Work on the £14 million refurbishment of Rothesay Pavilion is "ramping up", with the building on track for a 2019 opening.

Progress is being made on construction of a new main roof for the building, while internally main contractor CBC have installed elements of the new café and the Pavilion's new ground floor exhibition space. Also on the ground floor, the new club and venue areas are being created.

Full details of progress at the site can be found in a report presented to the Bute and Cowal Area Committee this month.

Councillor Gary Mulvaney, the council's Policy Lead for Strategic Finance and Capital Regeneration Programme, said: "I'm sure that residents of Bute will be walking or driving past the site regularly and wondering what is going on behind the scenes, as from the outside it is hard to imagine the transformation taking place. While much of the work currently underway is to provide new foundations and support, these are major steps forward for what will be a valuable and beloved resource for Rothesay.


"As I saw when I visited a couple of months ago, the work is challenging, but I can't wait for the next progress update and I look forward to the Pavilion's big opening next year."

The removal of non-load bearing internal walls is also taking place, allowing for the new internal design to begin to take shape. Feature columns in the main hall are being protected as they will be incorporated into the new design at the Grade A-listed building.

Funding for the project has come from the council, along with funding partners the National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund; European Regional Development Fund; Historic Environment Scotland; Highlands and Islands Enterprise; the Scottish Government's Regeneration Capital Grant Fund; Coastal Communities Fund; Robertson Trust; Garfield Weston Foundation; Foyle Foundation; Wolfson Foundation; Scottish Communities Landfill Fund and the Barcapel Foundation.

The new facility is expected to employ over 30 people and attract over 70,000 visits per year. It will be operated by the Rothesay Pavilion Charity, who will lease it from the council on an ongoing basis.

The Rothesay Pavilion project is one of a number of council investments in Bute.

Provost Len Scoullar added: "The Rothesay Pavilion will be a major asset for Rothesay, and it represents just one of the council's investments in Bute. The second Rothesay Townscape Heritage Initiative is being implemented, with a total of £2.7million earmarked. Rothesay Pier is undergoing around £3.25million of improvements and we are also working hard to secure funding for small business space, as well as lobbying for better digital coverage. And our drive towards securing a Rural Growth Deal will benefit the whole Argyll and Bute."