Crown Estate cash to restore Campbeltown landmarks

The town also secured £50,000 from a previous tranche of Crown Estate funding, agreed in August 2025, to repair and refurbish the entire front elevation of Victoria Hall – one of Campbeltown’s most recognisable public buildings.

Across Argyll and Bute, the largest single allocation in this latest round is £260,000 for town centre support for shopfronts and empty business properties. The funding will bolster the council’s Love Local campaign and support place-based regeneration in towns including Campbeltown.

A report presented to councillors noted that the scheme has previously been heavily oversubscribed. Businesses unsuccessful in earlier funding rounds will now be prioritised, with grants expected to help pay for shopfront upgrades and smaller repairs to commercial premises.

Elsewhere, £90,000 has been set aside to enhance public CCTV systems in town centres. New and improved digital cameras will offer additional analytical capabilities, such as monitoring vehicle movements and footfall. 

Council officers believe that the data gathered could strengthen future funding bids and help shape investment decisions based on evidence of how town centres are used.

Other projects funded in the latest round include resurfacing and lining works at Albert Pier car park in Rothesay (£150,000), improvements to Helensburgh Skating Pond (£100,000), match funding for Helensburgh’s Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (£135,000), and additional support for Dunoon’s public realm project (£80,000). 

A further £14,500 has been approved to ensure all projects in the latest round of the council’s Strategic Events and Festivals Fund receive their full requested awards.

Councillor Jim Lynch, the council’s policy lead for economic development, housing, islands and communities, said the purpose of Crown Estate funding is to “support, develop and enhance our coastal communities”.

He added that the projects backed in this round would help upgrade infrastructure, improve community spaces and encourage more visitors to Argyll and Bute.

Since 2014, Scottish Ministers have committed to passing on 100 per cent of the net revenue from Scottish Crown Estate marine assets to local authorities for the benefit of coastal communities, with each council deciding locally how its allocation is spent.