Published: Tuesday, 22nd December, 2009 10:00am

Council agrees to funding package for Abbotsford House

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SCOTTISH Borders Council (SBC) has agreed to provide £1.5 million in funding over three years to help secure the future of Abbotsford House as a major tourist attraction for the Borders.

The Abbotsford Estate is managed by the Abbotsford Trust - a registered charity which owns the house, 100 acres of garden and ground and the house's contents.

The trust successfully applied for a Heritage Lottery Fund grant last year. They are now aiming for stage two of that funding, but need to have match-funding in place before this can be done.

The funding package agreed at the full Council meeting last week will allow that bid and the wider planned project to go ahead.

The Abbotsford Project has been designed to provide the Scottish Borders and Scotland with a new world-class cultural heritage asset and tourist destination. The project has been developed to act as a catalyst for the economic development of the Scottish Borders.

The current condition of the house reflects years of under-investment and the visitor experience has declined in quality over recent decades - with a corresponding decline in visitor numbers and income.

The project has been put together to allow for conservation work and repairs to the house itself and landscaping of the grounds but the visitor experience will also be improved through interpretive measures, educational facilities and improved access, to ensure that the project looks at the complete assets of the trust - not just cosmetic repairs.

Councillors heard that Abbotsford is currently underperforming as a visitor attraction and that the project will give it the opportunity to maximise its potential.

The total project cost is £10 million and SBC will be providing 15 per cent of that total, by borrowing the required funds.

Council Leader David Parker said: "The contribution of Sir Walter Scott to Scottish literature and in raising Scotland's profile on a worldwide basis is immense. So it is absolutely right that Scottish Borders Council contributes to a funding package that will put his former home firmly back on the map. I am delighted to support these proposals.

"The £10 million Abbotsford project will bring a much-welcomed boost to the Borders economy and whilst the project is being developed there will be opportunities for local firms to be involved in the project's construction. More importantly though, the Abbotsford project will leave a long-term economic legacy in terms of providing the Borders with a world class tourist destination facility that will significantly support the Borders economy for many years to come."