New funding will see the Johnston School building in Kirkcudbright transformed, Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing has announced.
The former school building, which is currently lying empty, will be transformed into a Dark Skies Visitor Centre and Planetarium. The building will also include a child care facility, a youth activity centre and commercial premises for local business start-ups – as a result of £300,000 investment from the South of Scotland Economic Partnership. Meanwhile a new training programme for community leaders in the South of Scotland will drive tourism projects across the area with £30,000 of SOSEP funding.
The new funding announcements are part of a range of measures being supported by the Scottish Government through the SOSEP to enhance the region’s economy by enabling better access to training opportunities, supporting entrepreneurship and furthering tourism activity.
Mr Ewing said:
“The Scottish Government is committed to developing the South of Scotland’s economy to its full potential. These investments will create jobs, support existing businesses and act as catalysts for wider regional regeneration.
“The Johnston School investment will revitalise an iconic listed building whilst introducing an important new visitor experience to the town, thus boosting tourism, creating jobs and supporting existing businesses. Tourism plays an important role in the economy of the South of Scotland and our investment in training for community leaders alongside this will give others the capacity and confidence to drive projects like this to generate income for local people.
“The work of SOSEP, the establishment of South of Scotland Enterprise and the £85 million we are investing in the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal will enable us to continue to deliver for the South of Scotland and all the people who live there.”
Professor Russel Griggs said:
“This latest funding announcement is exciting news for Kirkcudbright and is a further example of the work underway to support and develop projects which will deliver long-term social and economic benefits to communities in the South of Scotland.
“We need to be ambitious about our area to ensure we fulfil our potential and through the South of Scotland Economic Partnership we are able to invest in and develop those opportunities that will provide the impetus to make the south of Scotland the thriving economy we know it can be.
“This investment is great news for Kirkcudbright, a project that not only celebrates the region’s reputation for dark skies but which will have a lasting impact on the region as a whole.”
Background
The projects will help local communities to capitalise on business opportunities offered by the region’s growing popularity as a tourist destination, as part of a broader Scottish Government strategy to reinvigorate the South of Scotland’s economy and were recommended for support by the South of Scotland Economic Partnership (SOSEP).
