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Creating a Cairnbaan Community Hub. Refurbishment of the old forestry buildings
2025-05-30 • No comments • • Regeneration Capital Grant Fund
1. What we want to achieve.
The Cairnbaan Community Trust, (SC052905) wants to refurbish the forestry buildings to provide a community gathering point and flexible workshop and event spaces. We want a community hub that can be used by the community for education such as crafts and Gaelic, health e.g. yoga and other activities, recreation and social gatherings, inside and outside and temporary office space for local entrepreneurs.
Our priority is the smaller of the two buildings which will provide space for community events and workshops, social meeting space, hot desks and a community kitchen. There is external space that can be developed to provide a community garden and outside event space. It is hoped in the future the larger of the two buildings can be developed to provide space for larger workshops and events.
We have divided the work into phases and we are currently seeking funding for phases 1 and 2.
Phase 0: This covers the procurement of the forestry buildings under a community asset transfer funded by the Scottish Land Fund and we have secured initial funding for essential repairs to both buildings to make them safe and weatherproof. The work will start when we take ownership on the 01/08/2025.
Phase 1: Is the refurbishment of the smaller building. This phase will change the internal layout of the building to create flexible spaces. This entails new partitions, doors, lighting and upgrade to the heating. Additional facilities, external and internal, will be needed for disabled and users with special needs. We also aim to fit a community kitchen and social space for coffee mornings. Finally we need to replace windows and install new furnishings and fittings.
Phase 2: Is the landscaping and provision of a community garden and outdoor space.
Phase 3: Is the refurbishment and fitting out of the larger building. In this phase we also plan to look at energy efficiency improvements, e.g. heat pumps and solar panels.
2. Why our project is needed
Currently there is no community centre to provide a focal point or resources for the community. There is a risk of social isolation amongst our older population and there are no facilities for the young people in our village. Community cohesion is being eroded.
We commissioned a feasibility report through Community Enterprise which highlighted the following points. Accessing facilities is difficult without a car, the minimal bus service is a school service with no evening or Sunday services. There are no shops, medical or other services in the village. Despite scoring highly in other domains the area falls into the 10% most deprived areas in Scotland in terms of access to services in relation to the Scottish indices of multiple deprivation. Feedback from local people highlighted that a primary need in the community is an indoor social area and meeting space.
3. The positive changes our project will bring
Our vision is to reduce isolation, improve community life and reflect the cultural, environment and historic heritage of the area. The current priorities for the CCT are.
- Bringing the community together to enable opportunities for social interaction and growth.
- Advancement of arts, heritage, culture and science.
- The provision and organization of recreational facilities to improve the quality of life for the community.
- Improving the environment including education about the environment, culture and history.
- The relief of thos in need either because of age, ill health, disability or financial hardship.
The refurbishment of the buidings will provide a focal point for the community and the resources to bring the community together especially those that feel isolated. It will provide resources for all ages across the community and give everyone opportunities for development and a sense of purpose and indentity.
Through current engagement with the local community we have already identified skills and volunteers that can contribute to the refurbishment which will foster community involvement from the outset
4. How long will our project run
Phase 1 and 2 of the project will start on: 05/01/2026
The project will run for: 15 months
Our Business plan and the Feasibility report are available on request. Unfortunately the file size was too big to attach.
Sonas Childcare Project
2025-05-26 • No comments • • Regeneration Capital Grant Fund
SID plans to build a dedicated childcare facility to cater for babies and toddlers up to three years old and provide dedicated childcare services for the community. This building will complement the soon to be finished new community Pavilion, and will be set within the 16 acres of Playing Fields, with access to a nearby enclosed playpark, and plenty of green space.
On Islay there are a very limited number of childminders available. Islay has had a steady number of babies born in the last three years (ranging from 20-22 babies/year) and this is predicted to rise. Due to the lack of services available, families are using relatives and friends as childminders to allow them to return to work. The provision of a dedicated childcare facility would provide flexibility with this.
The facility will bring the following positive changes:
- More flexibility for families with regards to 0 to 3 childcare options.
- More opportunities for families to work childcare around their needs, enabling parents to return to work.
- Families may be encouraged to move to Islay, as instead of having severely limited childcare options there will be a dedicated facility.
- It will provide options for employment and training within the facility. It may help provide an opportunity for students and school leavers to gain work experience in their chosen field, without having to leave Islay.
It is anticipated that it will be several years before the facility is up and running. The project is currently in the early stages. A Planning Application has been submitted to Argyll & Bute Council, and the Building Warrant has been completed as far as possible, given the current funding restrictions. SID are currently looking for funding to finalise the Building Warrant, and move on to the construction phases.

Creating a Community Growing Space in Oban Town Centre
2025-06-02 • No comments • • Regeneration Capital Grant Fund
This project meets RCGF criteria: address vacant / derelict land as well as supporting locally developed, place-based regeneration projects that involve local communities, helping to tackle inequalities and improving the economic, social and physical environment of deprived, disadvantaged and fragile remote communities across Scotland. It is community led, and will result in strong regeneration outcomes.
The Rockfield Garden is leased and run by Oban Communities Trust, a Community Benefit Society run by and for its members and the wider community.
We are transforming a disused, previously cultivated food production area into a vibrant and inclusive community growing space, but need funding to realise our vision. This project is rooted in a growing community movement: over the past year, more than 1,100 volunteer hours have been contributed at The Rockfield Garden. The momentum is clear—and this garden will be a living, growing symbol of community action.
The space, located behind The Rockfield Centre, was previously used to grow fruit, vegetables, and flowers for the former McTavish's Kitchens, but has since lain derelict.
What will your project do? Over the last 12 months a 25+ band of volunteers have spend over 1000 hours on Phase 1, preparing the space for cultivation. We are now seeking funding for Phase 2, which will initiate food production and support both experienced and novice growers, fostering strong community involvement.
- Installing fencing and handrails to ensure safety and accessibility
- Building raised beds and flexible growing spaces for communal and individual use
- Constructing a weatherproof meeting shelter and a secure tool shed.
- Providing tools, gardening equipment, seeds, compost, and plants.
- Developing a community composting system to promote circular growing practices.
- Installing bee hives, chicken coops, and a community orchard
- Offering a varied programme of community engagement and educational growing activities, including informal social gardening drop-ins, volunteer action days, and community education.
Why is your project needed? Oban currently has no community growing provision, and local residents lack accessible opportunities to grow, learn, and contribute. As a rural town we are also heavily reliant on imported food, reducing local food resilience and creating disproportionately high food mile loadings. This project will:
- Provide the community with growing space, tools, and support to grow food locally.
- Encourage healthier lifestyles and increased social connection through shared, hands-on activity
- Respond to the pressing need for increased food resilience in the face of climate change and supply chain vulnerabilities.
- Help diversify the town’s food sources, reducing reliance on imported produce and associated transport emissions.
- Create a learning hub to build knowledge and practical skills in sustainable food growing, composting, and ecological gardening
- Offer a mix of communal and some individually managed plots, providing flexibility to suit different needs and abilities.
- Enhance community cohesion and empowerment through participation, ownership, and shared outcomes.
- Contribute to the Rockfield Centre's mission to reduce its carbon footprint and provide wholesome, healthy, affordable community meals.
What positive changes will your project bring about? The Rockfield Garden will deliver wide-ranging benefits across environmental, social, and educational areas:
- Environmental Impact: With an estimated growing area of 1,400m², there is potential to produce 2,000–3,000kg of fruit and vegetables annually. This local production could reduce food miles and cut an estimated 3–4 tonnes of CO₂ emissions per year.
- Food Resilience: In light of climate change and global food supply threats, local food production is a vital adaptation strategy. Growing food locally in Oban will contribute to community-level food security and resilience.
- Health and Wellbeing: Access to growing spaces and outdoor activities supports mental and physical wellbeing. Gardening fosters regular physical activity, better nutrition, and emotional connection to nature.
- Learning and Empowerment: Hands-on education will equip participants with valuable skills in food production, sustainability, and ecological stewardship.
- Community Cohesion: The project will bring together people of all ages and backgrounds, strengthening social bonds, reducing isolation, and building a sense of place and purpose.
- Sustainability: By incorporating composting and circular practices, such as seed saving, the garden will serve as a practical example of sustainable community living. By transforming this underused land into a thriving garden, we’re not just growing food—we’re growing community, resilience, and shared futures.
How long will your project run for? This is a long-term project that is ticking along in Phase 1, but requires substantial funding to move to Phase 2. Once funded, we anticipate c. 1 year to do the required structural works. We anticipate the total works requiring c. 70k, including staff time, but would gladly accept smaller amounts of funding which would allow us to complete the project in a modular fashion.

Renewing the fabric of Atlantis Leisure for the next Generation
2025-06-02 • No comments • • Regeneration Capital Grant Fund
Atlantis Leisure is a vibrant, community-run health and wellbeing hub in the heart of Oban. For over 30 years, we’ve been a lifeline for locals of all ages - a place where toddlers learn to swim, teens train with sports clubs, adults improve their fitness and older residents stay active and connected. As a registered charity and social enterprise, every penny we earn is reinvested. Our huge range of facilities are designed to support active, healthy lives. We work with schools, NHS partners, and community groups to deliver inclusive, high-impact services. With over 150,000 visits a year and no other facility like it for 95 miles, Atlantis isn’t just a leisure centre - it’s the beating heart of our community.
This application comprises separate projects that are also listed on Aspiring Places indivdiually but we thought it made sense to group them together as a single proposal for the purposes of RCGF too:
1. What do you want to do? We propose a multi-strand capital regeneration programme at Atlantis Leisure — a vital, community-owned asset serving Oban and surrounding remote rural areas — to deliver large-scale, community-led change aligned with RCGF's aims that breathes new life into an over 50 year old facility.
This project brings together three deliverable, community-prioritised infrastructure improvements:
- Installation of rooftop solar panels and battery storage: significanty reducing carbon emissions, lowering long-term operating costs and contributing to Net Zero targets. 160k
- Expansion of Atlantis’ gym: a two-storey extension to accommodate growing community demand, support inclusive programmes like Elevate & Stay Active, and provide flexible meeting and office space to host outreach services and community partners. 175k
- Creation of accessible changing facility: reconfiguring existing internal space, to provide a dignified, fully inclusive changing area to support disabled users 50k
- Restoration of end of life outdoor sports pitch: bringing an end-of-life, unusable asset back into service, enabling schools, clubs, and informal groups to use it year-round, relieving pressure from indoor space and boosting physical activity levels. 90k
- Restoration of Sports Hall Roof: rectifying end-of-life aspects of the roofing. 150,000k
2. Why is your project needed? Atlantis Leisure is a community-run registered charity and social enterprise that delivers year-round access to sport, physical activity, and wellbeing services. We are the only such facility within a 95-mile radius and serve over 150,000 users annually — yet key parts of our infrastructure are now limiting access, affordability, and impact.
- The pitch is end-of-life and unusable, with back-up facilities constrained by a statutory noise order.
- We've run out of room in our existing gym facility meaning vital communtiy programmes like Healthy Options are unable to operate properly
- There is no suitable changing space for users with complex access needs, meaning many are excluded from participation.
- Energy costs are surging, making it harder to deliver affordable access and sustain services for low-income families.
The project will regenerate these essential community assets, futureproof our building, reduce inequalities in access, and enable Atlantis to deliver sustainable social value for decades to come — directly supporting the RCGF’s priorities around deprivation, climate, inclusion, and place-based transformation.
3. What positive changes will your project bring about?
- Inclusive Infrastructure: The accessible changing space addresses long-standing inequality, empowering disabled users to participate fully & independently.
- Net-Zero Progress: Solar & battery systems will directly reduce carbon emissions, support national climate goals, & make Atlantis more financially sustainable.
- Renewed Community Space: The front pitch transformation will reinstate valuable outdoor capacity, expanding options for schools, clubs, and families.
- Address Capacity Issues: Expanding the gym answers a growing problem with existing capacity.
- Child Poverty Impact: Reducing running costs helps us to maintain subsidised programmes, removing financial barriers to physical & social wellbeing.
- Place-Based Renewal: This project aligns with the Place Principle and National Strategy for Economic Transformation by investing in a community-anchored asset with cross-cutting impact.
Together, these outcomes represent transformational, community-led regeneration that will enhance the resilience, health, and wellbeing of Oban.
4. How long will your project run for?
The project is fully deliverable within FY 2026–27.
- Start: Early 2026
- End: March 2027
- Drawdown Ready: All spend will be committed or completed within the terms of the RCGF.
- Delivery Approach: Projects will be managed by Atlantis Leisure’s Facilities Subgroup with oversight from the Board.
- Match Funding: Confirmed: Atlantis own contribution. Pending: we are actively pursuing applications and conversations with other funders including LES's CARES programme

Lorn and Oban Reuse Initiative - Renewals and Expansion Project
2025-05-30 • 1 comment • • Regeneration Capital Grant Fund
What we want to do - Lorn and Oban Reuse Initiative (LORI) is our long-standing furniture reuse project based in Oban, serving communities for over 15 years. The project, which aims to achieve a Zero Waste society, diverts furniture, household goods and electricals etc. into reuse and before [these] unwanted items enter the waste hierarchy. In the last 12 months, LORI has supported over 11500 customers including businesses, individuals and families. Those in poverty and personal crisis, those displaced by war in Ukraine and communities challenged by the ongoing cost of living crisis. “Such a fantastic way to reduce wasting perfectly good products. Furniture is top quality and the staff I met were friendly, welcoming and incredibly helpful.” CustomerThis is an exciting period for our charity, as we are planning a major expansion of our work to enable us to better support the growing number of people who come to us for help. Our plans are well advanced including planning consent and building warrant for the proposed improvements and renewals to increase available floor space to meet the growing demand for reuse goods. GRAB has set aside reserves to contribute to the cost of these improvements.Under this grant we propose to move forward rapidly with the project. Available match funding already secured will support project management and admin resources and back LORI during any disruption to trade while improvements take place. Under this grant, captal funds will be deployed to prepare groundworks and the foundations to accommodate new modular buildings, the purchase of new buildings to replace derelict and delapidated units and much-needed welfare facilities. And extensive refurbishment to an existing building. Why the project is needed - In Argyll and Bute, landfill accounts for around half of the Council’s annual production of Carbon Dioxide equivalent emissions (CO2e). (Source: Argyll and Bute Council Decarbonisation Plan 2021). Positive changes will the project bring about - Planet – Tackling the climate emergency, LORI reduces landfill; 45% of greenhouse gases come from products we use and purchase. Saving valuable resources from landfill, LORI reduces the communities’ carbon footprint and cuts emissions. In Oban and Lorn approx. 858 tonnes of Municipal Solid Waste is produced each year. Currently just over 10% or 86 tonnes is diverted through reuse by The GRAB Trust. People – supporting local people and creating jobs, LORI supports communities to utilise existing resources, LORI has steadily increased volumes diverted from landfill each year; diverting over 450 tonnes from landfill in the last 8 years. The initiative sustains 7 jobs and 12 regular volunteers. Pounds – Strengthening the circular economy we offer low cost, high quality furniture and homewares to everyone as a sustainable, low cost alternative to buying new. LORI supports the Circular Economy by keeping existing resources in use for longer and our not-for-profit community enterprise now recirculates over £120,000 in our communities annually. Reducing the tax burden, LORI decreases landfill tax, saving local taxpayers over £8,000 annually. Place – engaging and empowering communities LORI is a place where ideas flourish. We support community groups and partners in the third sector. We help businesses like cafes, hotels and Air B&B furnish their premises. We help communities to share and to learn new skills; reusing and repairing is a creative way to try new things, gain useful skills, appreciate what we already have and find new uses to make the most of it. GRAB is part of Circular Communities Scotland Share and Repair Network and LORI is a source for tools for makers and craftsmen - keeping traditions alive.Our renewals project at LORI will ensure communities are supported for years to come - increase available floorspace by 80%, introduce welfare facilities for staff and volunteers and extend product lines – the new provision of running water at the site will open up the possibility of testing white goods (washing machines & dishwashers) for example. With increased floorspace LORI will better serve the growing demand for reuse, further reduce landfill and offer increased support to the circular economy in Oban and Lorn.
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Creating a Safe, Accessible, Multi-Purpose Gathering Space in the Heart of Oban
2025-06-02 • No comments • • Regeneration Capital Grant Fund
This proposal meets RCGF criteria: supporting locally developed, place-based regeneration projects that involve local communities, helping to tackle inequalities and improving the economic, social and physical environment of deprived, disadvantaged and fragile remote communities across Scotland. It is community led, addresses market failure (inadequate parking and outdoor event space) and will result in strong regeneration outcomes.
The Rockfield Centre is owned and run by Oban Communities Trust, a Community Benefit Society run by and for its members and the wider community. It sits within c. 2000 m2 of old playpark, currently used as a car park
What will your project do? The project will re-surface the existing outdoor space surrounding The Rockfield Centre, resulting in a safe, smooth surfaced area which can be used to bring the community together through large-scale outdoor events, create economic additionality by unlocking new potential for town centre events, and contribute to ongoing town-centre carparking demand.
Why is your project needed? In the recent past, The Rockfield Centre's outdoor space has been used for a range of outdoor events from the Clipper food and drink village (July 2024) and the centre's Spring Festival (June 2025), whilst day-to-day it contributes ~ 50 spaces to the town centre parking supply - a critical resource during peak season. However, the space is badly in need of resurfacing, both to ensure its future as a carparking resource and to enable its use as a safe and accessible community gathering space.
What positive changes will your project bring about? We belive that this project will unlock huge potential for outdoor events within Oban town centre, with benefits for business, local charities, and the wider community. Our strategic planning has identified a need within the Oban town centre area for a flexible and adaptable outdoor space that can be used by community groups for a wide range of activities - including markets, concerts, festivals, and outdoor theatre. Our outdoor space is the ideal location for holding these events as it is enclosed, easy to secure, and removes the need for disruptive and costly road closures which would be highly advantageous in a town which regularly experiences traffic flow issues and can struggle with capacity at peak times. We believe that Oban and the wider community will benefit from this project as it will open up opportunities which have otherwise not been considered, as there is no alternative suitable town centre area that can offer these facilities. This project will allow these opportunities to be fully explored and realised. The Rockfield Centre is strategically placed at the heart of the town, and is open to all. We have a track record of successfully delivering exciting, inclusive, and novel community-focussed events alongside large contracted projects, and are fully commited to working collabaratively and building strength through partnerships.
How long will your project run for? Once funding is in place, the works could be completed quickly with actual disruption to the space kept to 2-3 weeks. We estimate the cost to be £60k (based on quotes obtained in summer 2024). We aim to have this work completed by the end of 2025.

MACPool Activity Hub: Sustainability
2025-05-22 • No comments • • Regeneration Capital Grant Fund
MACPool Activity Hub is a local community hub settled within the rural area of Lochgilphead. We currently service the area of Mid Argyll, where the population is approximately 6,000 people. On an average week, we will provide services such as specialised swimming sessions, fitness classes and Learn to Swim lessons, where over 500 regular participants will attend the Activity Hub.
MACPool Activity Hub works closely with rural school with promoting Water Safety Sessions and scheduled blocks of weekly lessons to pupils. The main Learn to Swim program caters to more than 220 participants from a 25 mile radius on a weekly basis, with ages ranging from 4-75 years old.
We offer a range of programs designed to specialise in different needs such as our Toddler Time sessions to classes such as HyrdoMobility, a senior exercise class, focusing on water-based exercises to strengthen the core and increase stability.
In collaboration with RMFitness and the NHS Living Well Program, MACPool Activity Hub has been assisting with the rehabilitation within the senior community, providing a bespoke area to re-build confidence, both in and out of the water.
We also host Additional Support Needs (ASN) and Young Carer sessions in partnership with the Mid Argyll Youth Development Services (MAYDS), providing a safe space for those in the community who may not otherwise have access to such spaces.
In accordance with our sustainability principles, MACPool Activity Hub is a part of the Renewable Heating Incentive (RHI) scheme. Therefore, the Hub uses a biomass boiler that is fuelled by woodchips to produce the necessary heating for the swimming pool and hot water systems. MACPool Activity Hub is also a part of the Feed In Tariff (FIT) scheme and have over 100 solar panels, which generate renewable electricity.
During previous winters, however, the quality of the fuel source has declined, causing our boilers to malfunction. It is essential that our boilers remain fully operational to comply with regulations concerning water and air temperatures. When we do not meet these regulations, we are forced to close the pool, cancelling valuable swimming lessons, fitness classes and pre-programmed sessions, thus losing credibility and revenue.
Our vision is to expand on the foundations of what we have created so far, improving integral community bonds, while seeking other connections to become a cornerstone of the community. To sustain our efforts, we aim to secure funding for a secondary heating source and to upgrade the storage silo, to allow us to change over from woodchips to wood pellets. This will enable us to remain in the RHI scheme while continuing to develop our programs and timetable, while also fostering partnerships that align with the needs of the community.
Clachan Village Hall/Community Hub Phoenix project
2025-06-02 • No comments • • Regeneration Capital Grant Fund
Clachan lost its much loved and well used village hall due to terminal decline as an asbestos concrete roofed building with corroded portal flames and was demolished in 2022. The iconic historic B Lited Kilcalmonell church was purchased with a Scottish Land Fund grant to serve as a replacement village hall to arise like the proverbial phoenix from the ashes of the old hall. The hub will allow resumption of the dormant user group activities and will provide a recreational, educational venue for the comunity as well as a resource for private hire. It will also serve as an emergency centre to provide safe haven and meal provision at times of emergency such as has occured on many occasions over the past 10 years particualrly in relation to power cuts, village floods, a freak snow storm, and gales, some of which also resulted in blocking the A83 artery to Campbeltown. We are in the process of renovating the exisitng church building to provide the main comunal space and this work shold be completed by the end of the year. This is being funded in part by are own fund raising initiatives and by local wind farm trust grants. We then need grant funding for the extension to provides the addtional space for : a catering/kitchen area, a small meeting room, additional storage and toilet provision with disabled access for larger capacity events and activities. It is is this extension project (phase 2) that we are seeking funding from the RCGF scheme as well as other agencies such as the Windfarm Trusts, and other grant funders. We are looking for this construction work to be done 2026-2027.

An Tobar and Mull Theatre: Theatre Development and Early Years Facility
2025-05-23 • No comments • • Regeneration Capital Grant Fund
Who are we?
An Tobar and Mull Theatre (AT&MT) is a vibrant multi-arts centre on the Isle of Mull and the only producing theatre in the Hebrides. As a hub for artistic excellence, cultural expression, and community connection, we play a vital role in our island's creative and social ecology. We aspire to be an island voice holding space for island experience in global culture at a time when the voices of rural communities are drowned out. Through our wide-ranging programme of theatre, visual arts, creative learning, and music, we serve:
- Local and visiting artists, providing space, time, and collaborative opportunities to experiment and grow.
- All school-age children on Mull, providing arts engagement and curriculum enrichment.
- Young people, creating pathways in the creative industries and amplifying youth voice through the arts.
- Older adults, including those living with dementia and other long-term conditions, supporting wellbeing and inclusion.
AT&MT has been recognised as a leader in community-based arts practice by the Federation of Scottish Theatre and as an essential part of local infrastructure by the Mull and Iona Community Trust. The value of our community outreach, arts provision, and advocacy for rural communities is reflected in the thoughtful feedback we continue to receive from our local community:
“Engaging directly with one’s local community and peers is a valuable experience as it provides opportunity to share ideas and experiences and reinforces connectivity across our islands. I feel that this type of outreach work [AT&MT’s community outreach programme] is fundamental to a thriving cultural ecology on Mull and Iona” – Studio Cèilidh participant
“Because of Mull’s geography and lack of public transport many youngsters have difficulty accessing creative activities [...] The work has been taken to them through schools and location theatre. This ensures equality of access.” – Long-term Community Members
What do we want to do and why?
To secure our future and deepen our impact, we are launching an ambitious development project that responds directly to the needs of our island community. At the heart of this project is the purchase of the land beneath Mull Theatre and extension of the building to include dedicated creative workshop spaces for artists and visiting practitioners and an on-site crèche and early years facility to support families and broaden access to the arts.
This project is essential to:
- Protect the future of Mull's only professional theatre and the only producing theatre in the Hebrides. Currently operating under a lease, securing ownership of our site will give us long-term stability and the confidence to plan boldly.
- Address a critical shortage in early years childcare. Mull faces a well-documented lack of affordable and accessible childcare. This project offers a creative, community-centred solution that support parents and caregivers to participate fully in island life and the creative sector.
- Nurture the next generation of artists and islanders. The crèche and workshop spaces will be designed with care, learning, discovery, and cultural enrichment at their heart.
- Grow the island's creative ecology and promote the artistic excellence of Argyll and Bute on a national and international level. New workshop spaces will allow us to host more artists-in-residence and facilitate peer exchange. It will also offer affordable rehearsal and creation space for local and visiting artists, and extend our ability to deliver training, workshops, and events that connect Mull and Argyll and Bute to the wider cultural landscape of Scotland and beyond.
- Strengthen community wellbeing. As we emerge from the social and economic challenges of recent years, this development supports community recovery through creativity, care, and collaboration.
Who are our partners?
We will work in partnership with:
- Local early years creative learning practitioners and educators, ensuring the crèche is child-centred, safe, and rooted in best practice.
- Forestry and Land Scotland, to navigate our land purchase and ensure the building extension is designed with care and attention to our beautiful natural surroundings.
- Mull and Iona Community Trust (MICT), to ensure the facility is bespoke and meets the needs of our island community.
- Our Community Advisory Group, to ensure that local voices and lived experience remains at the heart of the project.
We believe that access to the arts, like access to care, should not depend on geography. This project is about more than bricks and mortar, it's about building a future where creativity, care, and community thrive side-by-side. With the support of our partners and funders, we're excited to take this next step in our journey, ensuring that AT&MT remains a place where island voices are heard, nurtured, and celebrated for generations to come.

Save Tobermory Fisherman’s Pier
2025-06-02 • No comments • • Regeneration Capital Grant Fund
1 What do we want to do?
Tobermory Fisherman's Pier Association intends to renovate and improve Thomas Telford's hisoric pier for the use of fishermen and other commercial users. We would like to preserve the pier as a place that can be used and enjoyed by locals and visitors alike. We want to open the pier to other commercial users and provide a solution to the risk of flooding caused by increasingly higher tides. A structural engineers report has been commissioned and has provided a plan for remedial works.
2 Why is the project needed?
While the pier is a vital economic resource for the fishermen of North Mull, it is also an essential and integral part of Tobermory's built heritage. Without the pier the fishermen would need to look for alternative space to store and repair gear. They would have to use moorings or pontoons and they would have to use alternative means to land their catch. All of these alternatives are costly, inconvenient and not as safe as the platform provided by the pier.
We have the support of the community and are backed by Mull Community Council, Tobermory Harbour Association and Mull and Iona Community Trust.
3 What positive changes will our project bring about?
The proposed improvements to the pier will provide a fit for purpose structure that will enable the fishing community, and other commercial users, to have confidence in the long-term viability of their businesses and provide the oppurtunity to support new entrants to the sector. Securing the long-term future of the pier will enable it to remain at the heart of the community for centuries to come, bringing economic benefit to the town as a platform for the fishermen and also as part of what draws visitors to Tobermory. It will continue to be a much loved hub for community celebrations and a valued civic space for locals and visitors to enjoy.
4 How long will our project run for?
The project will start in March 2026 and run for seven months.
Please refer to the attached PDF file for our more comprehensive proposal.