Five heritage projects, ranging from Orkney to Saltcoats, are to share a total of £1.69m in Building Repair Grants.

Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop revealed the grants in a Parliamentary Debate on the implementation of Scotland's first historic environment strategy.

The five recipients are:

• Scapa Flow Visitor Centre & Museum, Orkney (£500,000) – to restore and conserve its war time naval buildings
• Duart Castle, Mull (£500,000) – to deal with rainwater penetration of its historic walls
• Kelvin Way, Glasgow (£20,000) – to repair four bronze statue groups, repointing of bridge of other fabric repairs
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• Saltcoats Town Hall (£162,688) – for repairs to the clock tower, masonry, timber works, external facades, window/door repairs and a phase of internal works
• Former Rosebank Distillery, Camelon (£500,000) – to fund urgent repairs to the fabric of the building in order to restore the facility to its former use.

Ms Hyslop said: "At its core, the strategy makes it clear that our historic environment is part of our everyday lives, providing us with a sense of place and cultural identity, contributing to our individual and collective wellbeing, and enhancing regional and local distinctiveness. It must be understood and valued, cared for, enjoyed and enhanced, for our benefit and that of generations to come."

She added: "We cannot work in isolation if we are to achieve the best for our historic environment.

"Across the heritage sector, we need to continue to build and develop the collaborative approach that characterised the development of the draft Historic Environment Strategy, as we deliver that strategy over the next 10-15 years.

"This is the first overarching strategy for Scotland's historic environment and it belongs, not to government, but to the people of Scotland."

(JP/CD)