After a decade of lying dormant, one of Dundee’s most treasured buildings could be set for a new lease of life.
Members of Dundee City Council’s policy and resources committee will be asked to approve steps that could lead to Camperdown House being transformed into a restaurant, boutique hotel or wedding venue, amongst other possibilities.
The committee will be asked to approve market testing for the commercial viability of the former stately home at a meeting next week.
But while the 19th century house is set to be rejuvenated, promises have been made that its history will not be forgotten.
Councillor Ken Guild, convener of the policy and resources committee, said: ”We really want to gauge the interest there is for taking options forward. There is a widely-held view that the public should get more opportunities to enter this impressive building.
”The council is very sensitive to the importance of Camperdown House to the city’s history, so we are working closely with the Friends of Camperdown. This could open up a new chapter for the building for future generations of visitors.”
Designed by William Burn and completed in 1828, Camperdown House was commissioned by Robert Dundas, 2nd Viscount Duncan of Camperdown, in memory of his father Admiral Adam Duncan’s victory at the Battle of Camperdown in 1797.
After serving as a family home, it and the adjoining estate were bought by the local authority in 1946. It had a small cafeteria and was opened for specific events but, with the exception of rooms to the rear let to Camperdown Golf Club, it has remained shut to the public since 2002.
With its contents long since removed, the only real care shown to the building in recent years was repair work to the roof last autumn.
That followed a brief spell in which a section of the building was opened during last summer’s Dundee Flower and Food Festival.
If deemed commercially viable, the interior of the property is likely to be transformed beyond recognition with space also likely to be reserved to remember the legacy of Admiral Duncan.
The latest developments have been welcomed by the Friends of Camperdown House, with the chairman of trustees, Captain James Crawford, saying: ”The building is wasted currently. It’s safe and watertight, so we really need to find a use for it now.
”I’m very pleased with the concept of seeking a commercial use. We would like to see it turned into a maritime museum as Dundee is a maritime town with a fantastic history.
”When we opened the house for the Flower and Food Festival last summer people were just delighted to be there.”
The possibility of turning Camperdown House into a museum or gallery is another option available to get the venue generating money, with the prospect of it remaining mothballed much longer now highly unlikely.
Members of the policy and resources committee will decide whether to agree to the market testing process at their meeting on Monday.