AN anonymous donation of £625,000 has provided a major boost for one of Scotland’s most ambitious cultural heritage projects.
The National Trust for Scotland received the donation for its Mackintosh Illuminated project ahead of Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s birthday on June 7.
Mackintosh Illuminated is a major conservation, engagement, and fundraising project centred around two publicly accessible Mackintosh sites – The Hill House in Helensburgh and The Mackintosh Tearooms on Glasgow’s Sauchiehall Street.
The project also seeks to deepen public understanding of his wife, Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh, and their immense artistic contribution, creative partnership and influence that helped shape the Glasgow style.
The donation represents one of the largest private gifts ever received by the National Trust for Scotland and the largest received by the project to date – arriving at a ‘pivotal moment’ in the Mackintosh Illuminated journey, as development work continues across conservation, interpretation, audience engagement and long-term sustainability planning.
Initial support for the project was received from The National Lottery Heritage Fund in late 2024, awarding £1.1 million in development funding towards the wider £20 million goal. The trust has now entered a crucial fundraising phase to help secure the future of the project ahead of the landmark year of 2028, which marks 100 years since Mackintosh’s death.
National Trust for Scotland chief executive, Phil Long OBE, said, “This gift is so appreciated by all of us at the National Trust for Scotland, and indeed, everyone who has an affection for Mackintosh.
“Building on the support of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, we have ambitious plans to shine a light on the work of Mackintosh and Macdonald, to continue our pioneering conservation work at the stunning Hill House and to bring all of this to people in Scotland and beyond.
“As an independent charity, donations are vital to making this work possible and we hope that we can inspire others to support our Mackintosh Illuminated appeal.”
The announcement comes during a period of growing international interest in Mackintosh’s legacy, with renewed focus on the conservation of the Hill House following the ongoing pioneering work to remove damaging moisture from the building beneath its protective original roughcast.
At The Mackintosh Tearooms on Sauchiehall Street, housed within Catherine Cranston’s original building where she commissioned Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Margaret Macdonald to create and design their celebrated interiors, work is also underway to strengthen interpretation, visitor engagement, and future programming.
These developments will help position the Tearooms as a key cultural destination within the ongoing regeneration of Sauchiehall Street and Glasgow city centre. The trust said it hopes the announcement will encourage further philanthropic support, partnerships and public engagement as the project progresses towards its next major milestones.
Ali MacLeod, head of fundraising at the National Trust for Scotland, added, “We are deeply grateful for this extraordinary leadership gift, which shines a powerful light on the lasting importance of Mackintosh and Macdonald’s creative legacy. It is through the generosity of donors like this that we can safeguard these remarkable places and stories, while inspiring the designers, artists and makers of today and tomorrow.
“Every gift, no matter the size, adds to something bigger – helping us reveal new layers of Scotland’s globally celebrated creativity. This is a shared endeavour, and we warmly invite others to be part of this exciting journey to protect, celebrate and reimagine this legacy for future generations.”
