The Scottish government has awarded Aberdeenshire Council more than £1.4m for the Tarlair lido pavilion renovation.

A total of £1,458,000 has been awarded from the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund to breathe new life into a former lido pavilion.

The £1.8m project will involve the Friends of Tarlair community group bringing the once-popular art deco facility back into use for both local residents and visitors.

Nestled in a sheltered bay east of Macduff, the refurbished community facility will feature a cafe and an art heritage workshop.

Studio Octopi in partnership with Heritage Architecture were appointed earlier this year with funding assistance secured from Aberdeenshire Council's Macduff Vision and Action Plan to lead the restoration project.

Friends of Tarlair will now look to secure match-funding for the remaining pavilion project costs and in due course will hope to source funds for development of the swimming pool.

Councillor Peter Argyle, chair of Aberdeenshire Council's Infrastructure Services Committee, said: "This is truly fantastic news for both ourselves and Tarlair and I am delighted that we will be working in partnership with the community on this project. This successful funding bid underlines the passion, drive and collaboration between the community and ourselves to get this restoration underway and I look forward to see this project progressing in the New Year."


Cllr Doreen Mair, chair of the Banff and Buchan Area Committee, said: "The community has really pulled out all the stops to get this project off the ground and to get such significant funding is great news for everyone involved. Of course, now the really hard work begins, but I have every faith that this collaborative project between Aberdeenshire Council and the community will be a tremendous success."

Chair of the Macduff Development Partnership, Councillor Ross Cassie, added: "The positive economic and recreational impacts this will have on the local community will be really welcome for the town. Bring this iconic art deco building back to life will be a huge boost to the local community and promote active outdoor enjoyment, and health benefits for the local area, in addition to drawing in visitors from afar to enjoy the facility."

Regeneration projects in some of Scotland's more disadvantaged and rural communities share more than £25 million in the latest round of Regeneration Capital Grant funding announced by the Scottish Government.

It will support 22 locally developed place-based projects that tackle inequalities and promote sustainable and inclusive economic recovery from the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Whilst helping revitalise town centres and neighbourhoods, these projects aim to support up to 3,000 jobs, training and volunteering opportunities and reduce local carbon emissions.

Community Wealth Minister Tom Arthur said: "The last few years have been tough for us all but many of Scotland's communities have been more impacted than others. The latest projects to benefit from the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund are working to tackle inequalities and create vibrant town centres and neighbourhoods.

"By securing investment from this £25 million fund, these innovative projects demonstrate the powerful role those in our communities can have in helping to transform their town centres and neighbourhoods by investing in their future. The Scottish Government will do all it can to support projects that help create the fairer, greener and more prosperous Scotland we all want to see."