A group of volunteers have received £15,000 towards breathing new life into an A-listed north-east attraction.
The open air pool at Tarlair was a bustling seaside destination for generations of children between the 1930s and its closure in 1996.
The beloved art-deco pavilion is now being passed from Aberdeenshire Council into the hands of the Friends of Tarlair group, which was established in 2012 to rejuvenate the site near Macduff.
Among their aims are creating a pleasant outdoor space for families to sit and enjoy the spectacular views, and creating a cafe in the old pavilion.
But the crumbling building is in a state of disrepair and members are keen to advance their plans as quickly as possible.
Members say they are “feeling merry” this Christmas having secured some important grants towards making their vision for the spot a reality – after a “rollercoaster of a year” where they feared missing out on donations.
The Hugh Fraser Foundation has now pledged £10,000 towards the project and the group also recently secured £4,000 from the Dalrymple Donaldson Fund, and £1,000 from David and June Gordon Memorial Trust.
Chairwoman Pat Wain said: “With most funding being diverted to Covid-19 causes, this is a wonderful response.
“It’s an iconic structure, which has a sense of belonging to Macduff.
“It’s one of these places where it’s almost like there’s history in the walls and it’s so important to progress as quickly as we can.”
The funding will help with help with essential conservation repairs to bring the community asset back into working order.
In the new year, the group is hoping for more positive news as members currently await responses from other potential funders.
Among those helping the cause was a Banff soldier.
Staff Sergeant David Jarvis cycled the the North East 250 in aid of several local charities including Friends of Tarlair this year and Mrs Wain said the group was “incredibly thankful” for such efforts.
She said: “There’s plenty for us to be positive about and the response from people has been brilliant. There’s really so many people that have been helpful.
“Our lucky squares raised £1,000 locally too and we’ve also had a donation from a couple in Kent and one from Australia.”
Previous donations also include £500 from the local wind farm, Muirden Energy.
At an online Banff and Buchan area committee meeting earlier this year, councillors agreed to begin the process of allowing the building to be passed into the group’s hands.
Troup councillor Mark Findlater congratulated the group for their funding application success.
Mr Findlater said: “The Friends of Tarlair is a hard working group and have the best interest of this A-listed site.”
