The plans to renovate a historic 19th Century Tobermory pier have received £240,000 in funding.
Community enterprise Tobermory Harbour Association (THA) has been given the cash to help repair the dilapidated Aros pier.
It will go towards providing structural repairs to the pier and creating an outdoor activity and watersport hub in the area.
The money is coming from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).
It is hoped the funding will help boost the local economy by attracting more tourists to the location which borders Tobermory Bay.
Renowned for its wildlife, waterfall and scenery as well as its peaceful setting, Aros Park sits on the hill above Tobermory.
According to the popular tourist site Trip Advisor, Aros Park is ranked second on things to do in Mull.
What will the renovation of Aros pier involve?
Stage one of the development involves installing a new pontoon to allow small boats and small cruise tenders to land safely.
It will also involve an electric water taxi to cut the number of cars driving to the park.
A new slipway to allow safe entry and exit points to the water for kayaks, paddleboards, dinghies and wild swimmers will also be built.
Two derelict buildings, a former sawmill and an old boathouse will also be totally refurbished. This element of the project is being funded by the Scottish Government’s Regeneration Capital Grant programme.
Despite Tobermory’s population of only 1,000 people, it is thought that parks’ popularity will benefit from the island’s almost 400,000 yearly tourists.
When will the work get under way?
The plans for Aros pier have been in development for several years.
In 2019, THA purchased 2.9 acres of land on the waterfront site, and announced its long-term plans for the site the following year.
General manager for THA Anne Fraser said the group is “absolutely delighted” to have received the funding.
She said: “We look forward to seeing the site regenerated, creating new opportunities for local businesses, new experiences for our community and visitors and safety improvements for leisure users throughout the harbour.”
The group has now secured £833,000 in grant funding and they can now complete stage one of the works to restore the waterfront.
It is expected to take around two to four years for the whole project to be finished.
Morag Goodfellow, HIE’s area manager for Argyll and the Islands, said: “Supporting community initiatives is crucial to our role in developing resilience and prosperity in our more remote and fragile areas.
“THA is a great example of a community group with a strong track record of delivering capital projects that have brought local benefits and generated community income.”
To keep up to date with the project’s developments, follow THA on its website and on Facebook.
Conversation