Heritage fund awards £2.5m to preserve four historic sites in Girvan

The National Lottery Heritage Fund is providing more than £2.5m to conserve four historic buildings in Girvan — the McKechnie Institute and Museum, Stumpy Jail, a former Dalrymple Street bank and the Stair Park Bandstand — as part of the community-led 'Girvan's Story' project.

Four historic buildings in Girvan will receive a National Lottery Heritage Fund award of just over £2.5m to support conservation and town-centre placemaking. The funding is part of a community-led programme called Girvan's Story, which followed local consultation and aims to restore and repurpose valued heritage assets. The announcement notes Girvan's long history, including ties back to 1328 and growth after the arrival of the railway in the 1850s. The work is intended to upgrade public spaces and to help refocus the town's traditional visitor trade. Project details: - The grant covers four named sites: the McKechnie Institute and Museum, Stumpy Jail, a former bank on Dalrymple Street and the Stair Park Bandstand. - Stumpy Jail (completed 1827) is scheduled for steeple restoration, while the bandstand is planned to be refurbished to house a café and an events hub. - The category B-listed McKechnie Institute will receive improvement work to maintain its role as a cultural venue, and the former bank will undergo sympathetic restoration. - The programme includes a community strand offering traditional building skills training, a craft tool library, a heritage mural trail and a community textile project to involve residents and young people. Summary: The funding is intended to conserve historic buildings and to repurpose them for community and visitor use, while also supporting skills development locally. Organisers say the projects grew from community consultation and that further updates will be shared as the regeneration work progresses.