PLANS to regenerate Rothesay town centre have won a £1.9 million lottery cash boost.

The grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund means the seafront in the Isle of Bute town will now get almost £3 million of repairs and improvements.

Argyll and Bute Council has committed £200,000 to the scheme and £500,000 has also been secured from Historic Environment Scotland for improvements around Victoria and Montague streets.

Council leader Aileen Morton welcomed the investment in the next phase of the work, which will be carried out for five years from October this year.

She said: “Our aim is to attract people to come and live, work and do business in our town centres across Argyll and Bute, and attracting investment is a crucial part of our work in building prosperity.”

The funds will be used to repair five priority buildings, repair traditional windows, to restore eight shopfronts and improve town centre signs and paths.

It will also boost would-be creative workers and help develop local skills. It builds on the success of the first phase of the Rothesay Townscape Heritage Initiative, which saw over £3 million spent from 2011 to 2016, and and complements efforts to renovate the town’s pavilion.