£3m Denburn restoration project to be shelved
A funding proposal from the council was rejected by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, putting the plans on hold
Last updated 4th Jun 2025
A £3 million revamp of Aberdeen’s Denburn is expected to be shelved for the foreseeable future after the council was denied crucial cash for the work.
Originally unveiled two years ago, the restoration project aimed to make the ancient stream that flows through the heart of the city more accessible to residents.
Under the plan, the wetland habitat was to be enhanced along the 1.5 mile stretch that runs from the Den of Maidencraig nature reserve to King’s Gate in the west of the city.
It was also proposed to re-meander the Denburn to a more natural course while creating new footpaths for visitors to stroll along.
But now the plan is expected to be paused “indefinitely” after a £1.5m application to the National Lottery Hertiage Fund was rejected.
Around this time last year, the council and Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) agreed to work together to develop the project.
A concept design for the Denburn restoration was drawn up, revealing the scheme could cost up to £3m to complete.
Following this revelation, council chiefs were told to apply to external sources in order to fully fund the project.
The National Lottery Heritage Fund was found as the best match and the application was submitted in November – but refused just a few months later.
Lottery bosses gave cash to other projects and suggested the Denburn project would benefit from more financial support from the council instead.
Despite this blow, the project had secured some promises of cash to help it come to fruition.
SEPA pledged to pay up to £950,000 through its Water Environment Fund, however this funding is time limited and would be lost if the project is delayed.
Money was also secured from Nestrans and bus lane fines for the new path works, however this will only be awarded if the proposal moves forward.
Meanwhile, the council secured an extra £250,000 from SEPA for the detailed design work, but this money can’t be used on anything else.
But, if the local authority can’t find another funder to match this sum by September, the cash will return to SEPA.
Members of the local authority’s net zero, environment and transport committee will discuss the Denburn project when they meet next week.