Handover of Brora old schoolhouse and £1m investment
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The Old Schoolhouse in Brora is set to be given a new lease of life, thanks to a £1 million investment from energy giant SSE.
While developing Gordonbush wind farm, SSE purchased the Old Schoolhouse and its grounds to allow large components to be delivered safely off the A9 to the 35-turbine wind farm, eight miles away.
And yesterday, SSE honoured their commitment to give the site to Clyne Heritage Society, along with the investment of £1 million to help the society restore the building.
The money will be used by the heritage society to transform the Old Schoolhouse into a heritage museum, complete with coffee shop, offering a place for locals and tourists alike to find out more about the history of the area.
Rod Crawford, SSE’s project manager,who handed over the keys to the heritage society, said: “The Old Schoolhouse played an important role in our development of Gordonbush wind farm as it enabled our vehicles to turn from the A9 onto a small side road and now we are thrilled to be able to play an incredibly important role in the restoration of the site and create a lasting legacy for the area.
“We hope that our donation of
£1 million will allow Clyne Heritage Society to create a community hub that will bring the history of the area to life for the locals and tourists in the area.”
Dr Nick Lindsay, chairman of Clyne Heritage Society, said: “The society is just delighted and very grateful to receive this £1 million from SSE, which has been a long time in negotiation, but has now arrived.
“I was always confident though, that through the excellent relationship which we established at an early stage with Rod Crawford, we would eventually see this momentous day.
“We are 20 years old this month – what a brilliant birthday present!
“With this £1 million, the society is in an extremely strong position to be able to go to funders, for any shortfall, once we have fully costed the renovation and fitting-out project.
“With our track record of increasing footfall and heritage awareness at the Brora Heritage Centre for the past two years, we now have a really good understanding of how to deliver a first-class heritage service, from what will be a purpose-designed facility, excellently situated on the A9.”
