Cnoc Soilleir Press Release – Works to Start on Site.
20 January 2020
Cnoc Soilleir Ltd is delighted to announce that the Construction Contract has been signed between them and MacInnes Brothers Ltd. to build the new two storey facilities in Daliburgh South Uist for both Ceòlas and Lews Castle College UHI (LCC UHI), who have come together to form the joint venture partnership that is Cnoc Soilleir.
This is a major milestone and fantastic outcome for Uist on a journey with over 20 years of development work between the community and the College. Mairi MacInnes, Chair of Ceòlas says: Cnoc Soilleir will take Ceòlas to another level as a key organisation for supporting Gaelic development in Uist and far beyond!
The new building designed by John Renshaw Architects is being built to meet the exemplary PassivHaus energy efficient standards, a first for the Western Isles, and will provide a new home for LCC UHI’s award winning Applied Music courses, and for Ceòlas and their music, Gaelic and cultural heritage activities.
This is the initial phase of this transformational project; works will start on site at the end of January 2020 and are due to be completed in the spring of 2021. It will comprise specialist teaching and support spaces, as well as a library and archive space, with access for the community and visitors, and a bespoke recording studio and control room.
This exciting new venture in the heart of the South Uist community is enabled by the generous funding from the following stakeholders: Scottish Government, Gaelic and Scots Team; Scottish Government Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF); Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE); Comhairle nan Eilean Siar; Bord na Gàidhlig; and a number of private individuals.
MacInnes Bros Ltd (MIB) are extremely happy to have been awarded the enabling and Phase 1 Construction works for a new Gaelic, Art and Music centre in South Uist. David MacInnes, Project Manager for MIB says ‘as a company, we are very proud to be able to support this local project and we feel it will be very beneficial to encourage and support Gaidhlig language learning, heritage, culture, music and dance. It is also a great opportunity for us as a company to be able to continue to offer local employment. We are very much looking forward to working alongside Cnoc Soilleir Ltd.’
Deputy First Minister John Swinney said:
“I am pleased to see funding is now in place to allow the Cnoc Soilleir project to go ahead. This new facility will provide South Uist with employment opportunities and promote and strengthen Gaelic at many levels.”
“This is also a great example of partnership working and the Scottish Government will remain a strong supporter of this project.”
