Sir Walter Scott home gets further £1m funding boost

Refurbishment work at Abbotsford House is expected to be complete in 2013

Plans to "secure the future" of the historic home of Sir Walter Scott in the Scottish Borders have received a further grant of £1m.

The Heritage Lottery Fund awarded the funding for the work at Abbotsford House near Melrose.

The Abbotsford Trust has now raised £12m of the £14.5m required to safeguard the site's long-term future.

A new visitor centre is set to open later this summer, with the reopening of the main house due in 2013.

Trust chief executive Jason Dyer said: "This is a significant grant award which will greatly assist with our current fundraising efforts with private organisations and individuals.

"We believe the fact that we are the first Scottish applicant to be awarded catalyst endowment funding further demonstrates the importance of the work we are undertaking to save this precious cultural asset and enhance understanding of Scott's exceptional global legacy."