By Rory Reynolds
THE HISTORIC old town of Dalkeith is to receive millions of pounds in regeneration funds to restore its ancient buildings and boost tourism in the area.
The improvements will employ traditional building techniques to repair the historic buildings that stand in the town – including some dating back to the 13th century.
The £2.5million for the restoration project has been put forward by Historic Scotland, the Heritage Lottery Fund and Midlothian Council, along with several business groups.
The project will enable the town’s residents to see how buildings were constructed over 600 years ago.
And business owners based historic buildings will be able to apply for funding for towards restoration and repair of their building’s façade.
Those backing the initiative also hope that the move will boost the number of tourists to the Midlothian town.
Colin McLean, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund for Scotland is confident that the move will rejuvenate the old town.
He said: “Historic buildings tell the story of a town, they make it individual and unique, and the best way to save and maintain these wonderful sites is to get them back into use.
“The scheme is a great way of using heritage as a springboard for regeneration and investment. We want to maximise the use of Dalkeith’s heritage to help attract people and businesses back to the town.”
Councillor Russell Imrie added: “There are many attractive and high quality historic buildings in Dalkeith which can be brought back into good order.
“It’s great that under this award the owners of some of these buildings will be able to find out more about their importance and how to maintain them.
“This funding creates a fantastic opportunity to create a re-energised Dalkeith.”
Famous buildings in the town that may be eligible include the Corn Exchange and the Tollbooth.
