Former Smugglers’ Mansion Wins Nearly £250k to Tell Its Tea-Chute Secrets
Gunsgreen House in Eyemouth to become accessible heritage centre; Perth notes it has smugglers of parking spaces.
A grand harbour house with secrets in the walls. Photo: Kevin Rae, “Eyemouth Harbour - geograph.org.uk - 122864”, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
EYEMOUTH — Gunsgreen House, the A-listed 1753 mansion built for merchant-and-smuggler John Nisbet with hidden cellars and a secret tea chute, has secured £249,750 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund towards a full heritage centre.
Trustees plan accessible floors, a lift extension and modern storytelling, aiming to reopen around 2030 after a further funding round.
Perth’s response was supportive and slightly competitive: “We’ve got hidden depths too,” said a guide. “They’re called potholes.”
The real story: Real: Gunsgreen House Eyemouth £249,750 Heritage Fund award (22 Oct 2026)
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