Efforts to restore a Highland health centre destroyed by fire have taken a major step forward after a planning application was submitted.
The Cil Chuimein Medical Centre in Fort Augustus was completely destroyed after a major fire ripped through the building in October last year.
Now community-led plans have been submitted to rebuild the practice – with a promise that it will improve facilities for the village.
Efforts to rebuild the health centre have been led by the Fort Augustus and Glenmoriston Community Council, which has raised more than £600,000 towards the rebuild.
Community company chairwoman Linda Whiteside said: “The Fort Augustus and Glenmoriston Community Company is delighted to be involved in bringing an enhanced medical facility following the unfortunate fire last year to the old medical centre.
“The new design is based on a similar footprint but our architect Allan Lindsay has managed to increase the accommodation by better utilising the upper floor and redesigning the ground floor.
“This will allow patients proper access to the upper floor and the doctors a more modern environment to work in.”
The planning application involves the demolition of the remains of the fire damaged health centre and the construction of the new build on the same site.
Rebuilding to the exact same layout as the old building was not deemed appropriate because it does not meet current NHS standards.
However, the architect has designed the new building to take up the same amount of space, while the interior is altered to bring it up to standard.
A total of £630,000 has been raised towards the project with an application for a further £50,000 set to decided towards the end of this month.
The GPs based in Fort Augustus have been housed in temporary accommodation at the village’s Telford Centre since the fire, which ripped through the medical centre on a Sunday afternoon.