Following confirmation that the Scottish Government has allocated the council £1,590,409 for 2023/24 from the Crown Estate Fund, councillors have given a range of initiatives the go-ahead to proceed in the coming months.

The council has approved funding for the following seven projects:

• Demolition of Albert Pier redundant building in Rothesay (£40,000)
• Key worker accommodation in Tobermory (£50,000)
• Phase 2 of the community owned Nonhebel Industrial Park (£40,000)
• Tarbert Heritage Regeneration Scheme Development Phase (£60,000)
• Gigha Pontoons - improving facilities at Ardminish (£11,000)
• Islay Gaelic Centre - Phase 2 of the 360 degree Immersive Classroom Project (£300,000)
• Weather-related roads infrastructure (£398,000)

Several other schemes are also in line to benefit from Crown Estate funding including the Kilmartin Museum project, additional weather-related roads works, installation of a permanent mains electricity connection at Colonsay Airport and public realm works at Morrison Square in Bowmore.

The Crown Estate fund is targeted at the sustainability of coastal communities in the key categories of environment, community, climate change, and economic development. The funding can be used to deliver council projects or provided as a grant to third sector organisations to assist in the delivery of a community project.

Council Leader Robin Currie said: “Crown Estate funding is enormously valuable in enabling the delivery of projects which support our coastal communities, building further on the ongoing work which the Council is already undertaking to invest in new infrastructure, economic development, and community wealth building.”