PLANS to revamp Elgin’s historic Grant Lodge have taken a step forward thanks to new support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Moray Council has been awarded £212,427 to develop detailed proposals for the building, which has been empty for more than 20 years. The funding will allow the council and partners to progress designs, carry out specialist surveys, consult with the community, and prepare a full business case for its future.
Grant Lodge, built in the 1760s by celebrated Scottish architect Robert Adam, is a well‑known landmark in Cooper Park and an important part of Moray’s heritage. The project aims to transform the building into Grant Lodge: Gateway to Moray – a new hub for heritage, tourism, and learning that will celebrate the area’s culture, stories, and identity.
The redevelopment of Grant Lodge is a key element of the cultural quarter, one of the major projects within the Moray Growth Deal. The cultural quarter aims to bring new life and activity to the town centre by improving key cultural assets, creating new visitor attractions, and supporting more opportunities for creativity, learning and events benefitting the wider Moray community.
The National Lottery funding enables the project to move into an important development phase. Over the coming months, Moray Council will carry out architectural and conservation design work; undertake building and structural surveys; work with heritage specialists, tourism partners and local community groups; develop activity plans and interpretation proposals; prepare the detailed business case required for the next stage of funding; and continue engagement with residents on how Grant Lodge can best serve the community.
Once this development phase is complete, the council will submit an application to The National Lottery Heritage Fund for the capital funding required to restore and reopen the building, it added.
Councillor Marc Macrae, chair of Moray Council’s economic development and infrastructure services committee, said, “Securing this support for Grant Lodge marks a significant milestone in our ambition to protect and celebrate Moray’s heritage. Grant Lodge is an iconic building with a remarkable history, and for too long it has stood unused.
“This funding allows us to take an important step toward transforming it into a vibrant gateway to Moray, one that tells our story, supports tourism and creates a space the whole community can be proud of. I’m delighted to see this progress and grateful to The National Lottery Heritage Fund for recognising the potential of this project within the wider Moray Growth Deal.”
Caroline Clark, The National Lottery Heritage fund director for Scotland, added, “To date the Heritage Fund has invested more than £60 million in projects across Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray and we are delighted to add to that total with our support for these three projects.
“The Heritage Fund’s investment in the region has benefitted communities, tourism and the wider local economy. Creating opportunities for people of all ages to volunteer, to learn and train, and to get involved in heritage.
“Our investment will not only support new uses for these buildings it will help deliver the care they need to have a bright future as assets for the whole community.”
