Argyll and Bute Council has welcomed the progress being made on the multi-million pound investment programme to restore Rothesay's acclaimed Pavilion.

At a meeting of the Policy and Resources Committee, councillors heard that, following additional council funding, the first stage of construction work to upgrade and refurbish the building, which re-started in May, is progressing well.

The new investment means that the final two stages of restoring the Grade A listed Pavilion and transforming it into an entertainment, events, and community hub could be complete by January 2026 subject to securing additional funding.

Alongside the construction work, a lobbying group that includes councillors, council staff, and a representative of the Rothesay Pavilion Charity, the social enterprise that will run the building when refurbishment works are complete, are working together on an action plan to close the remaining funding gap on the project.

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Over 145 people attended a highly successful parliamentary event recently, including Cabinet Ministers, MSPs, residents and businesses from Bute, funding partners, contractors and other key influencers.

The Scottish and UK governments have agreed in principle to include the Pavilion as part of the Rural Growth Deal. A full business case is being prepared and submitted to both governments, which, if approved, could enable the release of capital funding for the Pavilion.

Councillor Gary Mulvaney, Policy Lead for Finance and Commercial Services, said: "Rothesay Pavilion is rightly recognised internationally as an architectural treasure and it is exciting to see the ongoing progress being made in the drive to restore it to its former glory.

"The new investment made by the council has given new impetus to the project and a huge amount of work is now under way across our partnership team to attract the additional funding that will help to deliver what would be a fantastic cultural, commercial and community resource for Rothesay."

Current funding partners on the project include the European Regional Development Fund Scotland Programme 2014-2020, Historic Environment Scotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, the National Heritage Lottery Fund and the Coastal Communities Fund.