A former church in Glasgow's Castlemilk area has received £500k of funding from Historic Scotland.

The fund will help the building be converted as a legacy of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

The Historic Building Repair Grant for St Martin's Church was announced alongside nine other projects as part of a £2.6m package of funding by Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs, Fiona Hyslop. Historic Scotland’s grant is part of a wider funding package being gathered by the Glasgow Building Preservation Trust which is spearheading the project.

The modernist church is adjacent to Cathkin Braes Country Park where a new world-class mountain bike track is also being created ahead of Glasgow 2014. St Martin’s will be converted into a mountain biking and activity centre to provide community and visitor facilities during and long after the Commonwealth Games.

In addition to the 1961 church, nine other historic and architecturally interesting sites across Scotland will receive Building Repair Grants. These include a Midlothian smiddy, thought to be one of the few remaining surviving blacksmith workshops, an 18th century stone bridge in East Ayrshire designed by John Adam and the A-listed Provan Hall in Easterhouse, Glasgow.


The Building Repair Grant scheme makes financial help available to property owners to meet the cost of high-quality repairs using traditional materials and specialist craftsman to conserve original features in buildings of special architectural or historic interest. In return, owners must maintain the building and allow some access to visitors.

Ms Hyslop said: "Historic buildings offer great opportunities for education as well as providing important landmarks in our towns and cities which are key to our identity, community and memories.

"St Martin’s Church in Glasgow will contribute to the lasting legacy for the city from the Commonwealth Games and bring numerous benefits to the community. This is an exciting and worthwhile project and I am delighted that it has been supported through the Building Repair Grants.

"It is important to ensure that historically significant buildings such as Scotland’s oldest working smiddy, a building type which would once have existed in huge numbers, are maintained so future generations can learn about our fascinating history and heritage."

The grant recipients are:

1. Avenue Bridge, Dumfries House (£400,000)

2. Provan Hall, Glasgow (£165,000)

3. Earlstoun Castle, Town of Dalry (£146,082)

4. The Queens Hall, Edinburgh (£259,159)

5. The Temple, Cumnock (£268,800)

6. St Martin’s Church, Glasgow (£500,000)

7. Kirkintilloch Town Hall, Kirkintilloch (£475,000)

8. Smyllum House, Lanark (£285,000)

9. Cousland Smiddy, Midlothian (£35,000)

10. Huntly Castle Bridge, Aberdeenshire (£100,000)

(JP/CD)