Aberdeen City Council has been awarded more than £1.25 million from the Scottish government's Town Centre Regeneration Fund.

The money will be used to launch a special initiative to breathe new life into empty shops in Torry – and to boost the shopping areas of Mastrick, Rosemount, Peterculter and Cults.

The £572,500 awarded to Torry will be pumped into the Retail Rocks! scheme, which will see a revamp of empty shop units in and around Victoria Road, with budding retailers being given the chance of training and mentoring from some of Scotland's most successful retail entrepreneurs.

The Torry centre will be enhanced with the installation of CCTV, new lighting and radios to link retailers to city wardens as part of the Shopsafe scheme.

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Retail Rocks! aims to unearth and support new retail talent and has been developed by the Chief Executive of Scottish Business in the Community, Jane Wood, who has been working with Aberdeen City Council on the Torry scheme.

A further £686,031 will be invested in schemes in the retail areas of Mastrick, Rosemount, Cults and Peterculter.

City council officials will work with small businesses and communities, including the Federation of Small Businesses, to maximise the benefits of the initiative.

Aberdeen City Council Leader Councillor John Stewart said: "The award of this cash will help us carry out some very worthwhile work to enhance our district shopping centres. Retail can provide the catalyst for regeneration. Transforming our shopping areas into more attractive and convenient places will make them more vibrant and more popular, boosting trade and making life more pleasant for shoppers."

The grants are part of round two of the Scottish government initiative, which saw money awarded to 41 Scottish high streets. It is the second tranche of money awarded from the £60million fund, which has benefited cites, towns and villages in every local authority in Scotland.

(GK/KMcA)