National Lottery Grants for Heritage – £250,000 to £5million
We are investing in plans to enhance the town centre and strengthen community identity through restoring valued heritage assets – providing benefits for residents and visitors.
The town’s heritage stretches back to 1328, when Robert the Bruce held court in what was then a small fishing village. The arrival of the railway in the 1850s transformed Girvan into a popular destination for holidaymakers and day visitors from central Scotland and beyond. The project will upgrade public spaces and target conservation work to bring a renewed focus on the town’s traditional tourist trade.
Target sites for restoration, prioritised in consultation with the community, are:
- The McKechnie Institute
- Knockcushan Street Town Hall Tower, known as Stumpy Jail
- a former bank on Dalrymple Street
- the historic Stair Park Bandstand
Alongside investment in the built heritage, the project will also drive a community programme of traditional building skills training. This will open up new career paths for young people and many opportunities for everyone to get involved – including a craft tool library, a heritage mural trail and a community textile project.
Gail McMaster, Project Co-ordinator at Girvan Youth Trust said: “Girvan’s Story’s traditional skills activities have already raised awareness of, and sparked interest in, traditional trades amongst our young people. By equipping locals with the skills and training to maintain and protect Girvan's built heritage we can encourage them to stay, work and see a future for themselves here. We are excited to see what the continued partnership between Girvan’s Story and Girvan Youth Trust can achieve!”
Curious to find out more about our investment in place-based heritage? Take a look at our Heritage Places programme to see how we’re investing £200million across the UK over the next decade.
