Natural and Cultural Heritage Fund (NCHF)

https://www.nature.scot/funding-and-projects/natural-and-cultural-heritage-fund-nchf

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE NATURAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE FUND IS NOW CLOSED

The Natural and Cultural Heritage Fund will encourage people to visit some of the more remote and rural areas and create and sustain jobs, businesses and services in local communities. The purpose of the fund is to promote and develop the outstanding natural and cultural heritage of the Highlands and Islands in a way that conserves and protects them.

The region’s natural, historical and cultural heritage assets are significant within the Scottish and UK context. They are unique selling points for both the region and Scotland as a whole, linking directly to opportunities for the cultural and creative industries and tourism sectors.

ERDF investment will aim to enhance natural capital, increase accessibility, improve visitor experiences and expand the associated products on offer. It will potentially improve jobs and productivity in related economic sectors (such as tourism) through sensitive management, development and coordinated promotion of these assets.

The Fund supports:

  • Investment in the infrastructure supporting the sustainable use of natural and cultural heritage assets
  • Development of interpretation and interpretive media that promote and protect the natural and cultural heritage
  • Activities which improve accessibility
  • Increasing the quality of sustainable development opportunities based on the region’s heritage
  • Promotion and development of the unique and distinctive natural and cultural heritage and related resources of the region through marketing campaigns to encourage new visitors and expand markets. These campaigns must be specifically focussed on the natural and/or cultural heritage.
  • Projects, including feasibility studies and work on the development of longer term legacy projects, to develop new products or services to communities, groups of enterprises and different sectors based on the region's natural and cultural resources.

Funding decisions have been made for the single round of the Natural and Cultural Heritage Challenge Fund and 13 applicants have been offered funding.

Duration
01:52

Our Natural and Cultural Heritage Fund provides opportunities for investment in the Highlands and Islands to conserve, protect, promote and develop our natural and cultural heritage.

Maoin Dulchais Nàdair is Cultair
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Duration
02:09

Bidh a’ mhaoin againn, Maoin Dualchais Nàdair is Cultair, a’ toirt chothroman airson airgead a chur an seilbh air a’ Ghàidhealtachd ’s na h-Eileanan airson dualchas nàdair ’s cultair a ghlèidheadh, a dhìon, a bhrosnachadh ’s a leasachadh.

Outcomes and Eligibility

The Natural and Cultural Heritage Fund supports new opportunities to promote the outstanding scenery, wildlife and culture of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland in ways which support inclusive and sustainable economic growth. It will help to retain jobs and sustain populations and services in rural communities.

The NCHF map of the Highlands and Islands identifies the areas covered by the fund.

This Challenge Fund of £8.9million of ERDF money was available through a single competitive funding round which opened on 14 January and closed on 22 April 2019. This money supports 13 major projects to be delivered by June 2023. Projects sought an ERDF grant of a minimum of £250k. The total eligible project costs had to be a minimum of £360k.  Projects were only supported if they demonstrated sensitive management and safeguarding of those heritage assets for future generations.

This Fund supports:

  • Interpretive media to promote natural and cultural heritage assets consistent with sensitive management and sustainable use
  • Infrastructure investment to expand the provision of tourist facilities
  • Improved accessibility, interpretation and quality of visitor experiences
  • New products or services based on the region's natural and cultural resources, particularly for the tourism sector.

The Fund is one of the Strategic Interventions (SI) in the 2014–2020 European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) programme.  The aim of the ERDF is to invest in communities to help them to grow economic activity and employment.  The Fund contributes up to 70% of project costs and will deliver a total value of £22,686,314 of investment throughout the course of the programme, including the match funding which applicants are required to find.

For general background information on European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) in Scotland, visit the Scottish Government's ESIF website and Scot Gov ESIF Twitter page

Outcomes of the project

The successful projects primarily relate to the natural and cultural heritage assets of the Highlands and Islands and were assessed against how well they deliver against the following outcomes.  Projects were not required to deliver on every outcome, but were more likely to be successful in funding if they demonstrated that they would deliver on two or more.

  • Outcome 1 - Heritage assets of the transition region are more accessible and better promoted
  • Outcome 2 - The quality of visitor experience to the heritage assets is enhanced
  • Outcome 3 - New products, services and jobs based on heritage assets are created
  • Outcome 4 - There is coordinated promotion and interpretation of heritage assets across the region.

Themes of the project

The ERDF 2014-2020 programme has Horizontal Themes which cut across all the activity it funds. Challenge Fund projects were assessed against the principles of the Horizontal Themes.  These will be monitored during and after delivery, so projects must build these themes into their projects.

  • Horizontal Theme 1 – Sustainable Development
  • Horizontal Theme 2 – Equal Opportunities and non-discrimination
  • Horizontal Theme 3 – Equality between men and women

Funded Projects

Natural and Cultural Heritage Fund Story Map

The Natural and Cultural Heritage Fund supports new opportunities to promote the outstanding scenery, wildlife and culture of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland in ways which support inclusive and sustainable economic growth. It will help to retain jobs and sustain populations and services in rural communities.

Our Projects

  1. Kilmartin Museum - This project will renovate Kilmartin Museum into a modern visitor attraction and learning centre. The work will involve remodelling the existing buildings and adding a new extension.  Improved visitor facilities will include a modern kitchen and overflow parking.  Outdoor interpretation and digital interpretation will enhance the quality of the visitor experience.
  2. The Coast that Shaped the World - A project led by West Highland College UHI. It will create a website, app and programme of digital exhibitions along the west coast of Scotland narrating the maritime stories of coastal communities. It will convey how maritime, cultural, and natural heritage helped to shape the world.  Local stories will be mapped and gathered, creating the website and app to inspire potential tourists
  3. Uibhist Virtual Archaeology Project - This project will be delivered by Lews Castle College UHI and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar.  The project will create a series of augmented reality experiences for seven archaeological sites located along the Hebridean Way walking route.  Complementary mixed-media exhibitions will be established at fixed locations.  The augmented reality and mixed-media products will combine interactive reconstruction images of archaeological sites with multimedia information adding detail and depth to the visualizations.
  4. Ulva Cultural Heritage Project - During this project, delivered by North West Mull Community Woodland Company, Ulva House will be conserved and refurbished, bringing it into public use as a visitor centre.  A research project with the University of the Highlands and Islands will investigate further the story of the people of Ulva and the wider impact they have had on the world.   A website will include information and interpretation.  Ulva House Garden will be restored by volunteers.
  5. Dundreggan Rewilding Centre - Trees for Life plan to construct a centre at Dundreggan where people can experience an ancient pinewood and unique juniper forest, and discover more about Gaelic history and rewilding.  It will feature interpretation about Dundreggan’s natural heritage, engagement with Gaelic culture, forest play facilities, accessible trails, outdoor learning and events, indoor study and research, along with improvements to the wider natural heritage.
  6. Corrieshalloch Gorge Gateway to Nature - A National Trust for Scotland project to create a new visitor centre, constructed to form a gateway to Corrieshalloch Gorge and the Falls of Measach.  New path networks with wayfinding and signage will be developed and parking provision will be improved and expanded.
  7. Wildlife Watch Abernethy - The RSPB Loch Garten Osprey Centre will be reconfigured to increase its capacity without extending the footprint of the building. These improvements will provide enhanced views of wildlife and the Caledonian forest. Natural light and solar heat will enable the current opening season to be extended from five months to eight months each year.
     
  8. Access to Orkney Heritage - This Orkney Islands Council project will create greater access to heritage sites and assets across the smaller isles of the Orkney archipelago. The project will improve interpretation information about the sites and improve dedicated trails and routes which have been developed to encapsulate the main heritage locations of each isle.
     
  9. Strathnaver Museum - This redevelopment project will conserve the historic church that houses the current museum and improve the visitor experience. In addition the project will secure the condition and integrity of the collections, extend outreach work across the area, increase the services offered on site, increase the number of staff and improve research spaces.
     
  10. Hermaness Hill Path & welcome area - The installation, by NatureScot, of boardwalks in this popular area will reinstate the historic route to Muckle Flugga lighthouse signalling station and create a circular walk around Hermaness National Nature Reserve whilst protecting fragile blanket bog and rare nesting birds.  Further information will be provided for visitors, and other local tourist attractions will benefit too.
     
  11. The Real Wild West - Archaeology Scotland will work with the West Ardnamurchan Community to develop their Adopt-a-Monument scheme to create a trail, tourist hubs, and physical and digital experiences, improve the condition and maintenance of ten heritage sites and develop ‘slow tourism’ adventures for visitors.
     
  12. Scotland's Wildlife Discovery Centre - With Scotland’s Wildlife Discovery Centre, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland plan to create a centre to showcase the richness and diversity of our native wildlife and its place in the world.  The centre, at the Highland Wildlife Park in Kincraig, near Kingussie, will become a gateway to the landscape and wildlife of the Cairngorms National Park. Founded in 1909 the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s purpose is to connect people with nature and safeguard species from extinction.
     
  13. Skye Iconic Sites Project - The Outdoor Access Trust working in partnership with local groups will provide much-needed improvements to infrastructure and interpretation at three iconic sites – the Old man of Storr, the Quiraing, and the Fairy Pools. Each site will have improved and more inclusive access, viewpoints, and better co-ordinated information on and off site to give high quality visitor experiences.

Project Updates

2023 updates

2022 updates

2021 updates

Contacts

Natural and Cultural Heritage Fund

[email protected]

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