Scotland’s oldest ship, an A listed harbour and an iron age dwelling are all set to benefit from funding as part of Scotland’s Year of Coast and Waters.
Historic Environment Scotland (HES) has announced funding of £194,349 to 18 community-based projects to protect, promote or engage with Scotland’s coastal or waterway heritage as part of its Coast and Waters Heritage Fund.
Grants of £3,000 to £20,000 have been awarded to projects which deliver benefits to the local community through outreach and educational activities, repairs to stabilise historic or marine structures, developing traditional skills and increasing understanding of Scotland’s coasts and waters heritage.
The Collective Coast project, run by Climavore CIC, has been awarded £13,816 to work with intergenerational and marginalised groups to capture oral histories and develop recordings, a short film, an exhibition, a series of radio shows and a cookbook while The Papay Development Trust has been awarded £7,950 for their Restore the Shore project to engage the local community in coastal protection, restore and create local heritage assets and upskill a new generation of volunteers to ensure that valuable local knowledge is passed on.
Funding has also been awarded to projects which are developing and implementing measures to enhance resilience and adapt to climate change. This includes £20,000 which has been awarded to Cromarty Harbour Trust to improve the safety and access to the Smeaton Mole which is the outer pier of the A-listed Cromarty Harbour in the Highlands. £19,000 has also been awarded to The Whithorn Trust for a community archaeology project which will offer training workshops on lidar visualisation as well as analysis and interpretation to enhance understanding of coastal archaeology and help create a valuable resource for the management of sites affected by climate change.
There will also be hands-on activities to construct a traditional coracle and canoe and a travelling exhibition will be created to engage a wider audience in coastal and water-related heritage.
The Coasts and Waters Heritage Fund is a one-off competitive fund which launched in March to celebrate Scotland’s themed year.
Amy Eastwood, Head of Grants at HES, said: “We are pleased to support these 18 projects as part of our Coasts and Waters Heritage Fund. This funding will support a wide range of community outreach activities as well as crucial repairs to historic maritime structures which not only encourages people to engage with our coastal and waterway heritage but helps to ensure it is protected for future generations.
“From Dumfries and Galloway to the Highlands and Islands, these projects cover a wide geographical spread and showcase the fantastic work that goes on within communities across the country to harness, highlight and help to place a spotlight on Scotland’s diverse coastal heritage.”
Alex Paterson, Chief Executive of HES, said: “The Coasts and Waters Heritage Fund was launched to empower communities to protect, promote and engage with Scotland’s coastal and waterway heritage as well as adapting to the effects of current challenges such as climate change.
“What the range of projects have shown is that our coastal heritage is a fabric that runs through communities, both in terms of sense of place but also how it has shaped people’s lives as well as how coastal communities are continuing to adapt to the effects of current challenges such as climate change.”
