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����ֱ�� has awarded an art gallery, delicatessen, museum and fabric shop with Shopfront Improvement Grants in the latest round of funding.

Work will start on 24 January to provide a safer and more attractive environment for people walking and cycling to Lochgilphead. The £500, 000 investment includes improvements to Colchester Square and ����ֱ�� Street, and will help support local businesses by encouraging more people to visit the town centre.  Footways will be widened and resurfaced using Achnaba greenstone, sourced from a local quarry. Other improvements include:                                       

����ֱ�� continues to support businesses in dealing with the impact of Covid-19. To date the council has supported around four thousand businesses and has paid out over £38 million across all the Scottish Government grant schemes including the Strategic Framework Business Fund. The council has a dedicated webpage with information and support for businesses including access to a range of grants. Please visit the website in the first place for details and to check you are eligible to apply.

Councillor Rory Colville, Policy Lead for Roads and Infrastructure Services, is urging us all to join in the drive to create a Climate Friendly ����ֱ�� and Bute by pledging to reuse or recycle. He says: “For those of us having an early year clear out, remember that a lot of what we plan to throw away won’t have reached the end of its useful life. “And although we don’t want it, someone else might. “Reusing unwanted items, by donating or selling them, is much better for the environment. It cuts down on waste, the associated carbon impacts and can create jobs.

����ֱ�� is considering options to secure the future of Craignure ferry terminal and anyone interested, whether a Mull resident, business or visitor, is being encouraged to give their thoughts through a consultation. Plans being developed will cover not just the long-term future of the pier, but also what needs to be done now to make sure it can continue to operate in the medium term.

Parents of children in ����ֱ�� and Bute who were born between 1 March 2018 and 28 February 2019, are being invited to register them for a funded Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) place next week. This year’s registration will take place online via the council website, due to Covid-19 restrictions, and registration will be open from Monday 25 January until Friday 28 January. If you are unable to access the online registration form please call the Early Years helpline on 01369 708503.

A survey is being carried out by ����ֱ�� to establish the needs of the Gaelic language in the area. The survey will go live on Thursday (14 January) and its findings will enable the council to make the best use of its resources, and identify which actions from the ����ֱ�� Gaelic Gathering are a priority for local communities. This information will then be fed directly into the council’s Gaelic Language Plan.

Congratulations to the people of Bute who recently won the TSB Community Heroes Award at the Pride of Scotland Awards. The Awards celebrate ordinary people doing extraordinary things. The Award was presented to the Bute community for opening their doors and hearts to families fleeing the war in Syria. Tune in tonight on STV at 8pm #abplace2b

Children who turn five between 1 March 2021 and 28 February 2022 should be registered for primary school during the week beginning Monday 18 January 2020. This year’s primary one registration will take place online, via the council website, due to Covid-19 restrictions. To register your child for this year's intake, or for further information, including how to make a placing request and how to request early entry to primary school, visit: .

Businesses in ����ֱ�� and Bute are being offered a variety of free online webinars to help them through COVID-19. The webinars are being run by Business Gateway and cover a wide range of topics such as: