26th November 2019 By Clark Contracts Ltd
VisitScotland’s Chief Executive visited the David Livingstone Birthplace Project to review its on-going restoration during a tour of the Lanarkshire area.
Malcolm Roughead met with the David Livingstone Trust’s Chair Isabel Bruce to discuss the next steps for the historic landmark, which is currently undergoing a multi-million pound restoration being completed by Clark Contracts.
Plans to revamp the attraction are aimed at telling Livingstone’s powerful story to the next generation and strengthening the world-wide connections that the explorer has inspired.
At Blantyre Malcolm met with Isabel Bruce, Chair, and David Kirkwood, the Project Lead who manages the restoration. On a tour through the site, Malcolm was able to see the progress of the restoration and was told how the museum will be transformed into a major visitor attraction that will attract local and international audience. The museum is scheduled to open in 2020.
Isabel Bruce said: “The major refurbishment of the David Livingstone Birthplace will see a renewal of the historic buildings at Shuttle Row and the Weavers Cottages to include a new exhibition telling David’s story in a contemporary way - how he successfully collaborated with the local people he met to achieve his great feats of exploration.
“Importantly there will be new education spaces for schools and family visits. And we will have a café, shop and landscaping across the grounds to make our customers feel welcome.
“We look forward to re-opening our doors in 2020 and hope the David Livingstone Birthplace will prove an exciting addition to the tourism offering and boost visits to the Lanarkshire area.”
Malcolm Roughead said: “The David Livingstone Centre has been an iconic attraction for years and I was impressed to see investment and development taking place.
“It is important that we continue to encourage the tourism industry to create world class experiences, events and attractions. Meeting ever-changing visitor demands is essential as tourism is more than a holiday experience – it is the heartbeat of the Scottish economy and touches every community, generating income, jobs and social change.”
Michael Scanlan, Director of Clark Contracts added: “It was great to be able to provide Visit Scotland with an update on the progress of our work and we are looking forward to seeing the final touches take shape over the coming months”.
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