A historic Angus arts centre has received a £1 million grant towards its ambitious redevelopment programme.
Hospitalfield House in Arbroath seeks to raise £11.5m to carefully restore the building for future generations.
The grant from Creative Scotland is the first major donation, which Hospitalfield director Lucy Byatt hopes will encourage funding from other bodies.
She said: “We could not be more delighted to receive this news. This is the first brick in a very high wall.
“It is a very generous amount of money but it’s also a terrific endorsement of the project.”
The Hospitalfield estate dates back to the 13th Century. When former owner Patrick Allan Fraser died in 1890, he left a will that bequeathed the house and its collections as a residential art school.
The project, in conjunction with architects Caruso St John, will conserve the art collection, architecture and carefully designed interiors.
It will also install light and heating systems and restore the 19th and 20th Century artists’ studios.
Lucy continued: “I think people in Arbroath are very enthusiastic about the project.
“There is a great fondness for Hospitalfield and everybody likes the idea of making it a more public place for people to visit. Angus Council has been enormously supportive.
“We haven’t put in a planning application but the planners are aware of the project and we are working on a partnership with the council in terms of how it might work with them to make their collections more public.”
Hospitalfield House was one of 12 organisations that benefited from £9.4m of funding from Creative Scotland’s Large Capital Programme, which helps with major infrastructure improvements, refurbishments or the development of new cultural facilities.
Creative Scotland chief executive Janet Archer said: “These funding awards support important elements of the cultural infrastructure across Scotland and will enable exciting and important projects to progress and develop.
“All of these awards, and those that have come before, help to ensure that more people, in more parts of Scotland, can continue to access and enjoy excellent artistic and creative experiences.”