New dawn for L

Car parking became pedestrian walkways during the Colchester Square renovations.

Left: 1 Argyll Street after the scaffolding was removed in mid-December.

As the new year dawns, so the sun rises on the next step in bringing Lochgilphead’s tired town centre buildings back to life.

The £2.1 million Lochgilphead Conservation and Regeneration Scheme (CARS) is running from April 2020 to March 2026 and, as the festive season approached, the scaffolding started to come down on some of the first of the major renovation projects.

And as a result the change and hope that the project is bringing can start to be seen.

The project is funded by a number of bodies, including Argyll and Bute Council (£613,279, including private sector housing grant), Historic Environment Scotland (£969,731) and the Scottish Government’s Place Based Investment Fund (£300,000 for 2022-23 and 2023-24).

Of the total, £1.4 million is grant funding and the majority has now been committed.

As well as regenerating historical buildings the project aims to provide traditional skills’ training and engage with the community on the work taking place, what grants are available and improvements that owners can make to their properties.

The major improvement works have been centred on Colchester Square and properties in Argyll Street.

Scaffolding was removed in early December from 1 Argyll Street (Coriander) after repairs to the fabric of the building, including roof work, replacement of leading, stone, cast iron fittings, timber repairs, refurbishment of windows and replacement of rotting timbers, and re-rendering.

Because of the terrible weather in December, it was decided to wait until spring to install the new fascia above the shopfront and mineral paint on the front and side of the building.

Similarly the majority of work at 3-17 Colchester Square (The Square Peg) which started in late May 2023 has progressed well.

Scaffold to the front elevation was removed in early December, allowing the parking bays to be reopened, much to the delight of The Square Peg owner Jilly Wilson.

Jilly said: “The car park has been sorely missed, by traders and customers alike, so it’s fabulous to see vehicles coming and going again!

“We’ve been much quieter all summer, and it’s been somewhat gloomy, so we had some

Photograph: Rita Campbell The Square Peg at 3-17 Colchester Square after the major renovations - with lime wash still to be completed on the gable end.

Photograph: Argyll and Bute Council Argyll Street shop front before (below) and after (above) improvements via the CARS project.

AA41CARS01 1 Argyll Street undergoing renovations.

And Bute Council Photograph: Argyll 1 Argyll Street undergoing renovations.