Over the past 30 years we\u2019ve supported 5,000 projects and to celebrate this \u00a31bn milestone the Lottery is highlighting a small selection of our favourite projects over three decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
The National Heritage Memorial Fund writes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To celebrate this \u00a31bn milestone, we\u2019re highlighting just a small selection of our favourite projects that show the breadth of our investment in Scotland\u2019s heritage over three decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Helping historic habitats<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Mar Lodge is 29,000 hectares of some of the most remote and scenic land in Scotland, with a broad range of habitats typical of the Highland landscape. In 1995, we awarded National Trust Scotland \u00a310million to purchase and conserve the land, which was at risk. Mar Lodge now has a 200-year preservation and biodiversity plan to restore woodland and embed traditional conservation skills locally. In 2017, it was awarded National Nature Reserve status and today welcomes hiking and nature enthusiasts from around the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Telling Scotland\u2019s global story<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2016, the National Museum of Scotland opened 10 new galleries showcasing science, technology, art, design and fashion. Our \u00a35m funding supported the transformation and broadened access to the museum\u2019s collection. Three-quarters of the 3,000+ objects now on display \u2013 including the world\u2019s first bionic arm and world famous Dolly the sheep \u2013 had not been seen by the public for at least a generation. Almost a decade on, it remains one of the most visited museums in the UK outside London.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Remembering past generations<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Scapa Flow, in Orkney, is one of the world’s largest natural harbours and was used as a Royal Naval base during the First and Second World Wars. The Visitor Centre and Museum, created in 1990, tells the story of the thousands of service personnel stationed there over the years and the operations which took place in the area. The Scapa Flow Museum, with an older structure of white warehouse spaces to the left, connected to a contemporary, single-storey expansion to the right, with a new entrance and caf\u00e9 visible. Our 2014 funding \u2013 totalling \u00a31.1m \u2013 supported the development of a new building to house displays, a shop and caf\u00e9 and accessible facilities, enabling the museum to attract more visitors and increase its organisational sustainability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Transforming Glasgow\u2019s riverside<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n One of our largest grants in Scotland \u2013 \u00a321.6m \u2013 supported the creation of a new Riverside Museum on the banks of the Clyde. The project involved relocating Glasgow\u2019s Museum of Transport to a new Zaha Hadid-designed building and extending the acclaimed Glasgow Museums Resource Centre, providing high-quality public access to Glasgow\u2019s civic collection. Since opening in 2011, the Riverside has been awarded 2013 European Museum of the Year and become a popular feature of Glasgow\u2019s cultural scene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Celebrating the life and impact of Robert Burns<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2007, our support of \u00a35.8m helped create the Burns Birthplace Museum, linking the Burns monument, Auld Kirk, Brig o Doon and the cottage where Burns was born with a new 1,600m2 museum and education pavilion. It was awarded five-star Visitor Attraction status in record time and has received numerous architecture and design awards. In 2020, we further supported Ellisland Farm, which Burns built and where he wrote some of his best-known works, including Auld Land Syne.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Revitalising wildlife<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Our \u00a31.67m grant supported a pioneering conservation scheme that\u2019s revitalised the golden eagle population in Dumfries and Galloway and Scottish Borders. The team from the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project pose with a Golden Eagle. The team from the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project pose with one of their feathered friends. Credit: Phil Wilkinson\/National Lottery. Through a series of ground-breaking species relocations, the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project has seen numbers grow from just three breeding pairs in 2018 to a current population of more than 39 \u2013 the highest number recorded in 300 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Supporting a city of culture<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Dundee is a great example of the place-wide impact our investment can deliver. In 2018, the V&A Dundee opened, attracting 100,000 art fans to the city in less than a month. Our funding made this important development possible. To date, we\u2019ve awarded \u00a331.8m worth of grants in Dundee, including to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 restore the historic ship RRS Discovery<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 showcase the city\u2019s industrial heritage at Verdant Works<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 save the beautiful McManus Galleries<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 transform the popular Baxter Park<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most recently, we invested \u00a3800,000 in HMS Unicorn: Project Safe Haven, which will safeguard and celebrate one of the most significant surviving wooden ships of the 19th century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Protecting ancient history for future generations<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Five thousand years ago ancient Hebrideans erected the Calanais Stones on the Isle of Lewis. Now they attract ever increasing numbers of visitors from around the world. In 2023, we awarded nearly \u00a33m to support major improvements at the site, including building a visitor centre and improving accessibility and interpretation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n