Argyll and Bute Council has urged people to respond to their proposed plans to upgrade the ferry infrastructure in Kilcreggan by extending the consultation until 26 March.

In order to improve the reliability and resilience of the ferry service between the village, the wider community and Gourock, plans are being explored with service users and communities to take advantage of the investment being made in new vessels, helping to bring new economic opportunities to the area.

Transport Scotland is close to confirming the designs for new passenger ferries coming into operation on the Gourock, Dunoon and Kilcreggan routes, and concerns for the existing B-listed pier at Kilcreggan having capacity to accommodate them safely have led to plans being developed for new accessible infrastructure that will see the service into the future.

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The Council's preferred option would see a pontoon built to the west of the existing pier. The existing, historic timber pier remain in place as a supplementary facility for leisure and recreational use by others, and the Council would continue to maintain it for the benefit of the local community. Detailed drawings of the preferred option are available on the Council website.

The Council's Policy Lead for Roads and Transport, Councillor Andrew Kain, said: "Ferry users need reliable vessels; they need certainty that crossings will run; and our preferred option means that can happen. Not only that, this design will help bring economic opportunities to the area for years to come.

"We know that weather can present an issue on the current service as vessels approach the berth. This has a huge impact on the reliability of sailings so, in order to alleviate that risk and ensure vessels can berth safely and reliably in all conditions, a breakwater is included in the preferred option.

"This will enable vessels to berth in more difficult conditions, therefore improving the reliability of the service. The location and size of the breakwater has not yet finalised - this will be done during the detailed design stage.

"This is an exciting time and I would encourage everyone to take part in the consultation to ensure we receive fair, accurate feedback that is representative of the whole community."