Help us restore Kippen Smiddy

Volunteers will be supported by Edinburgh and East Conservator Lesley Scott ACR to help clean and label Kippen Smiddy’s collection, the history of which dates back to the 1770s. We will work in partnership with Kippen Heritage to repair the Smiddy building interior and stabilise the collection, providing ongoing maintenance and advice to retain this historical hidden gem.

Lesley Scott ACR, National Trust for Scotland Regional Conservator Edinburgh & East said: ‘Preserving the Smiddy and its collections, with assistance from the local community through our Conservation in Action event, will be a very rewarding and important part of the work we are doing to ensure Kippen Smiddy’s longevity.’

Kippen Smiddy, gifted to the National Trust for Scotland by Mr Andrew Rennie in 1982, retains many of its original fittings including a rare surviving double hearth, the stereotypical blacksmiths anvil, and tools left by six generations of his family who worked as blacksmiths and owned the Smiddy from the 18th to the 20th century. Located in the village of Kippen, west of Stirling, the lane in which the building sits – Rennie’s Loan – was named after the family, with the traditional workshop at the top of the lane and a separate store further down.

Louise Rogers, National Trust for Scotland Buildings Administrator, said: ‘We are excited to start conservation work on Kippen Smiddy to enable it to reopen to the public. The building is a great example of Scottish agri-industrial heritage, and its history under the Rennie family provides a fascinating insight into how blacksmithing as an ancient craft has changed over the centuries.’

Margaret Oswald, Chair of Kippen Heritage said: ‘I am delighted that we will be able to re-open the Smiddy, following its closure due to Covid over the past two years, with the help of the Trust and our volunteers. When the tools and workshop are cleaned and restored, the public will again be able to enjoy this little time capsule of a bygone age.’

The volunteer conservation sessions at Kippen Smiddy are part of the National Trust for Scotland’s vision to deliver Nature, Beauty & Heritage for Everyone. The project is one of many contributing to its conservation and engagement objectives, specifically to:

• stabilise and improve the condition of the Trust estate;
• provide learning opportunities by championing skills to support traditional conversation and innovation.

Read more about our strategy

Kippen Heritage is a voluntary organisation which helps to preserve and share the history of the village of Kippen. We held a successful archaeological dig in May on a local hill fort and are currently raising money to restore the old 17th-century kirkyard and belfry.

Find out more about Kippen Heritage