THE CRICHTON TRUST, Dumfries

Since 1995 the Crichton Development Company has been working to turn a redundant and deteriorating former psychiatric hospital into one of the most significant regeneration projects in Scotland. Since day one the project has been progressed applying the very highest conservation and economic regeneration principles.

The Company’s success can be measured by the fact that the Crichton is now regarded as a ‘model’ regeneration project (attracting six diverse national awards to date) and as such is now benefiting - and benefiting Dumfries and Galloway - from priority to trial major Scottish Executive initiatives such as integrated Tertiary Education, agency job decentralisation and Scottish Enterprise Project Atlas.

From the start the Company has worked to attract partner developers and participants. This approach has been outstandingly successful and has so far secured £33 million public and private funding support - excluding tenants’ private investments. The 2008 relocation of Dumfries and Galloway College to expand the Campus has escalated this investment by a further £37 million.

The grant of a 125 year lease in 2004 has strengthened the commercial viability of the project and enabled private investors to give fresh impetus to the initiative, starting with the development of the Aston Hotel in 2006.