The funding comes from National Lottery Heritage Fund Scotland and Historic Environment Scotland which both granted £1,138,090, It will be added to the £2.1M earmarked by the Council, along with a further £975,000 contribution from building owners for the Silver City Heritage and Place Programme which is part of the local authority’s 20-year City Centre and Beach Master Plan.

Councillor Alex McLellan, the council’s Finance and Resources Committee convener, said: “I’m delighted that National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic Environment Scotland are making such a significant financial contribution to our transformative plans for the Castlegate and surrounding area.

“The total of £5.4m for the Silver City Heritage and Place Programme will help deliver capital investment in historic buildings, public realm and green spaces in parallel with community heritage activities and traditional skills training.

“We will offer building repair grants to owners of historic buildings, to support the repair of historic fabric, including the threats to heritage resulting from climate change. In addition to helping repair buildings of historic significance that provide community and visitor activities, we will also prioritise shopfront grants to improve the frontages along the length of Justice Street and support a number of Priority Projects that provide community benefit.”

Caroline Clark, The National Lottery Heritage Fund director for Scotland, added: “Heritage sits at the heart of Aberdeen’s identity, underpinning its character and values. Heritage connects people, cultures and communities to a place, supports cohesive and sustainable economic regeneration and boosts local economy through skills, tourism and a genuine pride in place.

“Thanks to National Lottery players we have already supported the development of the heritage-led regeneration plan for Aberdeen Silver City. We are delighted to now confirm up to £1,138,090 that will support putting that plan into action.  

“Through projects such as Aberdeen Silver City we aim to help drive heritage and community focused regeneration right across Scotland. As well as supporting repairs and restoration of our historic towns and cities, Heritage Fund support drives meaningful engagement with local people and the places they value, delivering long-term, sustainable improvements based on the heritage they cherish.”

Dr Susan O’Connor, head of grants at Historic Environment Scotland, commented: “With the right investment, our historic environment can be a rich and vibrant place to live, conduct business, and spend time with your community. The Silver City Heritage and Place Programme will empower the community of eastern Aberdeen to repair historic buildings by providing grants and training in the traditional skills that are so important for our heritage, as well as investing into the green space and public places that bring people together.

“We are proud to support this ambitious programme and look forward to seeing the project develop.”

Other areas benefiting from programme funding include public ream and green spaces grants for the historic courts off the north of Castle Street, which will complement the capital buildings grants for Peacock’s printworks and Seabury House. The courts will benefit from a public realm project which will include letter cutting into the stone and the installation of tactile artwork, celebrating the history of the area and a new sensory garden and community growing space will be created.

A new community garden, developed with the local community and third sector organisations, will transform a large area of underutilised greenspace in Castlehill into a new community garden, and there will be an employability training project to repair the old bastion walls. 

In addition the Silver City Heritage and Place Programme will include a series of heritage activities, that aim to place the community at the heart of celebrating the unique heritage of the eastern city centre, as well as an ambitious traditional skills training plan that aims to address the challenges posed by skills shortages in the region.