Investment Minister visits Prestongrange Heritage Park

Tom Arthur, the Minister for Employment and Investment, has visited Prestongrange Heritage Park to hear about the exciting plans for the future of the site and to visit the Engine Shed, a purpose-built home for a fascinating collection of steam and diesel locomotives and rolling stock.

The construction of the Engine Shed and ongoing redevelopment of the Park has been made possible by grants from the Scottish Government Regeneration Capital Grant Fund. The new Engine Shed opened in April 2024 and has proved to be popular with all ages. A dedicated group of volunteers is helping to preserve and conserve the collection, which can be viewed when the museum is open.

Councillor John McMillan, Cabinet Spokesperson for Environment, Economic Development and Tourism, gave Mr Arthur a tour of the site along with colleagues from our Community and Infrastructure teams. Councillor McMillan said: “It was great to welcome Mr Arthur to Prestongrange, which is a unique and nationally important site in terms of heritage and tourism. We enjoyed a tour of the new Engine Shed and were able to discuss how heritage-led regeneration on the site and across the Preston Seton Gosford area has enhanced the area for local communities, will increase visitor numbers to the area and can provide a boost for the local economy, including employment.”

Employment and Investment Minister Tom Arthur said: “We are providing Prestongrange Heritage Park with £1.2 million to develop a community hub with space for businesses to grow.

“To help communities prosper, the Scottish Government is investing £62.15 million in regeneration projects in 2025-26. This will help to revitalise green spaces, town centres and derelict sites to benefit people across Scotland.”

The opening of the shed was a key milestone in an ambitious project to regenerate Prestongrange, the next stage of which will see the renovation of the Bath House – expected to start later this year. The overall vision of the project is to deliver a new, accessible carbon neutral community hub as well as commercial and indoor community education space primarily within the derelict pit-head baths and outdoors in the surrounding parkland.

This will include a multi-purpose activity room, accommodation for local groups, stores, accessible toilets and showers. It will also provide development space in support of new revenue generation, education, and employment uses, as well as improving access to a nationally important landscape, green network and heritage site.

Prestongrange Museum opened for the 2025 season on 2 April and is open 11-14:30 Wednesday to Sunday. Visitors can see the locomotives and rolling stock as part of a guided tour of the site.