Lock 16 - Scotland's Centre of Excellence for Canals & Traditional Skills
This place-based regeneration project will see the vacant and underutilised site of the former AG Barr Factory in Camelon, Falkirk, transformed into a new low-carbon facility on the banks of the Forth & Clyde Canal.
Historic Environment Scotland’s (HES) national Retrofit Centre for Traditional Buildings is to become part of Scotland’s Centre of Excellence for Canals and Traditional Skills in Camelon, Falkirk. The new Retrofit Centre will strengthen the national centre as the premiere hub for retrofit heritage skills and science alongside the Engine Shed while supporting Scotland in tackling the climate emergency.
Supported by £1m of funding from UKRI Arts and Humanities Research Council via the Research Infrastructure for Conservation and Heritage Science (RICHeS), the retrofit facility will put heritage science and research at the heart of its approach to developing bespoke solutions required for the decarbonization and conservation of the historic environment. The centre will become a key facility for climate heritage science, housing training, research and specialist equipment.
Scotland's Centre of Excellence for Canals & Traditional Skills is funded by £4m Scottish Government funding through the Falkirk and Grangemouth Growth Deal, National Lottery Heritage Fund, Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF), Scottish Canals, Historic Environment Scotland and the Pride in Place Impact Fund. The Retrofit Centre for Traditional Buildings is funded by UKRI Arts and Humanities Research Council via the Research Infrastructure for Conservation and Heritage Science (RICHeS).
The centre will support the retrofit of Scotland’s traditional buildings, crucial to achieving national net zero targets and addressing other challenges related to climate change and the quality of our indoor environments. The 2024 audit of Scotland’s historic environment estimates that almost 500,000 buildings in Scotland are of traditional construction, including around 18% of homes, 24% of offices, 33% of shops and 41% of public buildings.
Scotland’s Canal and Traditional Skills project, spearheaded by Scottish Canals in partnership with HES, sees the former AG Barr Irn Bru factory in Camelon, Falkirk, transformed into a new centre to bring heritage knowledge and skills together in one place. The centre will look to address some of the growing challenges of sustaining Scotland’s historic environment by supporting the development of specialist skills critical for its future, including pioneering canal management and maintenance. Works at the centre are currently gathering momentum as major internal and external construction progresses.
