Aberdeenshire shop’s rebirth as cinema and café praised at Huntly grand opening
A community which turned a “derelict” shop into a cinema and café has celebrated the building’s official opening - which was “like a dream”.
The Huntly Development Trust (HDT) began the multi-million pound project at Number 30 The Square in 2019.
Between 1875 and 2018 the building was home to Cruickshank’s department store, but after the store closed many feared the prominent site could be left vacant.
But now, six years later, Number 30 contains a thriving café, cinema, co-working, gallery and events spaces right in the heart of Huntly.
Carolyn Powell, joint general manager at HDT, said the final result was “almost like a dream”.
“You have to follow the vision, but you don't know what it's going to look like,” she added.
“And this is actually better than we imagined - because people are loving it.
“We hoped that would happen, and we're heartened by the fact that they have been able to do that, and they feel that it belongs to them.”
Asked what the Number 30 project had brought to the town, the manager replied: “One word. Hope.
“One of the things that's often lost in communities, when towns start to deteriorate, is the hope that it will get better.
“The first thing that goes is hope.
“Because they see their future, their children's future, their grandchildren's future, and it looks bleak.
“When something like this can happen, when other businesses join in and start taking on premises and opening up businesses, when people start having activities and fun in the town again, it renews that hope.
“And that's what's important.”
The official opening event featured speeches from representatives of HDT, Aberdeenshire Council and the Scottish Government.
Live music from pupils at The Gordon Schools was also on offer, alongside information stalls about other Huntly project and showings of archive footage in the cinema.
Rosemary Munro, HDT volunteer trustee and board member, said the final result of the community effort was “absolutely amazing”.
“Look around yourselves and see what you've achieved, it's absolutely amazing,” she said.
“It's important to say that none of this would have been possible without our very, very generous funders, and their commitment to us has been unstinting.
“You've enabled us to turn what was a derelict building into something which is now fit for the community to come into and enjoy.
“We thank you very much for your faith in us.”
The regeneration effort was also praised as “phenomenal” by Councillor Gillian Owen, the Leader of Aberdeenshire Council.
She added: “Cruickshank’s had been here for so many years and it was a really big feature of Huntly.
“But now we've replaced it with a phenomenal community building, which is actually going to be here for years to come.
“It was a huge job to take on.
“But the outcome that they've got here is absolutely brilliant and they need to be very proud of it.”
Alastair Rhind, strategic regeneration executive at Aberdeenshire Council, said it was “just amazing” to see the project completed.
“When the old department store closed and I guess the fear was, at the time, that it would stay vacant for many years because it was in a deteriorating condition,” he added.
“So it's been an amazing journey that the trust have been on, and we're delighted.
“I think it's a true example of what could be achieved if the community has the vision and has the capacity.
“We've supported them in terms of accessing Scottish Government funding and other funding, but this has been a community-led project and a real asset for Huntly now and into the future.
“And we’ve already seen that, when they started doing the build, other investments started to happen in the Square. So it’s been a catalyst for other activity.”
David Cowan, head of the Scottish Government’s Regeneration Unit, also delivered a speech.
He appeared on behalf of Tom Arthur MSP, minister for employment and investment, who was previously scheduled to attend but could not make it.
Mr Cowan said he was the head of the independent panel that decided to back Number 30 the Square and give them funding for the project.
“We see proposals all the time, and sometimes they just come alive on the page, they just sing,” he added.
“This was one of the ones that sounded like: ‘Yeah, we've got to get behind that, we've got to do it, stick with it and make it happen.’
“This is like a poster child. We need to learn from this.
“We need to share this with more people, so that more people are brave enough to step into this space and do this themselves, across Scotland and across the country.
“This is a fabulous project, but it's a catalyst for change, as well, isn't it?
“So it's not just what happens in here, it's what's going to happen out there too.
“Congratulations and well done.”
The Number 30 project received funding from the Scottish Government Regeneration Capital Grant Fund; the Architectural Heritage Fund; the Clashindarroch Windfarm Community Fund, Transport Scotland, the William Grant Foundation, the Place Based Investment Fund, Inspiring Scotland, the Rural Communities Challenge Fund, and the Marr Area Committee.
