The new funding will deliver a breadth of benefits: saving significant built heritage, revitalising high streets, improving shopfronts, creating sustainable tourism opportunities and increasing heritage skills.

A place of rich social, cultural and architectural heritage, filled with memories for generations of Glaswegians, Sauchiehall Street: Culture and Heritage District has been awarded £2.3m. This is part of a long-term National Lottery-funded programme Heritage Places, which is supporting the vital role of heritage in making local areas better places to live, work and visit across the UK.

This is the second phase of funding to Sauchiehall Street from the Heritage Fund, with initial support of £350,000 awarded in 2024 to develop plans for the Sauchiehall Street: Culture and Heritage District.

The Street is internationally famed for its history of entertainment, music, theatre, retail, socialising and built heritage. This investment will preserve the historic McLellan Galleries, one of Glasgow’s earliest purpose-built gallery spaces and a key cultural landmark of Sauchiehall Street.

It will enable new and creative uses of the Galleries with The Scottish Ensemble as one of three cultural partners already committed to using the new flexible space alongside Glasgow Film and youth charity Articulate.

Other creative heritage initiatives will thread through Sauchiehall Street, restoring the Victorian Cameron Memorial Fountain, exploring housing and greenspace opportunities, buildings improvement programme, artist residencies and community archiving alongside a community grants scheme.

The National Lottery funding is also supporting heritage regeneration at the heart of three town centres creating vibrant, sustainable places that celebrate history and share their unique stories, while building opportunities for now and future generations.

Airdrie

The town of Airdrie has received £1.4m. Central to the project is the restoration and redevelopment of the historic Airdrie Library – Scotland’s first library under the Public Libraries Act and home to the UK’s smallest public observatory. A shopfront improvement scheme will also boost the town centre.

Girvan

Girvan has received £2.5m. With a rich history of weaving, shoemaking, fishing, and boat building, the town is set to benefit from a series of heritage led- projects to restore pride and vibrancy to this historic coastal town.

These include Stair Park Bandstand, the iconic Stumpy Jail steeple, the former Dalrymple Street Bank and McKechnie Institute - Girvan’s cultural hub and home to its museum and gallery. The investment will improve accessibility, enhance biodiversity, and increase local heritage learning and skills.

Tarbert

Tarbert Heritage Regeneration Scheme, Argyll and Bute have received £850,000. Plans include returning 10 vacant properties to residential use, repairing historic fishermen’s store buildings on the quayside, restoring shopfronts and delivering community heritage events and traditional skills training for young people. There will also be a programme of community events celebrating the rich heritage and traditions of the town.

Eilish McGuinness, chief executive, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “This marks an exciting moment, with fantastic investments in places that connect communities with their heritage gems. From Glasgow’s iconic Sauchiehall Street, a place woven into decades of shared memories, to transforming the oldest public library in Scotland to celebrate the stories, people and places that shape us.

“Understanding how communities feel about their heritage is vital to meaningful regeneration, and we’re proud to invest in four exceptional places where historic buildings will be restored and repurposed for everyone to enjoy, now and for generations.

“Thanks to National Lottery players over the last 30 years, we’ve invested over £1bn in 5,100 projects in Scotland ensuring heritage is valued, cared for and sustained. These projects will boost wellbeing, create learning opportunities for young people and make heritage a powerful driver of local pride and prosperity.”