Macduff’s Tarlair outdoor swimming pool pavilion resurrected by community group

A historic pavilion at a beloved former outdoor swimming pool complex has been resurrected by a community group.

Friends of Tarlair has seen its efforts come to fruition with the completion of the project to transform the coastal Art Deco building on the outskirts of Macduff.

The group is in the midst of a three phase restoration of the outdoor swimming pool complex.

The first stage saw the inner boating pool and terraces renovated.

The current phase has seen the pavilion completed which has created a new community venue, which includes a meeting space, cafe and roof terrace.

It has already hosted meetings and will shortly open to the public.

The final stage, which the group is away to embark on, is the restoration of the outer swimming pool.

Generations of people enjoyed swimming and activities at Tarlair lido which operated from the 1930s until the 1990s.

Friends of Tarlair chairwoman Pat Wain said: “The Tarlair boating pool and terraces renovation was completed 10 years ago under the expert eye of John Addison of Addison Conservation and Design and was funded by Aberdeenshire Council.

“The funding allocation allowed for fantastic repairs of the boating pool but had to remain cut off from the swimming pool until funds were secured for the whole project.

“The Tarlair project had been split into three phases to ease the funding application process, and the boating pool repairs had to come first because the poor condition of the surrounding cement work would have meant the structure surrendering to the sea given another year or two.

“The pavilion block was next to secure funding because of its earning capabilities.

“Working to the greatest extent with volunteers means that profits can be used for site maintenance and support the renovation of the swimming pool which would complete the structure and allow Tarlair to once again become the go to place for outdoor activities.

“The success of the pavilion and workshop renovation has been supported through securing the majority of funding through the Place Based Investment Fund distributed by the Scottish Government and allocated to Aberdeenshire Council to work with community-based initiatives.

“The local authority has been working with us during the renovation project.

“The architects Studio Octopi and their team, and V G Willox contractors took on the project.”

With the pavilion having been completed the group’s attention has now turned to phase three which will see the renovation of the outer swimming pool.

Pat added: “The feasibility and business plan has been completed for the swimming pool, the third phase of the project, and funding will be sought to, hopefully, take us through to project completion.

“Funders to be thanked for taking the project to this stage are Garfield Weston, Muirden Energy, Pilgrim Trust, Regeneration Capital Grant Funding, Dalrymple Donaldson, David and June Gordon, Grant Fraser Trust, Aberdeenshire Council - Regeneration Funding, Place Based Investment Fund, Turcan Connell, The Architectural Heritage Fund and Friends of Tarlair, with the majority of the funding coming from the Place Based Investment Fund.

“We hope to secure funding in the near future to take the swimming pool design to planning stage where we may then have the opportunity to gain asset transfer of the pool.

“To gain asset transfer opens up capital funding possibilities to allow for project completion.”

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