Mull campus: what do the community care about?

The council was flooded with comments about keeping families together.

Contributors also raised concerns with the conditions of the roads and the lack of buses on the island. Long journey times were also a worry.

Other issues include: accessibility, ease of access with plenty of parking and drop-off spots, access to facilities and the potential for an expanded curriculum.

In a statement, Mull Community Council (MCC) said: "Both options [a 2-18 campus in Tobermory and in Craignure] are unfair, inequitable, and may even constitute a breach of the Human Rights Act.

"If the high school is built in Tobermory, there will likely be a continuing downward trend in primary school numbers in the south of the island. Conversely, if a central location is chosen for the full campus, a similar depopulation could be seen in Tobermory."

"The LEIP (Learning Estate Investment Programme) application says, ’it must be recognised that this is a facility for the whole island’.

"MCC are worried that this intention, and the strategic objective around depopulation in the Scottish Government’s National Islands Plan, are being ignored.

"MCC would hope that, in our unique circumstances, the government funding would look to cover up to 50 per cent of the cost of whatever solution works best, even if this means some facilities are duplicated."

The council’s shortlist of potential sites will be released in December, with a decision reached shortly after. 

The council’s policy lead for education, Councillor Audrey Forrest, said: "Many people expressed a desire for two separate campuses; a secondary and primary, but we have to be realistic about what we can achieve with the funding available.

"It is clear there are mixed views on many aspects and we will need to seriously consider several factors as we prepare to move forward to the next stage."

To view the Community Engagement Analysis Report in full, click here.