The future of a former New Abbey stately home looks bright after a transfer of ownership.
Shambellie House will now start a new life as a centre showcasing the rural creative arts community.
The Scottish Government formally handed over the keys to the Shambellie House Trust last week.
Trust chairman Gordon Mann said: “The trustees have worked very hard over the years to bring Shambellie House back under local ownership.
“We are delighted to have achieved this with the support from the community and the faith placed in us by our funders.
“We are continuing to fund raise so that we can offer a great experience in the house and grounds.
“We will now start on the repairs and improvements to the house and lodge so that some courses will be ready for delivery early in 2022.
“These will provide a welcome boost for the local creative sector which have suffered so much in the pandemic.”
The trust had originally planned to create accommodation on site and add a small extension to the mansion.
But the pandemic meant the first phase of works had to be trimmed back to providing toilets on the main floor, alterations and repairs.
The Hugh Fraser Foundation, Holywood Trust, Lottery Community Fund, and the Dumfries and Galloway Coastal Communities Fund all chipped in.
But the trust still faced a shortfall for the conversion costs until a £71,000 grant from South of Scotland Enterprise took the total to just over £150,000.
The breakthrough meant the trustees could set a target date of January 2022 to begin a range of courses delivered by local artists, makers, photographers and practitioners.
SoSE chairman Professor Russell Griggs said: “The grant will help the trust transform Shambellie House and its grounds into a creative tourism destination, and a hub for supporting small and micro- businesses to operate in the creative sector.
“It will be a fantastic boost to those in the creative industry who have been greatly impacted by the pandemic, and who are now focusing on their recovery and a brighter future.”
The Scottish Government is also providing funds to carry out repairs to the house and lodge.
Culture minister Jenny Gilruth said: “The plans provided by the trust are exciting – there is the potential for tremendous benefit to the local and regional communities economically, culturally and educationally.”
Shambellie was owned by the Stewart family until 1970 when Charles Stewart handed it over to the government on condition that it was used to display some of his extensive collection of costumes.
When it was closed by the National Museum of Scotland in 2013, Holyrood agreed to pass the property back to a community-based charity provided they had a sustainable plan and the necessary funding.
“I am sure that uncle Bill (as Charles Stewart was known to the family) would have been delighted to see the house come back to life providing scope for local artists to be involved.”
