Rothesay Pavilion closes for two years to undergo £8m revamp

Grade-A listed Rothesay Pavilion was built in the 1930s

One of Scotland's most significant surviving Art Deco buildings has closed to the public as work begins on a two-year £8m refurbishment programme.

Rothesay Pavilion has been at the heart of cultural life on the Isle of Bute since it first opened in 1938.

The revamp will see major repairs to the Grade-A listed building, a second performance venue and a new top floor for meetings and conferences.

The pavilion is scheduled to re-open in summer 2017.

Rothesay Pavilion sits at the end of the town's Victorian Esplanade, with views of Rothesay Bay and across to the Cowal Peninsula and the Renfrewshire and Ayrshire coasts.

It was built in the era of the "Big Band Sound", and was designed to host dancing and conference events as well as flower shows, weddings and sports activities.

The refurbishment project is being led by Argyll and Bute Council and the Prince's Regeneration Trust.

The first stage of the revamp will see surveys of the building undertaken and furniture and attachments removed before construction work begins early next year.

When the venue reopens it will be operated by the Rothesay Pavilion Charity on lease from the council.