New island school site sees pupils stay on mainland in hostels

The proposed £43 million campus will be built in Tobermory, less than a mile from the island's current school.

It had been hoped by some parents in the south of the island that a more central location would be picked, such as Craignure, or that two campuses would be built, allowing their children to be in the catchment area of the school on the island.

Currently, and it looks to remain so, most pupils in the south of the island have to travel to the mainland by ferry to attend school in Oban and stay overnight in hostels.

The new campus, for two to 18-year-olds, has been proposed to be called Tobermory South and is unlikely to change that.

Council chiefs told a meeting it was selected following 10 months of "intensive work".

After reaching the decision, Councillor Audrey Forrest – the policy lead for education – said: "This has been by no means easy and we understand there are many different views as to where the new 2-18 campus should be located.

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"This is about being both ambitious and realistic about what we can deliver for Mull.

"Unfortunately, even a £43m investment cannot be all things to all people when there are mixed community views.

"That said, our priority has to be our young people, delivering a contemporary campus that opens up further opportunities for them and benefits the whole of Mull in the long term."

During the debate, Oban North and Lorn councillor Julie McKenzie said she had "serious misgivings" about a single-site campus and requested for a split site to be further explored.

However, council bosses said a split campus would cost the authority an additional £12m.