Inverkeithing has won the lottery.
The Fife town is celebrating being the only place in Scotland to receive a first round pass from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
This could pave the way for a multi-million-pound investment.
Initial development funding of up to £50,500 has been awarded to Fife Council to help progress its plans for repairs and improvements to the town’s historic streets and buildings.
More detailed proposals will then be submitted for a full National Lottery grant of up to £1.2 million early next year.
In total it could form part of a £3m investment in the town as a bid will also be made to Historic Environment Scotland for a conservation area regeneration scheme.
If both bids are successful, this would be added to funds from Fife Council and other contributors to deliver a five-year heritage-led regeneration programme from next June.
Fife Council’s senior business and employability manager Gordon Mole said the announcement was great news for Inverkeithing and was another step forward in its regeneration.
“It will build on the town’s housing-led regeneration at Fraser Avenue and would realise some of the improvements local people have called for through the current Imagine Inverkeithing community-led planning process.
“With the Heritage Lottery Funding award this year, we can now work with local partners and Fife Historic Buildings Trust and to develop our second round application, and hopefully see the combined CARS Scheme /Towns Heritage programme begin in 2019.”
The heritage-led plans for Inverkeithing would enable several projects to go ahead. They include the repair and development of the grade A listed town house into a fully accessible community use hub.
A building repair grant scheme could be established to deliver repairs and improvements to buildings and there would be improvements to the town centre, restoring historic features.
There will be a wide range of training and educational activities which would be of benefit to the local community and help heritage conservation in the longer term.