Nearly 4 million pounds awarded to revitalise Girvan, Govan, and Tarbert announced

Historic Environment Scotland announces funding to conserve and regenerate historic areas including Govan Graving Docks.

Article Source: Historic Environment Scotland
Last Updated: 11 March 2026 8:43

Image: Archival image of Govan Graving Docks, Glasgow / Credit: HES

Historic Environment Scotland (HES) has announced almost £4 million in funding to support revitalisation of Girvan (£1,473,576), Govan (£1,500,000) and Tarbert (£999,997) through its Heritage and Place Programme.

The funding supports the delivery phase of three area-based schemes that, working closely with the local community, will improve the condition of their built heritage and help tell their story to locals and visitors alike. These areas will also benefit from additional investment recently awarded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The Heritage and Place Programme supports the development of vibrant and sustainable places across Scotland by investing in the repair and reuse of historic buildings, strengthen local traditional skills through training, and placing heritage at the heart of place-making.

Glasgow City Council’s ‘Govan Heritage’ scheme, focuses on the Govan Conservation Area and the A-listed Graving Docks (including the iconic Pumphouse), building on the success of the Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (CARS) completed in 2025.

The scheme aims to provide funding to bring back to life buildings with a deep local connection, such as the long-vacant Lyceum Cinema. The A-listed Govan Old Church, considered the area’s most important historic building, will also be revitalised to better showcase the 9th century Govan Stones.

The scheme aims to create a virtuous cycle of improvement for the local community by creating income-generating, community-owned assets to support further investment and long-term growth. Community heritage activities, first launched during the development phase, will continue, working with the regeneration of buildings to establish a long-lasting legacy of sustainability.

‘Girvan’s Story’, led by South Ayrshire Council, will bring Girvan’s story to life through place, people and experience. Girvan has a rich history when it comes to traditional skills; weaving, shoemaking, fishing and boatbuilding have all been key practices in the town, shaped in part with its connection to the island of Ailsa Craig. The story of these skills will be told, while training for other traditional skills such as stonemasonry, joinery and lime-based plastering will be taking place. Local training providers and contractors will provide pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship opportunities, and accredited short courses and workshops, as well as practical training during capital works. A partnership with Girvan Academy will give school pupils the opportunity to visit sites, see traditional skills in action, and try their hand at them in taster sessions.

The Tarbert Heritage Regeneration Scheme, led by Argyll and Bute Council, highlights how Tarbert, as a coastal village, is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and must be supported to manage this sustainably. Increased rainfall and more frequent extreme weather events mean that caring for the village’s buildings and landmarks, particularly the historic harbour, needs to happen more frequently and can be more expensive.

The scheme will conserve buildings and storefronts, facilitate heritage-related community activities, and deliver training for homeowners and professional contractors, expanding the availability of traditional skills locally. HES’s funding allows Tarbert to increase the frequency of its maintenance cycles and up-skill its workforce and safeguard its built heritage.

Dr Susan O’Connor, Head of Grants at Historic Environment Scotland, said: “Our Heritage and Place Programme is one of the key ways community-led regeneration of Scotland’s historic environment can take place. The programmes in Tarbert, Govan and Girvan all have traits in common, as they focus on revitalising historic buildings in disrepair, but they are also tailored to their unique history and community – from Girvan’s past of traditional skills, to Govan’s iconic Pumphouse, to Tarbert’s fishing heritage.

“We are proud to invest in the people and places that make Scotland’s historic environment so distinctive. The regeneration of these areas will help ensure they continue to evolve in ways that reflect what the community want and need – creating sustainable places to live and work, surrounded by their unique historical context.”

Councillor Ruairi Kelly, Convener for Built Heritage, Development and Land Use at Glasgow City Council, said: “The ongoing and successful regeneration of Govan over the past decade was led by investment into the improvement of the area’s outstanding built heritage. This new investment will build on this success, and other recent developments such as the Govan-Partick Bridge and the work to transform the Govan Graving Docks, and further drive Govan’s regeneration.”

Councillor Alec Clark, Depute Leader and Policy Lead for Commercial/Operational Services whose remit covers tourism for South Ayrshire Council, said: “This is great news! The funding of over £1.4m from Historic Environment Scotland means the Girvan’s Story Project is now a reality. Together with a significant contribution from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, we can now continue working with the local community to protect Girvan’s landmark buildings and ensure traditional skills are not only retained but become key employment opportunities.”

Leader of Argyll and Bute Council, Councillor Jim Lynch, Policy Lead for Economic Development, Housing, Islands and Communities, said: “I am delighted that we have been successful in securing this funding from Historic Environment Scotland. Tarbert is known and loved as one of our most vibrant, coastal communities and like many of these communities, made more vulnerable by climate change. This funding will support local homeowners and tradespeople to develop the skills and knowledge to conserve and safeguard its heritage. We are planning a range of activities to bring the community together and increase the village’s appeal for both residents and visitors.

“I look forward to seeing this project bring lasting benefits for people across the area - now and for future generations.”

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