The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Famed outdoor pool may
With the cheers and splashes of holiday makers now a dim and distant memory, David Proctor looks at what lies ahead for Tarlair swimming pool
It has been hailed as a “fine” example of an Art Deco outdoor swimming pool, but what can be done with the deteriorating tearoom, changing rooms and pools at Tarlair? The Friends of Tarlair hope they have the answer, by securing permission and funding to breathe new life into the once hugely popular north-east venue.
Members have already worked for years on the project and are committed to regenerating the listed buildings, opening a new tearoom and creating sports facilities.
It will not be a straightforward process – as recent history has shown – but they are determined to succeed.
Built in 1931, Tarlair was granted A-listed building status by Historic Scotland in March 2007 in recognition of its design.
This means Aberdeenshire Council is legally obliged to safeguard its historic character.
But its fragile condition means it was still placed on Scotland’s buildings at risk register little more than a year later.
That left the local authority with a decision to make over the complex’s future – one it has yet to take.
At first the council worked with a consultancy firm to draw up proposals, with a shortlist put together.
A commercial lobster hatchery was considered but then dismissed as a similar project in Orkney had not turned a profit.
It was also deemed “high risk” given the scale of the investment needed to get the project up and running.
An oyster hatchery was another option but this too was rejected by officials because of the £500,000 cost of setting it up and to fence off the complex due to biosecurity.
Efforts did not end there, however, and in 2013 the Banff and Buchan area committee looked at other options including a complete revamp of Tarlair.
That came with a £2.5 million price tag and members eventually opted for a cheaper alternative, with £300,000 of improvements approved to maintain the pool for visitors.
Work was done in 2014 to safeguard the crumbling structure, which included restoring the concrete terraces and the boating pool and adding a disabled access ramp.
Where the council has been unable to find a new use for Tarlair, the community hopes to see success.
The Friends of Tarlair was established in 2012 with the ambitious goal of bringing the pool back into use and – if not quite like in its heyday – making it a vibrant attraction once more.
Over the last seven years dedicated volunteers have been doing their bit to ensure at least some of the pool’s former grandeur is maintained, staging
fundraisers – including a sponsored swim from Macduff Aquarium to Tarlair – regular litter picks and weed clearing.
Although there has been no regular swimming in the chilly water in recent decades the pool has been a perfect playground for model boat enthusiasts to test their mini vessels and remains a popular and impressive spot for coastal explorers.
Chairwoman Pat Wain has led the Friends since the group’s inception and hopes the facility can be used again by locals and tourists alike.
She said nostalgia was a factor in setting up the organisation.
Mrs Wain said: “Sentiment about the fun and activities in its past was, and perhaps is, one of the main drivers of our group.
“However, the Friends of Tarlair Community Group have long recognised activities will never be the same as in its heyday.
“We always knew our thinking had to change, though our ultimate aim is still to work to restore the whole A-listed structure.”
A feasibility study was made into the
“There is a lot of scope to allow Tarlair to develop”
potential of opening a tearoom at the swimming pool, but the group is still awaiting the outcome of the council report.
Mrs Wain said the results would be vital to a bid to eventually take ownership of the A-listed structure and begin its regeneration.
She said this could also feature a range of new sports facilities using the 90-yearold swimming pool’s current structures.
“We hope to use this survey to first repair the tearoom, workshop and toilet facilities by securing a long lease through the asset transfer process,” Mrs Wain said:
“This would put us in a viable position to apply for funding.
“There is a lot of scope to allow Tarlair to develop alongside the new enthusiasm for outdoor activities, with the ability to develop varied adventure activities in the pools and in the green space in the bay area.”
Aberdeenshire Council, the current owner of Tarlair Swimming Pool, said it had received a community asset transfer request from the Friends group.
A new way forward for Tarlair means it could become a major tourist draw again.
While the crowds that once made a beeline for this particular patch of the Moray Firth coast are long gone, it may be handed a second chance to make a splash.