Glasgow’s Mackintosh at the Willow gains National Trust status

Situated on Sauchiehall Street, Mackintosh at Willow is set to join the charity's portfolio of integral heritage sites after a deal was announced.

The conservation group utilised £1.75 million from its reserve funds and acquisition finances, to secure the property. It received additional support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Royal Bank of Scotland and Glasgow City Council.

Phil Long OBE, NTS chief executive, said: "Mackintosh is one of the greatest architects of the 20th-century, respected internationally for his breathtaking and innovative design.

"People from around the world travel to Scotland to see his and his wife Margaret Macdonald’s brilliant work together.

"As the custodians of one of Mackintosh’s other rare masterpieces, the Hill House, on which Macdonald also collaborated, we see the acquisition of Mackintosh at the Willow as a perfect fit."

Mackintosh at the Willow, dating back to 1903, is the only surviving tea room of many originally designed by renowned architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh and his wife Margaret Macdonald for the dynamic Glasgow entrepreneur Miss Catherine ‘Kate’ Cranston.

The site was purchased, saved and restored by Celia Sinclair Thornqvist MBE and The Willow Tea Rooms Trust between 2014 and 2018.

Over 230,000 visitors have flocked to the location in the past year alone. Unfortunately, external factors such as the second fire at the Glasgow School of Art and the impact of the COVID pandemic had impeded the venue's earnings, resulting in a threat to its longevity.

The NTS was approached last year to consider alternatives that would provide the site a more solid future.

Mr Long added: “The brilliant restoration by The Willow Tea Rooms Trust with the support of The National Lottery Heritage Fund and many others gifted back to the nation an exceptional example of architectural heritage that we are proud to bring into our care."

Ms Thornqvist, the founder, past chair and trustee of The Willow Tea Rooms Trust, said it was their aim to restore and conserve the last remaining of Mackintosh’s masterful designs for tea rooms to the highest possible standards.

She added: “Through this new partnership, I am delighted and relieved that a way has been found to sustain this global icon in Glasgow and Scotland, so that it can continue to be protected and shared.

“Together with the other Trustees I sought a safe haven to protect the integrity of the building, its decoration, the services provided and, last but not least, the dedicated staff responsible for those services. We wanted to ensure that Mackintosh at the Willow would be in the hands of people who shared our ethos and passion for the heritage this place represents – and that is why we are so glad that we have been able to come to this arrangement with the National Trust for Scotland.”

Mackintosh at the Willow becomes one of the NTS’s properties as of January 19. From January 12, trust members will be granted access to the property’s exhibition free of charge.

Ian Dickson BEM DL, Chair of The Willow Tea Rooms Trust, said: “While Mackintosh at the Willow’s business plan has been working well, particularly over the last year, the years before, from the point when we opened in 2018, were exceedingly difficult.

“I am truly delighted, therefore, that The Willow Tea Rooms Trust and the National Trust for Scotland have, after many months of discussion and negotiation, reached this agreement under which we are entrusting Mackintosh at the Willow to the care of the NTS."

Eilish McGuinness, The National Lottery Heritage Fund chief executive, said the fund has supported The Willow Tea Rooms Trust with £4.9 million since 2017, overseeing the restoration and interpretation of the tea rooms.

Ms McGuinness said: "Operating under challenging circumstances, they have continued to care for this heritage of national and international importance, ensuring access to visitors from the city and beyond.

"The NTS will build on this positive foundation, and we applaud their ambition and commitment in recognising the heritage importance of Mackintosh at the Willow for Glasgow, Scotland and their members.

“The Heritage Fund recently announced that Glasgow is one of 20 areas around the UK to benefit from a share of investment over the next 10 years from our new £200 million Heritage Places programme."