The last remaining shoemaker’s shop in Scotland is to be restored after being frozen in time for more than half a century, thanks to a £74,500 grant.
The Souter’s Shop – souter is the Scottish word for a shoemaker or cobbler – was opened in the Aberdeenshire village of Birse in 1897 by local man James Merchant.
It was run by Mr Merchant and his son until the business ceased in the 1940s, after which it lay completely undisturbed until 1999 with its tools, ledgers and fittings providing a rare window to a world before commercial, mass-produced shoemaking became prevalent.
Historic Environment Scotland has now awarded Birse Community Trust £74,500 to repair and conserve the fabric of the shop.
Toni Watt, manager at the trust, said the group was “delighted” with the grant and would use it alongside funding from other supporters to begin the work.
She said: “It is such a special place. To enter the Souter’s feels like you are stepping back in time. It is a window into a now disappeared way of life, showcasing the life of a souter and his role in rural society.
“At one time every settlement would have had a souter; our visitors tell us about grandparents who were souters, but in a few more generations this tradition will be lost from memory.
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“History, oral history and saving the rural architecture where this history takes place matters so much.”
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The category A building will undergo roof, timber, chimney and joinery glazing repairs.
Birse Community Trust plans to open the building for visitors on site and will additionally create a virtual exhibition with online tour for any global guests.
The funding will also support traditional skills training, with the shop’s features to be restored using techniques similar to those employed when it was originally built.
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Work is under way to train volunteers to pack and decant the collection of artefacts in the shop, as well as basic conservation work.
The repair works on the building are expected to begin in spring 2026.
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Dr Susan O’Connor, head of grants at HES, said: “The Souter’s Shop in Birse is a fascinating building with an important story to tell.
“We are excited to support the trust’s efforts to unlock this story with the community and the wider public.
“Our historic environment is one of Scotland’s greatest assets, but it needs care, investment and collaboration to thrive.
“Our grants programmes are available to help communities unlock the history, knowledge and progress that is embodied in the built heritage around them.”
