Joinery, brickwork and plumbing were just some of the skills available to try at a special taster session for Lochgilphead High School and Tarbert Academy pupils.
The traditional building skills workshops, held at University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI), Argyll gave sixty-five pupils a taste of opportunities available in the construction industry.
Funded and delivered by Ƶapp Council’s Lochgilphead Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (CARS) activities included:
- Roof Slating by Noremac Argyll Ltd
- Joinery by MacLeod Construction Ltd
- Brickwork by UHI Argyll
- Plumbing by A&C Building Contractors Ltd
- Sustainable materials and digital construction
Councillor Liz McCabe, Policy Lead for Islands and Business Development:
“The council is committed to developing opportunities for young people across Ƶapp that can help shape their future careers and grow the local economy. It’s wonderful to see both the enthusiasm from pupils and local craftspeople passing on traditional skills to the next generation.
The CARS programme not only invests in restoring properties but also looks at the skills required to do that. We know that there is a shortage of building contractors in Ƶapp. By investing in traditional skills training, we hope that pupils can see there are great opportunities in the construction industry. Thank you to all the local contractors who delivered demonstrators and to local businesses for supplying materials.”
To inspire other young people, the council has produced a short film of the day. View the film at
Lochgilphead CARS is a heritage- led regeneration project that runs until March 2026. The scheme offers grant funding to property owners to assist with the repair of their historic buildings. There are currently two priority-building projects on site in Lochgilphead. They include 1 Argyll Street and 3-17 Colchester Square. Two further properties are at development stage.
Historic Scotland funds the Lochgilphead CARS training and education programme as part of their contribution to the scheme. In addition to the traditional skills workshops, the scheme has delivered a number of training courses and events in Lochgilphead with a range of participants including; students, local contractors and building professionals. They include, lead welding and bossing, energy efficiency and retrofitting traditional buildings and a low carbon-learning day.