Stromness town. Creative Commons Share Alike 2.5 License

Orkney heritage could get a major boost after £2.8m of lottery money was earmarked for two major regeneration projects.

The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) Stage One Passes mean that the money has been set aside pending a more detailed final application to secure the cash.

“This major investment from the Heritage Lottery Fund is exciting news for Orkney, and for Scotland, particularly at a time when lottery funding is becoming much more competitive,” said Colin McLean, HLF manager for Scotland.

“We are delighted that the islands are able to use their rich urban and rural heritage to initiate regeneration. This is a step towards a brighter future for the people of Orkney.”

A planned Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI) would help further develop the rejuvenation of Stromness, which has already benefitted from the opening of the Pier Arts Centre. The £1.44m THI aims to repair historic buildings, reinstate architectural details and bring vacant spaces back into use.

Stromness town centre has 133 buildings listed for their historic importance.

The new boat museum could join the Pier Arts Centre (pictured) as the latest of Orkney's heritage attractions

Scapa Flow, the largest semi-enclosed body of water in the UK, could benefit from an award of £1.35m to develop a Landscape Partnership Scheme, which will help to safeguard the area’s spectacular scenery and its marine life and habitats.

It would bring together a range of public and community partnerships to conserve its heritage and boost regeneration.

Rare birds like the Great Northern Diver and Slavonian Grebe, along with seals, porpoises, dolphins and visiting whales, would be protected, while Scapa Flow’s wartime heritage would be remembered with the restoration of a coastal battery and educational programme.

As well as these projects the HLF awarded a £46,400 project planning grant to develop a project to establish an Orkney Boat Museum at the 18th century Hall of Clestrain.

The Grade A-listed 18th century Hall was featured on BBC TV’s Restoration series in 2004 and was the childhood home of polar explorer Dr John Rae.

The new museum would tell the story of 5,000 years of boat-building in Orkney, house a collection of boats and also feature a boat-building workshop.