Boost for Brough Lodge

BROUGH Lodge in Fetlar is to receive over £460,000 for the next stage of renovations to turn it into a residential heritage centre.

The historic Gothic mansion is being transformed into a “mixed-use commercial venue” bringing people to the island for arts and environmental courses and retreats, and will also offer short-stay holiday accommodation.

Historic Scotland, which has approved a second batch of funding for the project as part of its building repair grants scheme, described Brough Lodge as “Shetland’s most unusual building” with Moorish influences.

It is one of many projects the length of Scotland to benefit from the £1.7 million funding pot.

Martin Ross of Historic Scotland, which previously contributed £149,000 towards the £380,000 cost of the project’s first phase, said: “The first batch [of funding] was to get the building to a basic wind and watertight condition so that they were not in danger any more, and this second part is actually to get the thing up and running as a business.”

Brough Lodge Trust’s Pierre Cambillard said the funding would help complete the second phase of restoring the building.

Cambillard added that the trust was “extremely pleased” to have attracted funding from Historic Scotland: “Brough Lodge played a huge role in Fetlar’s past; this grant well help secure its role in Fetlar’s future.”

“The restoration project will create around six jobs, bring more tourists to the island and will offer local people – including school pupils – the opportunity to experience a wide range of activities guided by acknowledged local experts,” he said.