Scotland’s last shoemaker’s shop to reopen after funding award

Scotland's last traditional shoemaker's shop, located in Ballogie, Aberdeenshire, is set to reopen following a successful funding award.

The workshop, which has remained largely unchanged since its owner James Merchant's death in 1941, shows how a rural shoemaker worked in the early 20th century.

The Birse Community Trust, which inherited the property 25 years ago, plans to preserve the A-listed building and its contents, including tools, leather cuttings, and a solitary baby shoe left on the workbench. The trust aims to raise £200,000 for the restoration.