THEY are the Viking-era monuments commemorating the kings of the Britons but still housed in an inner-city church in the shadow of the Clyde's shipyards.

Now, a £1.8 million grant aims to help bring the unique collection of medieval carvings known as the Govan Stones to a wider audience and promote the area's Dark Ages origins.

Considered amongst the best collections of early medieval sculpture anywhere in the British Isles and comparable with York's Viking relics, the cash will be used to encourage visitors to the Govan Stones and champion their international significance.

Govan Old Parish Church, home to the Stones, will be restored and transformed into a heritage visitor centre to display the monuments.

Paisley's bid to become the 2021 UK City of Culture was also given a boost in the Heritage Lottery Fund's (HLF) latest round of funding announcements, with almost £2m for the town's conservation area and textile heritage.

Fraserburgh has also been awarded £1.8m for conservation work at its old town hall.

Carved between the 9th and 11th centuries to commemorate the power of those who ruled the Kingdom of Strathclyde, the Govan Stones include 31 early Christian monuments including intricately carved crosses and cross shafts, and five rare and elaborate hogback stones to commemorate the dead.

The centre piece of the collection is the Govan Sarcophagus, a massive stone coffin with a carved exterior supposed to have been dedicated to the patron saint of the church, Saint Constantine.

The highly decorated exterior illustrates Pictish and Norse-influenced scenes associated with royalty and power and, it is assumed, meant to display the remains of the saint as a focal piece in the church.

The HLF said the grant would help turnaround wider Govan's economic fortunes and would also be used to repair other key buildings, improve shop fronts and restore the gates to Elder Park.

Colin McLean, HLF chief in Scotland, said: "The regeneration of town centres is an obvious way in which we as an organisation can make an important contribution to improving the economy of an area and the standard of living for the people resident there.

"Investing lottery money to revitalise historic buildings at the heart of a community, not only makes a place more attractive to live, visit and invest in, it also provides jobs and training opportunities for local people.

"We are delighted to make these awards as part of our on-going commitment to preserving Scotland's heritage in a way in which is relevant to the needs of today."

The cash to Renfrewshire Council will be used to restore some of the Paisley area's architectural treasures to their former glory.

The scheme is part of an ongoing ambitious drive to use Paisley's heritage and cultural assets to lead a transformation of the town over the next decade.

Council leader Mark Macmillan said: "Paisley has an architectural heritage worth celebrating, and this money will go a long way towards keeping some of the finest examples of that alive for future generations to enjoy.

"The preservation of that heritage is a central part of a regeneration journey which we hope will build on the town's existing strengths and turn it into a vibrant international cultural destination over the next decade."

Fraserburgh, the earliest planned town in Scotland whose original street layout still survives, will use its cash for the restoration of key buildings, heritage activities such as walking tours and open days, education and training links with schools and colleges and a focus on boosting town centre business.