Lodge appeal

THE ORGANISATION behind a multi million pound heritage project on the Shetland isle of Fetlar is appealing for sponsors to help achieve its ambitions.

The Brough Lodge Trust has already spent more than £500,000 on restoring the 19th century gothic mansion to its former glory, but need an extra £2.8 million to see the job through to completion.

The plan is to turn A-listed Brough Lodge into a site for residential heritage workshops and exhibitions, boosting the small island’s economy by attracting wealthy people.

Trust chairman Pierre Cambillard said they had already spent most of the original £417,000 grant from Historic Scotland, Shetland Islands Council and Shetland Amenity Trust.

An extra £97,000 had to be invested by Historic Scotland to repair cracks that opened up when the building started to dry out after restoration work had started.

Cambillard said the work carried out so far was the minimum to maintain the structure in reasonable condition.

He hopes that now the building has been secured it will prove easier to attract a major public or private sponsor to complete the restoration, after whom the building could be named.

Smaller local donations could assist towards doing up some of the adjoining buildings, he added.

“I believe that, despite the recession, it will be possible to secure financial support for the original plan to restore the site as a residential heritage centre,” he said.

“In the meantime, however, we would be delighted to receive donations from local people and Shetland businesses to help with the next step.

“I’m confident that investing in Shetland’s heritage in this way will benefit the whole community.

“In restoring assets of this kind, we don’t just preserve the past; we also increase the attractiveness of our islands to visitors and help preserve or develop local skills, which is essential if the economy is to be diverse and prosperous.

“I would ask people to consider making whatever donation they can afford.”

More details about the project and where to donate can be found at the trust’s website www.broughlodge.org.