PLANS to deliver a modern 2-18 learning campus at Tobermory on Mull are to resume, Argyll and Bute Council has confirmed.
In 2025, work paused due to a judicial review brought against Argyll and Bute Council over concerns of plans to build the school in the north of the island, with a working group arguing this could isolate some pupils.
However, in February 2026, the Court of Session found in favour of the local authority and its plans to build the new facility near to the existing Tobermory High School, which it will replace.
The local authority revealed that the pause in works has resulted in ‘significant’ financial and timing risks impacting project costs, with an estimated inflationary increase of over £946,000.
The agreed budget for the project in April 2024 was £42.9 million. At the council budget setting meeting in February 2026, an additional £7 million was allocated as a provision for future costs of school provision on Mull. The current forecast cost of the project is now £46.8 million.
These projected costs are expected to change as the project develops and physical design of campus evolves, with the budget set to be impacted by a number of external factors including the current situation in Iran. A more detailed cost plan will form part of the outline business case in December 2026.
Detailed design, costings, planning, and a final business case plan are expected to be finalised in 2027, with construction beginning in 2028, and the building being handed over in 2030.
Councillor Kieron Green, policy lead for education at Argyll & Bute Council, said, “Our clear and continued commitment is to deliver a modern, fully accessible 2–18 campus that provides the best possible learning environment for children and young people on Mull, now and for generations to come.
“This project is about far more than a new building – it is about better educational outcomes, inclusive spaces and enhanced opportunities that reflect how young people learn today. The proposed 2-18 campus opens up new learning experiences and opportunities for our two hundred young learners, the majority who live near the preferred location.”
