These exclusive images show how one of Aberdeenshire’s top attractions could soon look – if it can raise £320,000 for the works.
Staff at the Grampian Transport Museum in Alford want to build a more fitting entrance for their award-winning attraction, and have now launched a fundraising campaign to meet the costs.
The new reception area will cost about £320,000, and although oil giants BP have already given their financial support, the team are appealing for other firms or groups to also back their vision to make the museum more attractive to visitors.
Curator Mike Ward said: “The museum has been going for 31 years and we are critically aware the visitor expectations over the last three years has changed a lot and we are no longer meeting, or exceeding, their expectations with our visitor reception facility.
“The museum has got quite a reputation over the last 30 years, we recently won the Visitor Attraction of the Year 2014 for Aberdeen city and shire.
“If we are going to be put up on a pedestal like that we need to deliver the goods.”
Planning permission is already in place, and if the team can raise the cash they hope to start building work in September – with the reception area open by next spring.
The impressive-looking reception will include a cafe and a specific area for booked groups.
More importantly, the area will give the museum the chance to show off the work it does with young engineers from across the region.
Mr Ward added: “We want to show the visitors the work that goes on that they don’t see, all the things we do with schools and young engineers. We’ll have displays relating to the work they do – they spend a lot of time building electric F24 cars, so we’ll have a display of those.
“The reception will make the whole frontage of the museum more attractive and really make it look the part.”
The plans were unveiled to friends of the museum on Thursday, with former FirstGroup boss Sir Moir Lockhead making an impassioned plea for support.
Mr Ward repeated his appeal yesterday, adding: “It’s a big building for a very low cost, it’s a really smart building we’ve had designed.
“We have now embarked on our fundraising campaign, but are likely to find this a fairly hefty task so would like to hear from any potential supporters.”