As part of the redevelopment of Aberdeen railway station, a historic First World War shell that has been a feature at the station since 1918 has been restored and has been moved to a new prominent location on the concourse.

The restored artillery shell, and a plaque were officially unveiled last Tuesday, 18th April, to mark the station’s presentation to ScotRail of The Arch Company Award for Urban Heritage at the National Railway Heritage Awards last December 2022.

The award by the Railway Heritage Trust and The Arch Company was for the restoration of the station’s North Corner Pavilion, as part of the station’s £8 million redevelopment.

The shell was originally sited in the station to collect for the Red Cross, and for over 100 years has been a traditional meeting point for people. During the Second World War, it became a collecting point for the YMCA when that charity was providing aid at the station during the war.

The shell was originally manufactured by Mackinnon’s foundry in Aberdeen, and The Railway Heritage Trust provided funding for its restoration, during which £889 was collected from the shell’s plinth, and a cheque was presented to Aberdeen YMCA at its unveiling.

Andy Savage, MBE, Chair of the Railway Heritage Trust and Chairman of the National Railway Heritage Awards, said: “The Railway Heritage Trust has been pleased to support the restoration of the North Corner Building at Aberdeen, and the restoration of the historic artillery shell.

“The two projects demonstrate the breadth of projects which we support that all contribute to our railway heritage.”

Kirsty Devlin, ScotRail Head of Projects & PMO, said: “I was delighted to receive the award on behalf of ScotRail in recognition of the work completed on this beautiful, listed building in the heart of Aberdeen as part of the station redevelopment.

“Our engineers, contractors, project, and station teams have done an excellent job in delivering better facilities for customers and railway staff.

“Their work has helped modernise this historic and iconic station whilst retaining original features and character, recognised by our success at the National Railway Heritage Awards.

“We were also delighted to restore the First World War shell, which has since been designated by the Board of Trustees due to its historical significance, and to present YMCA Aberdeen with the more than £880 worth of funds which were discovered.”

Mike Will, Executive Chair of Aberdeen YMCA and President YMCA Scotland, said: “On behalf of the children, young people and families that access YMCA programmes, we are grateful to everyone involved in this project.

“The donations made via the ‘shell’ in Aberdeen station help support developing young people in body and mind. The restoration of the shell to its former glory recognise the heritage and history of its link to YMCA service in the city of Aberdeen.

“Taking pride of place in the revamped station concourse ensures that travellers to and from Aberdeen can continue supporting young people with their donations in these challenging economic times.

“YMCA is thankful to Railway Heritage Trust and ScotRail for investing in the heritage associated with the shell and investing in empowering young people for their futures.”

Mike Bruce, Managing Director of Morrison Construction North East, said: “Our team has worked incredibly hard on the historic Aberdeen station project and we are delighted to hand it over to ScotRail.

“We are pleased that these works will benefit visitors and people in the North East of Scotland for future generations to come.”

Rob McAuliffe, Head of Interface Management at The Arch Company, said: “The Arch Company has been proud to sponsor the Award for Urban Heritage as the railways are intrinsically linked with our property portfolio.

“ScotRail’s redevelopment of the North Corner Building at Aberdeen Station is a deserving winner. We recognise the significant impact that rail heritage has had on the urban landscape and will continue to have in the future too.”