10 Mar 2021

Cash boost for Heritage Lottery players

A smiling young woman stands on a narrow path outside a thatched cottage. It is a sunny day and she wears sunglasses.

Fiona McNeill at Culloden

A National Trust for Scotland member in East Kilbride is celebrating after winning a £3,300 rollover prize in our Scottish Heritage Lottery.

Fiona McNeill lives with her partner and two children in East Kilbride and has been a member of the National Trust for Scotland for a year. She said: ‘The past year has been a tough one for all, and I feel really lucky to have won the Heritage Lottery, bringing some light into a difficult year. The money came at the perfect time for me and my family – which will soon become a family of five with the arrival of an Australian mini labradoodle.

‘I’m glad to be able to support the work of the National Trust for Scotland in different ways and supporting the lottery is a great way. When coronavirus first hit, it had an impact on our routine, changing what we could do and where we could go.’

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“Our membership allowed us an escape from our day-to-day life and offered us somewhere to spend time enjoying the great outdoors.”

Fiona McNeill

Fiona added: ‘My favourite place to visit is Culzean Castle – I just love the different walks in and around the castle grounds and I can’t wait to be able to take our new puppy when restrictions ease.’

Looking towards Culzean Castle, with the Fountain Court garden in the foreground.

The Scottish Heritage Lottery has reached 3,000 weekly players over the last year and has paid out cash prizes to hundreds of winners since launching in March 2020.

The lottery has provided our charity with valuable support during our most challenging year. For £1 a week, each player has the chance to win cash prizes every week while helping to ensure we can continue to care and protect some of Scotland’s most loved places.

To date, the Scottish Heritage Lottery has raised £100,000, which will go towards supporting vital conservation work at Trust properties across the country. Alasdair Eckersall, Property Manager at Ben Lomond, said: ‘The great thing about our Heritage Lottery is that every penny goes back into making sure that we can care for Scotland’s most loved places. Our players are helping us to maintain the footpaths on Ben Lomond and protect heritage sites like Culloden.

‘The lottery is growing, so now is the perfect time to get involved. The chances of winning are good with 12 prizes every week – you could be the next Fiona!’