edwardian fountain and canopy, mature trees, duck pond and ornamental planting. It will also enable West Dunbartonshire Council to offer a range of training opportunities for the Friends Group including park management and volunteer development. Work placements and horticultural apprenticeships will also be made available. The Council have also shown their backing for the project by committing a further £600,000 towards ensuring the park improvements can be carried out to the highest possible standards.

Colin McLean, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Scotland, said: “We are very lucky in Scotland to have so many green spaces at our fingertips – Dalmuir Park is a fantastic example that is much-loved by the local community. We must not forget how much investment parks need and how many people work hard to keep them going. That’s why HLF are so passionate about continuing to champion our public parks. This investment will not only include physical changes but also get local people and volunteers involved and we know that this project will make a huge difference and transform this valuable park for everyone.”

Ronnie Dinnie, Head of Neighbourhood Services at West Dunbartonshire Council, said: “This is absolutely fantastic news and on behalf of the Council and particularly the residents of Clydebank I’d like to thank the Heritage Lottery Fund for their generous support. Dalmuir Park is an outstanding example of Edwardian park design and has a rich historical legacy. In recent decades the park has lost some of this original grandeur, but this grant has kickstarted a renovation project that will see £1.5 million invested into ensuring it is once again a source of pride to the local community and an attraction to visitors from further afield.”

Belleisle Park, South Ayrshire, has received initial support for a £1.5m funding bid. The figure includes £60,000 development funding which will be used to work up the details of the full project.

Belleisle Park was originally designed by Dr John Campbell of Wellwood, a local businessman who made his fortune in the coalmining and tobacco trade, and bought the estate in 1775. South Ayrshire Council aims to conserve the park’s remaining historic features such as the stable block, walled garden, lodge house and rockeries. The Friends Group will also support various volunteer training activities and public events.

Notes to editors

• HLF has invested over £500million in projects in Scotland.  
• The second-round pass award for Dalmuir Park is from the Parks for People programme which has a two-stage or two-round application process. The full grant has now been awarded following a successful second-round application from this park.  
• Belleisle Park has received a first-round pass which means the project meets our criteria for funding and we believe it has potential to deliver high-quality benefits and value for Lottery money. The application was in competition with other supportable projects, so a first-round pass is an endorsement of outline proposals. Having been awarded a first-round pass, the project now has up to two years to submit fully developed proposals to compete for a firm award.

Further information

For the Heritage Lottery Fund, please contact, Laura Bates, HLF Press Office, on 020 7591 6027.

Or contact West Dunbartonshire Council Land Services, Ian Bain, Parks Officer on 01389 608 405 or
ian.bain@west-dunbarton.gov.uk.